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LIFETIME of WALKS by DEREK HARWOODDerek Harwood's Walking Records If you have any queries about the pictures or descriptions e-mail me at: derek@harwoodonline.com | ||||
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| WARWICKSHIRE RAMBLE OFFCHURCH Tuesday 21st November 2006 .............................Walk No. 683 |
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Warwickshire Ramble No 5 Total 53.5 miles Time Taken: 4.5 hrs Distance: Enjoyment: Weather: Bright & Sunny 9:35 am - 2:05 pm 9 miles 75% Breeze in open Temp: Cloud: Rain: Visibility: Ground Conditions: Wild Life: Fox, Goat 10oC 20% None Very Clear Very Muddy Ducks & Geese Total AA: Total MH: Total LD: Total AW: Other: Total Distance: 1027.5 mls 931.5 mls 1823.5 mls 162 mls 994.5 mls 4939 miles Companions: (Derek) John Ingram Points of Interest and LINKS:Description: Started and finished at Pinehurst, Cubbington. Walked through the village and its alleyways to footpath around Thwaites Dumper Factory, to Glebe Farm. To our surprise a fully grown fox ran across the field in front of us, just before the farm. Not enough time to prime the the camera unfortunately. Passing through Glebe Farm we came across a much more friendly animal. 'Furia' the horse in its stable. So we stopped for a stroke. As we left the farm we spotted a goat & horse grazing in the adjacent field. Quite a selection of animals in a short distance. Onward past the Runghills Wood & Redhouse Farm to Newbold Comyn Park. No football or rugby pitches in use on a Tuesday lunchtime, just plenty of walkers enjoying the sunshine, some walking their dogs. Over the footbridge to the Radford Road (A425) and a short distance to the 'Grand Union Canal' towpath. Here the scenery changed instantly, from the noisy main road traffic to the tranquil wildlife of ducks, and, to our surprise two escaped geese from the now defunct animal sanctuary. As we walked along the towpath it brought back memories of fishing in my carefree youth. I was cycling along the towpath with John Harwood, my cousin, on our way to one of our favourite fishing spots, when the fishing rod strapped to my bicycle crossbar came loose. The front of the rod dropped to the ground and caught on a large stone. The rod suddenly bent and snapped. I had borrowed the rod from my Uncle Reg, John's Dad. How could I explain the situation. I left the problem with John and sneaked away with my tail between my legs. What a coward. We continued along the towpath to where the canal meets the River Leam at a huge steep embankment, stretching from high above the canal on the non towpath side, to way down at the river on the towpath side. Obviously a massive engineering construction process when the canal was built without the aid of any mechanical equipment. Onwards past the Restaurant Barge, The Prince Regent, to the Offchurch Bottom Lock, where the water surface was completely covered with golden autumn leaves fallen from the surrounding trees. Immediately after the lock is the magnificently engineered viaduct of the old railway loop line between Leamington Spa and Rugby, with the huge arches and the perfectly offset angled arch to accommodate the canal. Someone's Dad or Grandad must have been very proud to be associated with such a beautiful bridge constructed of hundreds of thousands of engineering bricks. From the railway bridge we walked along the bed of the old railway track , National Cycleway Route 41, to Offchurch Village and across the fields to Weston-under-Wetherley Village, via the River Leam footbridge. Lunch at Weston Church, sitting on a low wall in the sunshine, watching the cars hurrying past. My dream had come true, sat in a small village in the sunshine watching the world go by. From the church we returned to Cubbington via South Cubbington Wood. Another perfect walk in the sunshine with John. Location: www.streetmap.co.uk, - Start & Finish: from Cubbington 434360/268445, - via: Newbold Comyn Park 433350/265810, - via: Weston under Wetherley 436045/269200. (Click on location and use Zoom). Hazards: Take extra care when walking alongside water, especially canals or rivers. It is always advisable to walk with someone whenever walking near water or over steep ground. Watch for speeding cyclists when walking on National Cycle Routes. Click Here to Return to 'Lifetime of Walks' Homepage | |||||
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Derek Harwood: Copyright 2006 Devised: November 2006 | |||||