Close to Leek Wootton, Millenium Way

Start: Rouncil Lane, Kenilworth near CV8 1NN. Grid Ref: SP278 696

(S/E) With your back to the lay-by and facing the road, go left up the road past the 50mph sign and after 200 yards turn left along the concrete driveway towards Goodrest Farm.

(1) Here you have joined the Millennium Way and you will see our distinctive waymarkers which will guide you for the first section of the walk.

Go past dwellings on your right and go ahead until you reach a kissing gate on your left. Take the kissing gate and walk with the wire fence on your left to take another kissing gate a few yards in from the field corner.

(2) Bear slightly left gently downhill to cross over the small bridge then bear right uphill to find a solitary waypost. Here we take the right hand footpath which is clearly waymarked (do not take the path left onto the golf course). Stay ahead keeping the fence & trees left.

Continue on to take the corner kissing gate by bench into a large field. Stay ahead keeping hedge and trees left, passing a small pond left and then another right to eventually pass an old wooden gate. Ignore mid hedge kissing gate/path on left to continue ahead under power lines along a winding narrow path to take a metal gated gap into wood (this area can be very muddy so be prepared in wet weather).

(3) Follow a lovely woodland path to emerge alongside the golf course on the left. Stay ahead on the track keeping hedge and trees right and pylons left. Go right of the corner pylon and then through a hedge gap and stay on a narrow track along the edge of the fenced field to find and take the metal kissing gate. Continue directly ahead passing the large mound left. Bear left through the shrubbery to emerge in a large field.

(4) Go slightly left to pass under telegraph lines with Woodloes Farm over on right. At the junction with the farm track turn left and follow the track to the junction with lane. Go right on the lane and follow over A46 (Kenilworth Bypass) to arrive at main A429.

(5) If you wish to visit the Saxon Mill at Guy's Cliffe go left on the main road for 400 yards, otherwise go right on the road to continue the walk. Go directly across a roundabout, then past an M&S shop and petrol station staying ahead to come to a canal bridge.

(6) Just before the bridge take the path right to join the towpath (here we leave the Millennium Way). Turn right onto the towpath keeping the canal on your left. Stay along the towpath under bridges 49a and 49b.

(7) Go past locks, where you can go across the canal to the Cape of Good Hope pub, and when you reach bridge No 50, just past a large block of apartments, leave the towpath and go right up some steps to reach the road. Turn right on road to reach T-junction (Wedgnock Lane) and turn right.

After 350 yards, after the Volvo Headquarters and just before the road swings right, cross over and go left up surfaced lane signed Prospect Farm & Barn. At the rise you will cross the bridge over the A46.

(8) Stay along the private lane for a considerable distance, ignoring the road right, take the opening on the right of the security gate and continue walking uphill and past Prospect Farm and a couple of small attractive cottages on your right until you come to the far end of a wood on the left. Here you will find a way post with several bridleway way marks.

(9) Turn right here through a wide gap/metal gate. You will keep in this direction for quite a while. Go along the edge of the field with a hedge and trees left. Stay along the field side track to pass through another wide gap/metal gate. When you reach a kink in the track go left and right and stay on the same line but now with hedge and trees right.

(10) Stay ahead with the hedge right passing through a metal gate and under power cables then through another metal gate towards farm buildings. Keep to the left of the farm building to find a metal gate on your right. Take a gate to surfaced track and bear left to go along the track.

After 150 yards you will come to and take a kissing gate right, which you took earlier in (2) (rejoining the Millennium Way for just 200 yards). Walk with wire fence on left to take another kissing gate a few yards in from the field corner. Bear slightly left gently downhill to cross over a small bridge and this time we bear left up to a solitary waypost, leaving the Millennium Way and go left to take metal kissing gate into wood.

(11) Stay forward for a while along woodland path with golf course appearing on right. Cross a wooden bridge over stream and continue along woodland path to eventually reach a waypost. Go left and, after 30 yards, left again at a second waypost and through a hedge gap into field.

Stay across field under power lines to exit by kissing gate with no gate, which will bring you back to your starting point at the lay-by. (S/E)

Start: Rouncil Lane, Kenilworth near CV8 1NN. Grid Ref: SP278 696
Parking: Parking area on Rouncil Lane. Park in the lay-by on Rouncil Lane.
Maps: OS Explorer 221 or OS Landranger 151
Stiles: None. This circular has no stiles and is therefore suitable for dogs.
Refreshments: Anchor Inn. Postcode CV35 7QX. Tel : 01926 853355
A short drive back into Leek Wootton will take you to The Anchor Inn for refreshments.

Note: The walk incorporates sections of the Millennium Way, where you will be guided by the distinctive black and white waymarkers.

More information at Millenium Way website here.

Points of Interest - What to know and what to see.... by Andy Botherway

Woodcote Manor – Leek Wootton
Woodcote Manor is tucked away to the north of The Warwickshire Golf Course. Woodcote is a 19th century manor house and estate. During the Second World War it was used as a convalescent home for military personnel, notably American servicemen. It has been headquarters of Warwickshire Police since 1949. There have been plans to sell it and relocate to somewhere modern but, since West Mercia and Warwickshire forces have split, it is being retained.

The Warwickshire Golf and Country Club
Originally set up my Mike Smith, the English Cricket Captain, The Warwickshire has two 18 hole golf courses and a par 3 course, plus a hotel. It sits off the roundabout between the A46 and Leek Wootton.

Gaveston Monument on Blacklow Hill
Gaveston's Cross is located south of Leek Wootton, unfortunately on private land. It marks where Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall was murdered. In 1308 Edward II travelled to Boulogne to marry Isabella, leaving Piers Gaveston to act as regent. Resentment against Edward's rule and Gaveston's position grew and some barons began to insist Gaveston be banished. Edward could do little to prevent Gaveston being captured in 1312 under the orders of the Earl of Lancaster. He was captured by the Earl of Warwick, whom he was seen to have offended, and handed over to two Welshmen. They took him to Blacklow Hill and murdered him; one ran him through the heart with his sword and the other beheaded him.

The Saxon Mill – weir and footbridge
Just off the circular walk, this mill was originally called Gibbeclive Mill in the 12th century. It was the property of St Mary's Abbey, Kenilworth until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It was rebuilt in 1822 and was a working mill until 1938. It was converted into a restaurant and bar in 1952. The famous restaurant has a glass window cut-away in the floor where the water can be seen flowing underneath.