Sowe Valley footpath

A full collection of photos from this trip can be found in the  Sowe Valley footpath album

Walking the Sowe Valley around Coventry has been on my 'to do' list for quite some time.  With our move away from the city coming ever closer I thought it was about time I got on with exploring it. The final incentive came when I spotted a new geocache published half way along the 8.5 mile route.

I decided to start at the southern end.  That way I would finish at the Greyhound pub in Hawkesbury Junction.  Where better to be aiming for on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

The only information I could find on the Sowe Valley footpath was a 15 year old leaflet.  It sketches out the route along the winding River Sowe in the form of a picture map.  There's mention of the footpath at the southern end being extended to take in Stonebridge Meadows Nature Reserve but I couldn't find any confirmation that this had occurred.  I decided therefore to park in Whitley and try to see if it was possible to walk south to Stonebridge Meadows. It's not.  It's a building site for the extension of the Jaguar works.

Sowe Valley footpath route

The walk for proper therefore started back in the peaceful Whitley Grove woods.  Unusually for Coventry it has some quite undulating paths.  The leaflet describes how the stone used to construct the original Coventry Cathedral was quarried here.

I've been to many of the locations along the Sowe Valley previously but at the same time I was pleasantly surprised how many of the locations were new to me.  After crossing the London Road I was in Willenhall Brookstay which included lovely narrow paths and trees full of blossom to a playing field with a Sunday morning football match in full swing.

Trees in blossom in Willenhall,a sight replicated regularly along the footpath.

After going under the main London to Birmingham railway line the path briefly crosses Allard Way via a of subways to take in Lindfield Park.

Lindfield Park

The other thing that surprised me was the large amount of greenspace adjacent to this path.  I suppose in a way I should be reassured.  Rivers after all flood and therefore space has to be kept free to allow for these natural occurrences.  For much of the Sowe Valley footpath you almost forget you are walking through the heart of a city.

Stoke Floods Nature Reserve, apparently formed when the nearby Binley coal works caused the land to subside. Subsidence isn't always a bad thing. 

My big moan of the day concerns signage.  If I had had a decent map or an electronic route I could have downloaded to my GPS then signage wouldn't necessarily have been important. In some places the signage was reasonable, in other places it only pointed in one direction, the direction from which I had already walked.  In other places it pointed in three directions.  Ahhhhhh!  And yes I did choose the wrong direction and ended up in Aldermans Green at one stage before backtracking.

Confusing signage on the Sowe Valley footpath

One of the  highlights of the day for me were probably the two lakes, Stoke Floods and Wyken Slough.  Why is it named Wyken Slough when Wyken is a long way away?  The other highlight was the blossoms.  Oh how I love May.  I with the whole year was like May sometimes.

I do love May!

Coal mining is closely associated with Coventry though there is little sign of any remains of the industry now within the city.  A significant part of this footpath is based on old mine works, and offers a stark contrast to these past activities.

Wyken Slough, a reclaimed former coal mine.

After passing Wyken Slough the path loops around, goes under the M6 and then I am back on familiar territory i.e. a short section of the Oxford Canal up to Hawkesbury Junction and the Greyhound at Sutton Stop.  The excursion at the beginning to Stonebridge Meadows and a couple of navigational errors probably made it a ten mile walk in total.

All credit to Coventry Council, the Friends of Sowe Valley and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Warwickshire Wildlife Trust for keeping this footpath and its surroundings well-maintained.  Thanks.

Relaxing outside the Greyhound with a pint of Tunnel IPA at the end of the walk.