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

6½ mile Circular Walk from Long Itchington
by Peter Travis

A pleasant 6½ mile circular walk from Long Itchington. An easy walk with the opportunity to ramble over open fields and enjoy a lovely extended walk along the side of the Grand Union Canal. The MILLENNIUM WAY section is clearly waymarked with the distinctive black and white circular waymarkers.

 

This delightful circular walk starts from The Duck on the Pond public house in Long Itchington. The village is named after the river Itchen which flows to the south and west of the village. Long Itchington is located around two miles north of Southam on the A423 and has a choice of no less than seven pubs including the Duck on the Pond  Just south of the village is the Grand Union Canal. In the village you will find an interesting half timbered Tudor house where Queen Elizabeth I is said to have stayed in 1572 & 1575.   The old " Manor House " in the square dates from the 15th century.

During the first half of the walk you will enjoy the delights of  The Millennium Way before turning south on Ridgeway Lane, just before Snowford Lodge, eventually to return via a lovely section of the Grand Union Canal. The walk is just over 6 miles.

 Emerging from the pub car park, cross the road into Leamington Road keeping the large duck pond to your right, turning left to walk down Church Road. You will pass The Harvester pub on your left, then The Holy Trinity Church to turn left into Bascote Road. Here you have joined The Millennium Way.  Cross bridge over river and after 70m turn right (waymarked with the distinctive black Millennium Way waymarker )and go down to cross stile into field. Continue down centre of field ( ignore kissing gate left ) and continue ahead with river right to take far mid fence kissing gate by river bridge to small road. Go right to cross road bridge and pass 30mph signs following road round to arrive at T-junction, then go left on Short Lane and at end of first house garden take passageway left. At end of passageway take kissing gate and go half left across field to find gap by pumping station.  Take gap and metal gate going ahead with farm buildings to your right to exit by stile into field. Keep ahead across field keeping hedge right to field corner and head in the direction of brick bridge but taking kissing gate right in hedge gap. Keep stream on your left and after some 110 paces carefully look for a difficult to see waymark into the woods. Follow path through woods with river left to cross tubular bridge.

 After crossing the bridge turn left and after 20 paces go through metal gate to cross over disused railway line then metal gate to field. Go left round field for 60 paces to come to field corner. Stop. Go 3/4 right across field, under power lines to find mid hedge gap by telegraph pole. Take gap and go 1/2 left across next field towards distant white house to take mid fence stile. Continue ahead maintaining line to exit by telegraph pole to road. Go right on road and some 200 paces before white house go left through metal gate along unclassified road known as Ridgeway Lane. Continue ahead towards wood on well marked track with hedge left to reach road. Cross road then continue along track, turn left on to canal towpath just before the bridge.

  You are now walking along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal. Continue along towpath passing Bascote Locks until you reach Bridge 25

 Do not pass under bridge but look out for the small brick-built cubicle next to the towpath. Go behind the cubicle to take a kissing gate leading into a paddock. Cross paddock, and take two further kissing gates on either side of a farm track. Go ahead over field to exit by kissing gate and ahead over field towards a modern white house in the distance with a distinctive rear projection and find kissing gate. Take corner kissing gate, and turn left to follow a made up lane serving private houses. In a few hundred metres, this lane (Thorn Way) gives into an open area known as The Square. Exit square and go right passing The Harvester Inn on the right to reach crossroad, go right and come to main road with Duck on the Pond public house.

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.