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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

Horse Riders Permit

Please note the route is administered by Warwickshire County Council
below is an extract from their website

In order to ride a horse on the permissive bridleway on the Kenilworth Greenway, you will need to obtain an annual permit. The permit is free of charge but there is a £10 refundable deposit payable for the key we will send you to access the Greenway. You need to supply two passport sized photographs and proof that you have £2,000,000 Public Liability insurance - a photocopy of either your insurance certificate or your BHS Gold membership.

Call 01827 872660 for further information.

Click here to visit the WCC Country Parks web site for full details and download the permit application form.

Warwickshire County Council, Shire Hall, Warwick CV34 4SA
Telephone: 01926 410410

Crackley Wood Access

 

 

Kenilworth Greenway

Entrance to The Greenway at Coventry Rd, Kenilworth

Kenilworth Greenway

Plate layers hut remains about 5 mins from Coventry Road entrance

Kenilworth Greenway

Looking west towards Berkswell

Kenilworth Greenway

Restored bridge and new access point near Crackley

Kenilworth Greenway

Fine blue brick rainwater culverts from the original railway construction

Kenilworth Greenway

Fine blue brick rainwater culverts from the original railway construction

Kenilworth Greenway

Work in progress as new signs are erected

Kenilworth Greenway

A Wain brickworks brick found in the undergrowth

Kenilworth Greenway

Unusual white glazed brick with 2000? or a logo cast into it

Kenilworth Greenway

More evidence of the line - telegraph pole with insulators still intact

Kenilworth Greenway

Fine new surface over Crackley Lane bridge - brickwork still sound

Kenilworth Greenway

Mounting blocks for riders near Crackley Lane access point

Kenilworth Greenway

Railway communications!

Kenilworth Greenway

5 miles 20 chains to where ????

Kenilworth Greenway

Underpass for farmer to access fields - preserved in good condition

Kenilworth Greenway

Handrail on top of underpass

Kenilworth Greenway

Hollis Lane bridge in very good condition - bridleway to the right

Kenilworth Greenway

Distant views of Coventry

Kenilworth Greenway

Lovely views over the Warwickshire countryside

Kenilworth Greenway

Coventry Evening Telegraph 6th Jan 1973 during the lifting of the line

© P.Riley

Copyright  © Warwickshire Industrial Archaeology Society 'WIAS' 2003 - 2010. All Rights Reserved.
Affiliated to the Association for Industrial Archaeology
Updated 25/05/2010