Woopol one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Woopol here.

Another interesting section. We did have to deviate slightly from the route just north of Wood End where the path was overgrown and again North of the Birch Coppice Business Park where the path was unmarked but we used a nearby track.
One of my companions summed it up nicely by saying that the walk was so diverse the miles just flew by.
Although she did say that it would be nice if the dog walkers kept their dogs on leads so that everyone could enjoy the walk, not just the dog walkers!.

A most interesting walk from Wood End to Polesworth but not a Slow Way for the faint hearted. A mix of fields, tracks and estate roads with pavements plus a light controlled crossing of the A5 so no real safety issues but navigation needs to be flexible and skilled.

While a gate at Delves Farm indicated the route of the footpath away from the farm track the enclosed path was seriously overgrown so I remained on the track and found a gate at the other end. Looking over towards the farm it was not apparent how the footpath passed through the caravan storage area. My walk along the track was not questioned. The next gate again led to an overgrown path along the hedge side but here a way was found to locate a kissing gate almost lost in an overgrown hedge. Escaping from this, things improved with a walk down the field edge to cross the railway at Overhouse Farm from where a waymarked stile led to a wide clear track and into Birch Coppice Business Park. A fascinating area of huge warehouses, containers, cranes and lorries galore. The footpath was well signed along roadside pavements. A spoil heap offers a clue to former use and old maps show Birch Coppice Colliery

Crossing the A5 by a light controlled crossing the next footpath was unsigned and not apparent across the field but a short detour offered a track onto which the footpath linked. I wonder if these fields will eventually allow Birch Coppice to expand northwards. The remainder of the walk was easy going with a narrow pavement alongside the road section. I would recommend a small change to the route into Polesworth through Abbey Green Park and over the footbridge, passing close to the Abbey church and emerging into High Street through the timbered gatehouse. It's difficult to see a better alternative from Wood End, perhaps local knowledge will supply one.

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