We briefly join the Coventry canal before heading right along the far side of the Ashby canal, which we follow for about five miles all the way into the suburbs of Hinckley. Overall this is an excellent route, but most of the Ashby canal towpath is unsurfaced and there are some unavoidable muddy spots, some of them rutted, and a short section where the canalside is banked enough to require a little care....

Hugh Hudson

The pavement then takes you down into the park, where a footbridge offers a more attractive route to the museum, and you can also stay further from the roads through the park until just before the railway underpass. Beyond the railway we head right along the edge of the park and cross Avenue Road at the lights, then follow Coventry Road to the canal, which is accessed down easily graded steps....

Hugh Hudson

This is an enjoyable walk and it mostly follows Coventry canal. Along the Canal from the Canal Basin to Hawksbury Junction are a series of art works. Just before Bedworth the route leaves the canal and the last part of the route is on pavements at the side of the road....

Inkle

It rejoins Newbed one at High House Farm and Breach Oak Lane, however upon reaching the lane I turned and noted the route wasn't signposted going the other way (photo 7), but the paths were well maintained. After leaving the Lane, the route then rejoins rural footpaths (photo 9) on what is part of the Coventry Way. After crossing Heath Road, the dismantled railway route can be followed further after going through a gap in the fence and following a well trodden path along the old rail route (photo 12). The route takes you under the A444 bypass (photo 13) before then taking you through to the end via a mixture of streets and urban footpaths (photo 14)....

Steve Litchfield

I tagged Bednun one onto it to make a good 10 mile walk, so the Greyhound at Hawkesbury Junction was a great halfway point on the two walks....

Steve Litchfield

You need to keep your senses peeled as you cross the road bridge (photo 12) just after leaving the canal at Marston Junction as there is no dedicated footpath, the road traffic is controlled by lights so you can use these to give you a bit of confidence as you cross. Got to say though, I think whoever designed this route missed a trick by not utilising the Wharf Meadows route immediately on the left after you cross the Marston Jct road bridge....

Steve Litchfield

Surface is a mixture of grassed over footpath, narrow footpath and wider areas of earth/stone footpath. The route went through a large rape planted field which became quite challenging the further one went. The footpath took a small detour around electrified fencing separating areas for horses/ponies. After the previous experience the footpath was avoided by traversing the perimeter of the field....

edsimmonds

The canal tow path is narrow, so not great if you like to walk next to your walking buddy, but otherwise is passable....

Marion Frankland

Starting in Nuneaton town centre the route soon leads into Riversley Park, before passing the Pingle Athletic, Track and heading along Coventry Road toward the canal. Once on the canal the towpath leads directly to the outskirts of Bedworth at Marston Junction, where the Coventry Canal and Ashby Canal meet. Once off the canal the route goes along some residential streets towards Bedworth town centre....

Dan Phelan

The route leaves the village and passes through grassy fields. The route leaves the canal to pass through village of Ansty, where there is an "Eatery". The section by Park Farm was a little confusing, but only because the route is marked differently on the map to how it is on the trail....

David Sanderson

Starting in Bedworth, the route to the canal is via quiet residential streets rather than the main road....

David Sanderson

The route starts by the public library and takes you through Nuneaton on footpaths on to a canal. The only changes I would make to the route is to perhaps start it at Nuneaton's train station, which is only few minutes walk from the start point, and end it in Bedworth town centre (still passing Bedworth's train station) which is only a couple of hundred yards beyond the train station....

Hurryhome

Diversion possible along the disused railway in instead of making the turn, but route requires a re-design to reflect this...

Marion Frankland

A simple route, no great elevation changes and pleasant along the canal side but would be very difficult for wheelchair users....

David Martin

Follows named paths but some junctions lacked signage so detailed route was required. Varied across fields, canal tow path very little on road. I would walk it again...

June

The next section was alongside the Coventry canal, initially through countryside and then alongside residential areas on the outskirts of Nuneaton....

edsimmonds

A lovely route along the canal, and the change to explore the art and sculpture trail along the way. Potentially enhanced by starting at the canal basin, although this will add distance to the journey...

Marion Frankland

As previously reviewed there is a good tarmac path alongside the canal all the way to Hawkesbury Junction where Oxford Canal and Coventry Canal join. Some of this was pleasant and interesting but inevitably, given its urban situation, both the canal and canalside were blighted in parts by litter particularly beer cans. The only downside was a speeding motorbike which had no right to be on a narrow canal path....

edsimmonds

Most of the towpath has recently been resurfaced from the centre of Coventry until Sutton Stop....

cpwaite