I really enjoyed the route which roughly follows the route of the river Swift throughout, all in the long mid-summer evening after I had finished work. Immediately after leaving the golf course, the route is very clearly defined (photo 4) all the way to Cotesbach , and I found this section a real joy to be amongst. Once into the village of Churchover, the route takes you over almost 1 mile of metalled pavement and then road walking. After leaving the Nature Reserve, the route then briefly follows the disused canal (photo 14) to the junction with the Oxford canal where a footbridge takes you across the water. After walking under the A426, the route immediately turns right and follows the 'Black Path' all the way to the footbridge (photo 15) over the West Coast Main Line and then up into Rugby town centre....

Steve Litchfield

The well used path takes a direct line crossing the River Avon to the Oxford canal passing a Tesco store for last minute provisions. Turning left to briefly follow the canal towpath we cross a substantial footbridge then follow a well used but unrecorded path alongside the canal feeder that before the Oxford canal improvements of 1830 was the main route for boat traffic. Just before passing under the M6 we pass a structure in the canal feeder here the original canal crossed the River Swift and headed back south. After passing under the M6 the diagonally cross field path had not been cleared through the crop as required by sec 134 of the Highways Act so the plotted route follows a track around the field edge. A quiet road then takes us to Churchover with a seat on the green. It would be nice to know who is responsible for the bridge and canal feeder path so that I could ask for the low branches to be cut back....

Ken

When I did the walk it was also really boggy after Lilbourne Gorse and on the way to the A5, and the final route to the A5 was across an unmarked field. At the top of the hill the route skirts the edge of the woodland and then surprisingly for a long distance walking route, the path loses the way markers. The route down the hill towards the A5 was also unmarked so I had to rely on my phones GPS to navigate to the road. On the other side of the road, the path is very unmaintained (photo 12), and I can imagine doing it in spring or summer would be very difficult and tough....

Steve Litchfield

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 route is as plotted to the point where the footpath goes above the eastern portal of the Braunston canal tunnel. 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. 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). 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. 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....

Steve Litchfield

Starting in Stoneleigh where you cross the medieval stone bridge over the River Sowe (photo 1), the next mile of this route is along the busy Coventry Road where you should take care. Eventually, you reach the red sandstone Cloud Bridge which has no pedestrian path (photo 2) as it crosses the River Avon which becomes a feature of the route from here. Immediately after the bridge, the route finally leaves the road as it finds it's first footpath (photo 3). Eventually you reach the village of Wolston where the route takes you past a war memorial and old Post Office (photo 7). The route here takes you via a raised footbridge which hints at the floods which can occur at this location, before crossing the old bridge over the Avon. You then eventually pass over the Avon again (photo 13), before passing under the Trent Valley section of the West Coast Main Line on your way to St Botulph's church (photo 14) in Newbold on Avon. At Newbold, the route takes you past yet another pub (Barley Mow) as you approach the Oxford Canal. The route then takes you over the old Black Path footbridge (photo 15) as you finally reach your destination in the centre of Rugby....

Steve Litchfield

Successfully completed this route today. Review to follow....

danravenellison

It was good walk and I enjoyed the route. I can recommend this route as part of the network, although because of the road walking it doesn't quite get the full five stars from me....

Steve Litchfield

Really lovely route through local comyn, and through fields to Offchurch. Nice pub at Offchurch to have a drink or food at. Safe route...

Steph Lynes

Considering the distance of this walk, it really seemed rather easy. Starting in Rugby and leaving along the pedestrianised market street we passed multiple places to end the walk if we'd done it in the other direction. There are some great views across the county, and even though you don't walk directly past Draycote Water, you frequently see it from your lofty vantage....

David Sanderson

On 15 October 2022, I used this walking route to walk from Rugby to Leamington Spa. The route sets out from Rugby and mostly continues on a maintained footpath....

Sumaiya

I walked this route from Rugby to Leamington Spa. It's hard to know about when crops are grown in some of the fields, of course, and there were a few fields where we just had to cross following the line on the map, but it was overall a well maintained and waymarked route. The stretch along Dunchurch Road is a bit less pleasant, but the pavement is generous and it's overall quick going. This route deviates from Royrug two in Frankton, sticking atop a ridge line with just fantastic views of the surroundings. There's a pavement along Oxford Road (the A423), and the rest of the stretch to where the route meets back up with Royrug two in Hunningham is extremely pleasant and easy to follow....

mtormey

The road crossing to the Dunchurch footpath needs care look to the reservation at the Sainsbury island if traffic is busy. Next it's across fields which may not be compliant with section 134 of the Highway Act so you may be tempted to follow a track and the road if conditions are bad. I forgot to mention that the road here has a pavement so no traffic issues. Fields of grass, yes cattle but no issues and stiles so those with short legs may complain. From here it's an easy walk passing Eathorpe Hall, a crossing with care over the fast old Fosse Way then quiet lanes through the village. Once on the unclassified county road (UCR) it's plain sailing to Hunningham where it's well worth the plotted short detour along the village road to the busy riverside pub with lots of outside seating in the attractive position by the ancient bridge. To the west of Fields Farm the scar on the landscape became apparent, would I need to detour along the bridleway to the road? Beyond the leisure centre things improve and a light controlled crossing offers a safe crossing of Willes Road and a short hop to enter Jephson Gardens a stunning and rightly popular place for residents to promenade....

Ken

Like a previous review, I wondered why the route diverted away from the canal for a short section, but I agree it does add a little more variety....

Steve Litchfield

After leaving the town centre, the route utilises pathways (photo 1) and back streets to avoid the busy Dunchurch Road through Overslade. The first missed trick of the route, comes at the end of the Dunchurch Road where the route here misses out a short section through Cock Robin Wood. The route then takes back lanes to avoid most of the busy roads through historic Dunchurch, except for the unavoidable way across the busy crossroads. Leaving Dunchurch, the route goes under the M45 (photo 2) to take you to Draycote Water. The route then takes you through the lovely Draycote village (photo 4) before heading west parallel to the old railway line between Rugby and Leamington. The route then takes you to the Fosse Way, where care has to be taken crossing this fast road. The final trick the route misses here is to miss out the walk through the beautiful Jephson Gardens....

Steve Litchfield

The route around the village of Lilbourne could have been a little more direct, we couldn’t see a particular benefit to the route that had been chosen there. As the first reviewer mentioned, at least two pubs en route, a coffee shop and village store, but nothing at Stanford so I would suggest getting something earlier on in the walk....

LauraPD

There was one field which was severely overgrown, we managed to push through but I can imagine many would be put off and you certainly wouldn't have got a wheelchair or buggy through it, the undergrowth was up to our heads! I don't think the overgrown areas would be so bad in winter and as this hasn't been reviewed before I wouldn't want to put anyone off walking it....

JessGreen

To give you a little context to my review, I walked this having just completed the 22km from Northampton to West Haddon. I'm pleased to report that Londis, which is on the route was open, for some provisions. First thing to report is that this route is very accurately plotted and for the most part and particularly at the Rugby end, follows the most direct, logical route. My phone was getting so bad by this stage that I was having to guess the route (I hadn't brought a paper map (doh!))....

David Sanderson

There is only a short section on a road without a pavement in Brinklow which you need to take care on, but the rest of the route is away from roads or through a residential area (on the outskirts of Rugby)....

LauraPD

However, there are a number of stiles, kissing gates and footbridges on the section between Crick and West Haddon. Some parts of the route between Crick and West Haddon are very, very narrow, because the landowners have built fences right next to the hedgerows, leaving little room to walk....

Panic452

The section between Crick and West Haddon has some stiles and walking on backroads....

Panic452

3 Following the route from Rugby, as I did, at SP 4984 7701 the route quite specifically tells you to turn right and follow a path to a bridge where you can supposedly join the Oxford Canal. Had the route not directed me right I would have found a set of steps to the canal further ahead...

David Sanderson

Joining up with a cycle route, over the current railway and then along an old railway you soon find yourself on the Oxford Canal. The path leaves the canal for a section, which I questioned at the time, but it helps to add some variety to the walk, as you follow a track through woods, then have a very short section of lane before rejoining the canal....

David Sanderson

Route crossed A4303 into Lutterworth, again good sight lines both direction (barrier in the middle has a clear path through)....

Laura

It makes good use of old railway to exit Rugby, but long sections of Oxford canal path are in very poor condition....