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Kenilworth
Greenway
The Former Kenilworth to Berkswell Railway Line
The former
railway line linking Kenilworth Junction to Berkswell has now
taken on a new lease of life following a £50 million Lottery
grant awarded to the
Sustrans Connect 2 Project. Work started quickly in
January 2008 and following cutting back and clearing of
undergrowth a new technique was used to lay a hard surface. The
surface is suitable for walkers and cyclists, who are actively
encouraged to use the route, but not motorcyclists. Horse riders
are also welcomed but must follow their own bridle path to the
side of the hard surface. There are mounting blocks for riders
at each of the new access points that have been installed and
riders must obtain a permit before using the route. (See below
for further information).
I can recommend a
visit to the area for a very pleasant stroll and if you look
carefully you can find some industrial archaeological links to
the routes former roll as a railway line. (It was finally closed
and track lifted in 1972/1973). Wildlife abounds and there is
virtually no road noise. I saw numerous birds, rabbits, pheasants
and squirrels on my stroll on a beautiful April morning
recently. There are various access points along the route which
currently ends near to Red Lane, Burton Green but will continue
to Berkswell in due course. If you want to be a bit greener,
leave the car at home and take the Stagecoach X17 bus service,
which runs approximately every 15 mins, between Leamington,
Warwick, Kenilworth & Coventry and alight at the stop on
Coventry Road near Woodland Road where The Greenway currently
starts/finishes. In due course there are plans to create a spur
at this point, leading across the countryside to the University
of Warwick, and a new bridge to span Coventry Road at the site
of the long since demolished iron railway bridge.
£50
million won and we couldn’t have done it without you!
This is fantastic news, and thanks to
everyone who voted for Sustrans’ Connect2 in the People’s
£50 Million Lottery Giveaway, and for your help in winning
£50 million of funding from the Big Lottery Fund for
Sustrans to invest in walking and cycling UK-wide. This
really is an amazing achievement for our charity and the
many local authority and other partners with whom we will
work on Connect2. We simply couldn’t have done it without
you and your votes.
We start work on delivering Connect2 in
January 2008. Our local authority partners are poised
ready to go, and will be adding matched funding from their
own transport and other budgets to the £50 million from
the Big Lottery Fund. This is a five year project, and in
total we have already identified nearly £100 million of
local authority funding to support Connect2, and we are
working hard to bring even more funding to the project so
that we can ensure as many people as possible benefit from
Connect2.
We will continue to update you on progress
during 2008. In the meantime can I take this opportunity
to thank you again for supporting Sustrans’ Connect2.
John Grimshaw MBE
Founder and Chief Executive Sustrans
©
Sustrans Connect 2
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Entrance to The Greenway at Coventry Rd, Kenilworth |
Plate layers hut remains about 5 mins from Coventry Road
entrance |
Looking west towards Berkswell |
Restored bridge and new access point near Crackley |
Fine blue brick rainwater culverts from the original railway
construction |
Fine blue brick rainwater culverts from the original railway
construction |
Work in progress as new signs are erected |
A Wain brickworks brick found in the undergrowth |
Unusual white glazed brick with 2000? or a logo cast into it |
More evidence of the line - telegraph pole with insulators still
intact |
Fine new surface over Crackley Lane bridge - brickwork still
sound |
Mounting blocks for riders near Crackley Lane access point |
Railway communications! |
5 miles 20 chains to where ???? |
Underpass for farmer to access fields - preserved in good
condition |
Handrail on top of underpass |
Hollis Lane bridge in very good condition - bridleway to the
right |
Distant views of Coventry |
Lovely views over the Warwickshire countryside |
Coventry Evening Telegraph 6th Jan 1973 during the lifting of
the line
© P.Riley |
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