Location: Navigation – Aston Cantlow – Monarch Way Figure of Eight

Leader:  Neil

Distance: 8 miles

Meeting Place: Bentley Heath Car Park, ready to leave by 9.15. If you travel direct, please be ready to start the walk by 09:45

Start: The Navigation Pub car park, Wootton Wawen. The pub is closed but please park on the right side immediately after you enter the car park. The spaces to the left and rear are used by the canal boat business, its customers and the canal boat users who have moored beyond. The pub car park grid reference is 1591 6292 and the postcode B95 6BZ.

Description: This walk is a sort of figure of eight, the longest loop running south west from The Navigation to Aston Cantlow returning to The View on the main A3400. The north east is the shorter loop, heading off towards Austy Wood and returning to The Navigation along Monarchs Way and the Birmingham – Stratford canal.

The south west route heads off up Pennyford Lane joining the path running alongside the River Alne, picking up a short section of the Bearley – Alcester dismantled railway line, continuing towards Aston Cantlow, then out towards a short stretch of woodland with a steep climb joining farmland where we head towards the Birmingham – Stratford canal. We then make our way along the canal towpath, over the Edstone Aqueduct, then branching off towards The View. (See Lunch and Refreshments below). This leg should take about 2.5 hours.

The north east route starts on the opposite side of the main road from The View, over farmland and through Austy Wood until we meet Monarchs Way. When I recce’d the route in early March the woodland and Monarchs Way paths were a bog. When I did another reccy on 3^rd April, most of the path had dried up, but there were still 3 patches where you will get your boots muddy, unless the weather is kind to us in the two weeks before the walk. Monarchs Way then crosses the Birmingham – Stratford canal which we take back to The Navigation. This leg should take about 1.5 hours.

 Lunch and Refreshments: Bring some lunch. We will likely have lunch on the canal bridge where the towpath swaps sides opposite the path towards The View. The View do not allow non-purchased food to be consumed outside but if the Ladies wish to use the facilities (they can’t, unless you buy something), firstly, they are just to the left in the entrance, and second, they do takeaway coffee.

Sign Up: Please let us know if you are coming using the PollsEZ Link below.