Walk Leader
Steff Hutchinson
Capacity
10
Based in Leamington Spa, this walk is a 2.7 mile loop from the Radford Road car park for the Riverside Nature Reserve, walking alongside the Leam into the centre of town, and then back along the Grand Union Canal.
The riverside part of the walk will take us through meadows, along potentially muddy trails through the riverside trees, and then on gentle footpaths through Jephson Gardens, a popular town centre park. There are cafes and toilets in the park. A 5-minute section through Leamington's Old Town will take us to the towpath of the Grand Union Canal. This runs past old industrial buildings, murals and graffiti, new and old domestic buildings, under several bridges, and back out among the trees. There are no locks but there are usually narrow boats. You can also expect to see small mammals and birds on your way.
Walk Location
River Leam and Grand Union Canal
Walk Directions
We will meet in the Radford Road car park for the Riverside Nature Reserve and Newbold Comyn. The entrance to the car park is in the postcode area CV31 1LQ, and at the what3words location: ///name.until.ideal
To drive there from central Leamington Spa, head along Radford Road (A425) towards Radford Semele, and the car park is on the left shortly after the Sydenham Drive traffic lights and St Mary's Allotments.
The 63 bus from Leamington to Rugby (which starts at the top of the Parade and also picks up outside the Parish Church) runs past the car park, with the 'Sydenham Drive' stop being the nearest.
Accessibility
Although there are no hills, there are steps in several places along the route, and we may well go up and down the riverbank. The exact route to be used by the Leam will depend on recent weather, but if there's been rain in the days beforehand, it could be quite muddy in places, so walking boots or similar would be best.
As stated above, it's a 2.7 mile walk, and the need to get back to the starting point if going by car will mean covering the whole distance. If travelling by public transport, you could drop out when we get to the town centre, halfway through the walk.
Feedback Meeting Type
Zoom
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