Short walk .............

7 mile Circular Walk - Heronfield / Temple Balsall
by Peter Travis

 An enjoyable circular walk of some 7 miles, mostly flat, across open countryside , through farmland with some 12 stiles.  The walk starts at Heronfield, south of Knowle. The MILLENNIUM WAY section is clearly waymarked with the distinctive black and white circular waymarkers.

  

During the early part of the walk, you will follow a short section of the Millennium Way along the Grand Union Canal and after walking some delightful open countryside will rejoin it at Temple Balsall (Point E), here you may wish to take a short detour to visit the church of St Mary at Temple Balsall which has connections with the Knights Templar.

  We start our walk from The Black Boy public house. From the left hand car park (left of pub, bridge & recycling bins ) take gap to canal towpath and go left along canal side following the distinctive black Millennium Way waymarker. Continue under bridge 68 and when you reach bridge 67 go left, crossing kissing gate to field. (Here we leave the Millennium Way for the time being.)

 Go ahead into field keeping hedge left to cross footbridge over stream. Continue across next field between fences towards pylon, then pass under power lines to take metal kissing gate ahead and continue along wide grassy path which soon becomes a farm track. Keep ahead to take metal kissing gate to road. Go left on road (Arbour Tree Lane) and stay on lane which bends sharply right just past Netherwood Cottage to reach the main Warwick Road. Go left on main road past Arbour Tree Farm then take waymarked path right, just on the bend. After passing through the two gates stay ahead keeping hedge right. Where the hedge ends continue along keeping metal railings on your right, soon to take stile on right into next field. Go left along edge of field keeping hedge left then cross corner stiles to lane and go left for 50 paces to take stile right and continue along between fence and hedge.  Cross the next stile, then ahead with fence and hedge right. Take waymarked metal gate into next field then over stile and continue ahead with hedge right.  Exit field by metal gate and go left along lane to pass Chadwick Barns on left and when you reach the junction turn right and continue down lane.  Cross the ford and continue gently up the lane to find public footpath over two stiles on left.

  Take these stiles, and go ahead into field then ahead with hedge and fence right to cross next double stile and footbridge in corner of field. Continue right with hedge right walking gently uphill. At top corner of field ignore stile right and go left, continuing down field with hedge right. (You have now joined The Heart of England Way.)  Soon you will bear slightly right through corner copse then go gently downhill with hedge left until you reach hedge corner. Go ahead across field, over ditch then continue uphill across the middle of next field. On reaching the waymarker post go directly ahead to reach surfaced track and continue with hedge right until you reach the road.

  Go right on road and a few paces past Barracks Cottage go immediately left along signposted path to continue along The Heart of England Way. Go along narrow path with  ditch right and fence left to emerge into large field, continuing ahead with hedge right. Stay ahead through next gap and go with hedge right towards pylons in far distance. Take next stile to eventually reach crossroads of paths (here we rejoin The Millennium Way )  where we turn left, staying in the same field, continuing along with hedge right for just under 1/2 mile to reach road.

 Turn right down road and after approx 100 paces turn left down lane then through metal gate and down farm track.  Follow farm track around to right and just before farmhouse entrance take stile left to go on track parallel to power lines. Cross small stream to next field staying parallel to power lines and follow track into next field as it bears left ( here you will be guided by the black Millennium Way waymarker.)  Go with hedge left to stile at end of fields to reach road.  Turn right on road for a short distance to junction, then go right on Chadwick Lane and on reaching house with large pond turn left on path to right of driveway. This leads to an enclosed path and into a coppice. Continue on to reach a farm track then turn right, under power lies. Where the track turns right go ahead through gate and follow path past The Dial House to main road. At the road turn left and after some 250 paces take driveway right back to The Black Boy Inn.

 

All the paths, bridleways and roads we have used in these instructions are public rights of way as designated on Ordnance Survey maps. Following the instructions and walking tips on this web site in no way constitutes any liability on 41 Club that such routes or tips are safe or suitable.