Rugdav two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Rugdav here.

I completed this walk yesterday walking Northwest from Daventry. On the whole it's a good route, with some varying points of interest along the way. There is a slight diversion from the plotted route here, but the diversion was easy enough to navigate (details below). The canal towpath is a bit laborious in places, but in my opinion what really lets it down is the mile long section of road walking along Onley Lane. The Lane has some sections which have no verges at all to take cover and caused me to feel uneasy. It is doable and as long as you go prepared for this hazard and keep a keen eye and ear out for traffic you can time those sections accordingly.

Both this and Rugdav one were not reviewed at all when I was researching which of the two routes to walk, so I looked at the merits of both. This route is flatter and more direct than the other, whereas what was drawing me to the slightly longer Rugdav one was the undulation of the route. The Dunchurch Road route through the suburbs of Rugby in Rugdav one was one I had already done twice before on respective walks to Leamington and Southam, so I chose this route for the difference of the dismantled railway and Clifton Rd into the town.

The route out of Daventry is a good one, and it makes it feel leaving the town behind happens very quickly. A couple of subways (photo 1) take you to Daventry Country Park (photos 2 & 3) quickly and it was lovely to walk through the autumn leaves when I did it. After leaving the park, there is then a pavement partitioned off from the road by a hedge through the suburbs to the outer limits of the town.

The next section contains a diversion due to a new housing estate development. The route is as plotted to the point where the footpath goes above the eastern portal of the Braunston canal tunnel. Here there is some heras fencing which blocks the plotted route. There is a marked diversion (photo 4) which takes the diverted towpath through the adjacent Lang Farm Northern Valley Park all the way to the A361 where you pick the plotted route up again. There's no indication as to how long the diversion will be in place for, but judging by the size of the development, it could be some time.

Picking the route up again from the A361 (photo 5) you more or less follow the route of the canal tunnel directly below, passing some ventilation shafts and with a lovely elevated view of Braunston ahead (photo 6). When you get to the western portal of the tunnel, this spot marks the start of over 5 miles of towpath walking. The first section into Braunston is really lovely, with plenty of locks (photo 7) to give interest. The Admiral Nelson pub which opens at midday was a nice pit stop and an option for refreshments directly en route.

When you get to the busy Braunston Marina, there's a steep stepped footbridge to negotiate (photo 8). Then the route takes a lovely diversion away from the Oxford canal briefly to take you up to All Saints Church, before heading back downhill (photo 9) to re-join the canal.

The next section of the towpath is quite laborious as it is long and it contains a few places where the towpath has eroded (photo 10), so do watch out for these hazards. It was also pretty muddy and slippy in places, so the route would be better in spells of drier weather. There is a welcome oasis and respite from the towpath at the architectural wonder that is Dunchurch Pools Marina (photo 11). Apparently the same architects who designed Cornwall's Eden Project amongst other places are responsible for this unusual little spot.

Then unfortunately comes the low point of the walk - the mile long road walking of Onley Lane. I always feel that the M45 could possibly be the quietest motorway in the country, so I enjoyed walking over the top and across, but then the road walking unfortunately has sections without verges for taking cover (photo 13) which means you have to use all of your senses to time your quick walking through these sections to more relative safety.

You then get to the old dismantled railway which is now the Great Central Way. The majority of this old rail route is through a deep cutting with bridges of the roads in Rugby overhead (photo 14). Eventually you come up the side of the cutting (photo 15) to Clifton Road which then takes you quickly into town and the end of the route.

I can recommend this route with the caveat mentioned above that you need to be prepared for the diversion and hazards. I did wonder to myself whether Rugdav one would have been an overall more safer route, but I was pleased that I took the Great Central Way into Rugby and there are some lovely points of interest along this route with some great views. In addition to the hazards mentioned above, there's a few stiles, gates and steps to negotiate, but overall I did enjoy the walk.

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