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Start: Olton Railway Station (B92 7AQ) Grid ref. SP 133 822
(S) Exit Olton Railway Station and turn right. Pass bus stops, and at a mini-roundabout turn right under the railway bridge. Cross the side road and the canal bridge and turn right down the brick-surfaced path.
(1) At the bottom turn right on the towpath. Walk ahead on the towpath for 2 7⁄8 miles. After passing under the railway bridge 88E and immediately before pedestrian bridge 88F, turn right up steps. At the top, turn left over the bridge.
(2) On the opposite side, turn left through a narrow gap in the fence before the green electricity boxes (do not go ahead through a wider gap with white posts). Walk ahead on the path between trees, which descends to join River Cole on the left.
(3) Where the path bends right, turn left across the footbridge to stay close to the river. Pass the weir. At the green metal barriers, keep ahead on the path.
(4) At a signpost, bend left to cross a footbridge (signposted Warwick Road). At the path junction with the signpost, turn right and walk ahead with the river now on the right. Go through metal barriers and walk ahead with a wooden fence on the left to reach a road (Manor Farm Road).
Cross the garage entrance and walk ahead on the right-hand pavement. Before the petrol station and junction, cross the road to the blue “Burbury Brickworks” sign. Walk ahead to the pedestrian crossing and cross the road.
(5) Cross the end of a cul-de-sac to another blue sign, turn right to the pedestrian crossing, cross the road, on the opposite side turn right to the corner with a signpost, where you turn left. Go through the gate in a blue fence with a security hut on the right, and ahead on a brick path through an industrial estate.
(6) At the end, cross the road and go ahead through a metal barrier/wooden archway. Walk ahead on the path signposted Sarehole Mill. Follow the same path for 400 yards to a road. Cross the road and walk ahead under “The Shire Country Park/Burbury Brickworks Nature Reserve” sign.
Go ahead on the path for 500 yards, through a metal barrier to the left of a large metal gate, and fork left on the path to a pavement and pedestrian crossing. Cross the road and turn right to cross Sarehole Road. Walk ahead on the pavement with a wooden fence on the left.
(7) Cross the bridge and turn left on a path through a metal barrier with “The Shire Country Park/Greet Mill Meadows” sign on the right. Walk ahead to a path junction with houses visible to the right, continue ahead. Pass a weir on the left.
At the next path junction, keep left. Ahead through a metal barrier to cross the road next to the ford, go through the barrier and ahead on the path, still with the river on the left.
(8) At the end of a large grass area on your right, turn left, cross the footbridge and turn right on the path around the edge of a car park with Sarehole Mill on the right. Walk ahead to the road. Turn right to the pedestrian crossing, cross the road, turn left then turn right through a gap in the fence onto a path (signposted The Dingles/Robin Hood Lane). Walk ahead on the path through a wooden archway to a road.
(9) Turn right to the pedestrian crossing, cross the road and turn left then turn right onto the right-hand pavement of Coleside Avenue. Where the pavement turns right, cross the road, ahead across the grass to a small car park.
(10) Walk through a metal barrier onto the path ahead (ignore path to the right). Follow the path to the end and go through a gap to the pavement. Turn left, and where pavement forks, fork left to the left-hand end of the metal barrier.
(11) Cross the road via the traffic island. On the opposite side turn right, then turn left through a gap in the fence. Walk ahead across the grass towards a pool. Cross the first path.
(12) Then turn right on a second path with the pool on the left. The path bends left around the pool, with a wooden fence on the right. Walk ahead between bollards and continue on the path. At the end of the pool, go ahead between wooden posts to a lane.
(13) Turn half left across the lane, through a wooden barrier and ahead on the path. Cross two footbridges. At the end, go through a gap to the left of a large metal gate, cross the road (ford to the left), turn right on the pavement, cross the bridge and immediately turn left on a narrow dirt path with the river on the left.
Walk ahead on the path. At the path junction by a large tree turn left to cross the stream using paving slabs as stepping stones and ahead across grass to parking spaces at a bend in the cul-de-sac.
(14) Walk ahead on the grass and keep ahead with the road on the right. At the end of the cul-de-sac, bear right on the grass towards garages, then turn left on the path with a wooden fence on the right. Walk ahead on the path to a road.
(15) Turn left to the pedestrian crossing, cross the road, on the opposite side turn right then immediately turn left on the path, again with the river on the left.
(16) At the path junction turn left up steps to cross a footbridge with green metal railings. On the opposite side, walk down steps and bend right with the path, initially with the river on the right. The path bends left away from the river, passing a bench then a play area on the right, then bends right passing “Solihull Habitat and Nature Improvements” noticeboard on the left.
(17) Pass to the left of a car park barrier, walk ahead on the pavement of a car park access road, cross the school access road and ahead on the grass to reach the pavement.
(18) Turn left, passing a school on the left. Cross the side road Cole Green, pass the bus stop, cross the side road Brook Close, walk ahead past Shirley Community Church on the left to reach the road junction.
(19) Turn left onto Haslucks Green Road. Cross the railway bridge and turn left to Shirley station.(E)
Association or club
Easy 
Walker
