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A Lapworth Circle
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This is a circular walk of around 5 miles that takes around 2 hours. It starts from a lay-by on Packwood Lane, just where it joins the Old Warwick Road. From Dorridge, drive down through Packwood House. Go straight on at the junction with Rising Road and the road then splits before joining the Old Warwick Road. Turn left towards Lapworth, and just before the main road, you will see a small lay-by on the left.
If that lay-by is full, carry on down into Lapworth, past the Boot, and turn right at Brome Hall Lane and park in the car park there, picking up the walk from step 5.
The walk has a few stiles, which are mainly dog-friendly and has a couple of muddy sections when wet, so boots not trainers would be best. The first section is a long walk along the canal past Lapworth locks - a long run of locks. Then there is another long section along a bridle path. There is a further section through fields and then a return past Lapworth Church through more fields.
The pictures are from a sunny day in October 2008.
1: Cross road to canal entrance Having stepped up to the main road, cross over to the footpath, turn left and you will see the path down to the canal footpath.
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2: Go to the canal footpath |
3: Turn right Turn to the right and take the footpath towards Lapworth and Stratford. You will soon start passing several locks. Keep going for half a mile or more.
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4: Continue to Kingswood Junction We follow the canal for some time, switching sides occasionally. Eventually we go under a pretty bridge by a lock which brings us to Kinsgwood Junction.
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5: Turn right down passage After the bridge, you pass a car park on your right, a lock on your left and a bridge to your left. Carry straight on, but immediately before a brick building on the right after the picnic area, there is a narrow footpath. Take this to Brome Hall Lane.
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6: Left to the bridle Path On reaching the lane turn left, passing the canal buildings on your left, over a turning circle and carry on down a rough lane (you may see a way mark on the left). This bridle path carries on for about a mile, always keeping straight on.
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7: At Brome Hall Farm carry on The bridle path passes to the right of the Brome Hall Farm sign, through a gate.
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8: Follow the narrowing path Soon there is a gate across the bridle path which we go through. This next section has some muddy bits.
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9: Carry on ...ignoring way marks to the left and right.
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10: Pass under the motorway The path goes through a tunnel under the motorway and then carries on in a similar direction as before.
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11: Follow the way mark to the road Eventually the track swings to the left (to a farm) but we follow the way mark for the bridle way ahead; emerging at the road, bear left (towards Lowsonford).
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12: Go to footpath on right A hundred metres down the road on the right is a small lane. Just before the lane there is a field with gate and overgrown stile by the telephone post. Go through the gate and follow the hedge on the left.
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13: Go through the gap on left. As you approach the overhead wires, go through the gap in the hedge, then follow the edge of the field now keeping the hedge on your right.
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14: Through the thicket As the hedge swings to the left, follow your line down through a thicket in the corner - somewhat overgrown at the time of writing. Push through the undergrowth and under the trees. You should pass a broken fence and emerge in another field, still keeping to the hedge on your right.
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15: Continue along hedge Follow the hedge on the right. You arrive near the corner of the field after the hedge swings to the left. To the left of the corner there is a stile/gap out of the field.
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16: Turn right onto the lane Emerging from the field, turn right and follow the lane, bearing left through a wood, then crossing a stream.
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17: Take the gate into the field After the road swings to the right, there is a gate by an oak tree on the right. Go into the field. The footpath goes diagonally across to the very top right corner of the field according to the OS map, though the way marks seem to suggest that the path follows around the left edge of the field. Use your judgement.
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18: Go through hedge in corner In the very corner of the field, to the left of the white house you might have seen over the far side of the field, there is a gap in the hedge which leads to a lane. (You might just see a wobbly way mark post).
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19: Turn right up lane Turn right up the narrow lane, watching for occasional traffic. Follow the road round to the left, past a wide grass verge on the left.
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20: Take stile after first gate After the wide verge, there is a gate into a field, then a few metres along the hedge on the left is a stile into the field which we take.
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21: Walk diagonally to the top right Cross the field diagonally, in the far hedge up a slope near the tree to the left of the opposite field corner is a stile which we take.
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22: Turn right Having crossed the stile, turn right and follow the hedge on your right until about 20 metres before the field corner.
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23: Go through the hedge At the time of writing the gap was hard to find . Look for an archway through the tall hedge in the corner, you should see a way mark, and on descending you will find a kissing gate on the far side.
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24: Follow the hedge on the right Follow the edge of the field to the opposite corner, keeping the hedge to your right, passing the cottage and probably a rusty tractor.
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25: Leave the field In the corner by an electricity pole, there is a metal gate which then leads to a wooden bridge across a stream.
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26: Cross to the country road Opposite the bridge is a track. Ascend it for a few metres passing the gate on your left.
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27: Cross into field at stile Soon on the left is a stile into the field. Try to follow the hedge on the right, though this is difficult as the field is overgrown.
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28: Exit the field through the thicket At the end of the field, the stile is hidden behind a small thicket, but it is in the right hand corner of the field. Carry on along the same line.
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29: Carry on the same line You are now heading for the motorway bridge. Follow the gates across the field.
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30: Cross the bridge The path then crosses a bridge (officially the foot bridge but the wooden sleeper bridge follows the line of the path more sensibly).
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31: Cross the motorway Ahead is a steep bank with steps up to the motorway. Go up, and cross the bridge.
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32: Cross the stile Go ahead across the stile that is more or less ahead of the bridge.
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33: Walk up to gap The footpath follows a line heading slightly right, heading towards a large, new outbuilding. At a way mark, cross the hedge.
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34: Turn left up the track It is not exactly clear where the path goes, as from the OS map it appears the outbuildings are built over the path, so I follow the winding path to the right of the buildings.
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35: Carry on up the path. Follow the drive, looking out for any helpful waymarks that may have been placed since writing this. Head out of the grounds by the stile to the right of the gate and up the road to the church you can see ahead.
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36: Go into the churchyard At the church go up the steps and through the church yard. At the back, carry on along the same line until you reach a road.
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37: Cross to the stile Across the road is a stile. Head along the path ahead to the gap in the far hedge.
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38: Cross the stile Crossing the stile, the path bears slightly right, but is clearly marked.
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39: Follow the well used path The path continues on more or less the same line and is fairly obvious. Eventually you pass through a scrubby hedge with an optional stile.
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40: Head for the kissing gate. The path then leads to a kissing gate in the corner of Lapworth Cricket Club. Staying on the same line, go through the gate and cross the pitch to a picket gate to the right of the club house.
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41: Carry straight on Carry on the same line, keeping the hedge to your right. The path wanders around, but eventually you come to a gate onto the Old Warwick Road.
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42: ReturnThe lay by is just to the left on the other side of the road. If you stopped elsewhere, turn sharp left to return to the canal path and continue at step 2 above.
If you have any comments, please pass them on via DorridgeResidents@gmail.com
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