The route along the greenway is very straightforward, you walk across the old railway bridge and it’s worth stopping for the pretty views of the stream. The second stile and fence here are broken and didn’t seem the safest but it is passable, you’d probably want to be quite agile though because I had to use the broken stile like a seesaw! I’ve put a photograph of the double stile, it looks really fun but unfortunately the second part is unstable and I had to climb the fence instead. Another stile was completely broken down and the space where it had been was overgrown with hedgerow, the landowner really needs to tend to it, but it was possible to climb the metal fence here instead. I enjoyed the route, as things are I’d probably be more likely to do the Greenway part again than the second part, but if the stiles were fixed up that part would be far more enjoyable....

Emma Smallwood

From Chase Meadow Park go onto Narrow Hall Meadow, then Tapping Way and right into Little Field Close, then follow the R hand side of the field around to a gap in the hedge through to the Lake and onto Edgehill Drive2...

Deneb

Then a clear walk until the path leaves the road at SP 236 575 (behind Hatton Rock), when it becomes slippy and steep, and then as it drops to the river it is ALWAYS full of nettles....

Deneb

Starting in Warwick, the first part you are Detour heading North instead of South, That in it's self is not a bad thing for a slowway, but once your pass the A46 there is a chunck of road/pavement walking and then the track between A4189 and the B4463 is very very overgrown and I'm not sure if it's a right of way....

Tnarg

Starting at Warwick the first part Crossing the dual carriageway is a nightmare and the track between A4189 and the B4463 is very very overgrown and I'm not sure if it's a right of way. That said once you're South of the M40 it is a very good route. East of Snitterfield on the footpath between Snitterfield Lane and Heath End Road there is a narrow field with horses in that they seemed friendly, but as I don't like walking close to large animals that be I back tracked and took the path North of there....

Tnarg

Going round on the road (as noted, the marked footpath is blocked) I decided to avoid the problems noted with crossing the dreaded A46 from other reviewers; so I just stayed on the A4189 Henley road all the way into Warwick, which is less pleasant with traffic, but has a pavement all the way and, crucially, a safe bridge over the A46....

Andrew Davies

I didn't walk the whole of this route since I was coming from Mickleton so I joined at Long Marston for the very pleasant "Greenway" heading north to Stratford. A very easy, safe and convenient route, suitable for all (wheels included). I would only add to the previous review that the two railway carriage cafes are open in summer and are both excellent - I just had to stop to try them both out!...

Andrew Davies

There were some parts that were a little muddy, but mostly it could be avoided or didn't last long - except for the path going through the fields around Parkhill Farm (between Halford and Little Honington) which were hard-going I will admit!...

GreenSprouts

Definitely a walk of two halves, with the section from Long Marston being the most straightforward as it takes you along the old dismantled railway line all the way into Stratford. There was a little section on the walk today after leaving Broad Marston and before the road at Long Marston which didn't have any footpath signage and where which I was grateful to have GPS on the OS Maps app....

Steve Litchfield

There is a small bit of road walking, but when we did the walk the traffic wasn't too bad....

Steve Litchfield

Reasonable public transport links both at Henley in Arden and Stratford upon Avon (bus and train)Good direct route with no access issues,mainly canal towpath features some interesting viaducts bridges etc(walked on 10th dec 2022)Small sections of towpath muddy generally a good walk taking one almost to the centre of Stratford upon Avon...

J w ollid

The route then takes you around the Ettington Park Hotel, which as another reviewer correctly pointed out, there is no permissible route through the grounds (photo 8) so stick to the mapped right of way. After crossing the busy A3400, the route takes you along the road through Crimscote and past some very nice houses before crossing a field next to the river and taking you back to the main road at Alderminster. After leaving Alderminster, the route takes you through the small villages of Preston on Stour, Atherstone on Stour and finally Clifford Chambers before arriving into Stratford and walking past the final resting place of Shakespeare at Holy Trinity Church and along the banks of the Avon past the RSC....

Steve Litchfield

This pleasant and tranquil walk involved walking a small section of the route through fields, followed by the rest of it along a canal....

Sumaiya

It cuts across fields and follows the canal for the most part before ending in Stratford upon Avon....

Saira

The route is easy to follow and goes through fields and mostly along a canal....

Ingrina

It was mostly a very rural route, picturesque through the fields at the start as well as the canal, and there were lovely bridges and aqueducts along the canal....

Mary Oz

A really direct and easy route to follow....

David Sanderson

My walk differed from the one given here in that I used the route given in Henstr one to get to the river Alne and the canal. I did however join the route given here at photo 2 next to the river Alne, and then stuck to the route of the canal into Stratford as is given here....

Steve Litchfield

The route then leaves the wood via a low stile (photo 4). Once you get to Exhall, the route goes along the road (photo 5) for a while before it takes a left turn along an unsealed road. As mentioned in Timbo44's 2nd point in his review, the route then takes a right turn across a field to the base of Grove Hill. After Binton, the route takes you alongside a stud farm and then through some grazed fields with livestock (photo 13), before eventually taking you through hedge tunnels (photo 14) towards Bordon Hill. After crossing Shottery Field, the route then takes you through a series of alleyways (photo 15) which eventually brings you out by Stratford railway station....

Steve Litchfield

Leaving the meeting point on Henley's High Street, we walk east down Beaudesert Lane then follow the road right into Alma Close to an area of parkland by the river, which we cross on a bridge and follow the surfaced path onto Prince Henry Road, which leads us to Warwick Road where we go left, following the pavement on the north side. At Pettiford Lane we turn right and cross a bridge, then take the unmarked footpath left along the tree-lined edge of a field to reach the Stratford Canal, where we join the towpath (which is mostly unsurfaced and has some muddy sections) and follow it all the way into Stratford....

Hugh Hudson

The exit from Henley is good alongside the river away from the busy road....

Ken

"Continue on the Henstr one route from Wilmcote for about one mile before rejoining the canal towpath on reaching the second footbridge, and follow the towpath all the way into Stratford Upon Avon" It does not stay on the towpath, it uses the unsafe crossing of the A46....

Ken

We caught the X19 bus took me from by McDonalds in the centre of Stratford upon Avon to Alcester before walking the route back to Stratford. Alcester and Stratford upon Avon have a wide range of refreshment opportunities before and after the walk to supplement any walkers may choose to take with them....

Olton and District u3a

Apart from some lovely views and scenery, the route takes in an Ancient Monument, some lovely villages, a 16th century mansion, an obelisk and an architectural folly. Perhaps less glamorously, the route also takes you directly past no less than three water treatment sites. The only thing preventing me giving it five stars is the amount of unavoidable road walking involved, as well as crossing the busy Fosse Way and A439. The route then takes you past Brookhampton Farm before a lovely descent into Combrook village. Leaving the village the route takes you back uphill along the road up to the ancient (but fast) Roman Road, the Fosse Way. After Walton Hall, you then go via road through Walton village before crossing the River Dene next to a ford. After leaving the river, the route takes you to the busy A439, which is another busy road that you will need to take care to cross....

Steve Litchfield

Then it's a good walk out of Stratford along the road to the Welcombe Hills. The journey through the golf course is straightforward, and then after passing through 'The Farm' you reach a bit of road walking as you walk towards Snitterfield which you have to be careful with. Before the junction, on the left, is a footpath which takes you towards Snitterfield avoiding the road walking at the junction. It's not a disaster though as there is an alternative path northeast which takes you to Bell Brook where you can rejoin the given path on this route at Heath End Lane. You have to walk along another section of road as you cross the M40, and as this road turns to the left, the route takes a right turn up a dirt track which has been deliberately blocked off by the owner (see my photo 14)....

Steve Litchfield

This wasn’t strictly per either of the Slow Ways routes Henstr 1 or 2, but the towpath was so enjoyable and easy to walk that we really couldn’t see the point of diverting off it....

swebbews

The first half of the route was relatively easy to navigate, though when leaving Shipston you do need to use Springhill Close to connect to the path leading to the footbridge over the River Stour....

swebbews

When approaching the very end of the path along the edge of Oversley Wood, the path does enter the wood but is easy to miss. If you find yourself at the edge of an open field, just take a sharp left along the field edge for 100 yards and this takes you back to the main route. Between Exhall and Little Britain, the route takes a sharp left along a stony farm track and then a 90 degree right across a field. There's a Permissive Access path on the left that takes you back to the main route before entering the woods....

Timbo44

Hi, I can't comment on walking the route but we've heard that the route is poorly plotted which might make it difficult to follow in places. A fab volunteer is working on tidying up this version and it will be uploaded soon. Thanks for your patience,...

Slow Ways Cristie

An easy route from Bidford to Stratford, mostly following the Avon river. An almost flat route, with no stiles....

Sal Cooper

The route drops down from the towpath to road level after the Edstone aqueduct and the first 50 metres of a path from the side of Apple Barn was hidden, very overgrown, with dangerous holes due to rainwater run off necessitating a return detour along the canal to pick up the route where it crosses the waterway....

Olton and District u3a

Parts of the route are very overgrown in the summer and poorly maintained....

Luke Betteridge

The wrong path across the racecourse had been selected as the small bridge into the field has long gone....

Kellouwil

I'm not sure why this road diverts down the Bishopton Road rather than carrying straight underneath it on the canal towpath, but at the moment the foot path this diversion uses is its self diverted as a new housing estate is being built. I'd suggest just sticking to the canal towpath anyway - at least that way you pass under the A46 safely rather than having to take your life in your hands trying to run across it....

Jon Knight

Well used footpaths. Easy navigation...

Sgd

Lots of field tracks but some longer sections on paths and country roads especially through Charlcote and Hampton Lucy....

MikeM