Henken one

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Completed this walk starting from Henley in Arden today. A really good walk, which I would have given it 5 stars were it not for the (relatively small) amount of road walking. The route takes you over an 11th century motte-and-bailey castle, through some lovely little villages, an old tractor graveyard, and an excellent pub in Five Ways.

Leaving Henley, you immediately climb the remains of the motte-and-bailey Beaudesert Castle and from the top are rewarded by a great 360 view of the surrounding countryside. On the way to Lowsonford, the route then takes you over the old Lapworth to Henley in Arden railway which was dismantled over 100 years ago in 1915, and then briefly through Coppice Corner woodland.

The route then drops down through the attractive village of Lowsonford and onto a section of road walking which crosses the Stratford-upon-Avon canal and eventually takes you over the M40 and Chiltern mainline railway and a small section alongside both. You then go over the Grand Union canal on the approach to Rowington, and then pass through the grounds of the medievel St Laurence church in the centre of the village.

As you approach Case Lane in Five Ways, the route takes you through an old tractor graveyard. Some items of machinery have clearly just been left to rot, but they do make for some interesting sights. The route then takes you past an excellent place for liquid refreshments; the Case is Altered pub. At roughly the mid way point of this walk, I recommend to try to time your arrival in the village to coincide with the pubs opening times. There are no meals available at the pub, but the beer truly is excellent and there is an old bar billiards table to play inside.

The final section of the route is pleasant enough, through Haseley Green, over more sections of road, and then walking mainly over agricultural land towards Kenilworth. As you get closer to the destination, pleasant views of the Castle open up in front of you.

The route has plenty of gates, stiles, bridges and steps. Although dry on the day I walked this route, it had been raining recently and as such there was some very muddy sections, but nothing impassable and certainly nothing to worry about. Definitely recommend this route.

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