Riding Europe's longest Urban Bus route.

Launched in 2013, Coventry's number 360  circular bus route claims to be Europe's longest urban bus route at 31 miles.  Some may wonder if the route was deliberately devised just to topple Birmingham's number 11 from that position.

The single decker version of the 360.  The route operates with both single and double decker buses.

The route of the 360 bus

Not only is it longer than Birmingham's route but it's quite different in character.  Whereas the Birmingham route takes in a variety of urban housing styles and different neighborhoods in terms of ethnicity and wealth, the Coventry route is striking in that its sameness.  Coventry like Birmingham has wonderfully ethnically diverse neighborhoods but the Coventry route all but mainly misses them out.  Instead the bus travels though numerous pre- and post-war housing developments.  Anyone with an interest in the history of city planning would have a field day on this bus.

I chose to start and end my journey in Greyswood Avenue.  At £3.80 for a day out it's not bad value for money.

As for the present, and an insight into the future, the route visits four key sites, Warwick University campus, the Jaguar-Land Rover Research Centre at Whitley, the University Hospital at Walsgrave and the Ricoh Arena. 

As for sites of historical significance then you have to have your wits about you to find them.  I am indebted to friend and local historian Dave Fry for drawing my attention to many of these.

My journey started in the Coundon area of the city by walking up the Holyhead Road, built by Thomas Telford to replace the Allesley Old Road that took traffic out of Coventry towards Birmingham.

The route goes through the suburbs of Eastern Green and Tile Hill where there is a station on the London to Birmingham West Coast Mainline for any bus devotees who want to arrive by train too ride this bus route.

I spotted the relief sculpture on St Christopher's school of St Christopher himself.  I was past it before I could photograph it so here's one I took earlier. 

The bell tower of St Oswald's Anglican church, one of a number of churches in the city designed by Basil Spence who also designed the new Coventry Cathedral.

It was striking that the only significant building development I saw on the trip was at Warwick University which seems to continue to grow year after year.  It only started life in the mid-1960s but now has over 25,000 students, a third of which come from overseas.  I wonder how many of them still expect Warwick University to be in Warwick rather than Coventry.

The 'Let's Not Be Stupid' sculpture by Richard Deacon at Warwick University

The Arts Centre at Warwick University - an asset to the whole city, not just the university.  Film, music and theatre buffs value this venue.

After the university the bus visits the Canley shopping centre picking up a significant number of passengers before heading along Kenpas Highway, part of Coventry's outer ring road with its innovative design idea's like broad cycle paths separated from the road, sadly not copied in other parts of the city (see, I told you that you had to be an urban planning devotee to fully appreciate this ride!)

Its then into the suburbs of Cheylesmore and into Jaguar at Whitley.  I alight here for the second time and head off to see a few sites of historic significance.

The JLR Whitley site site has a long engineering history starting life as an airfield before becoming a centre for military aircraft, missiles and then car manufacturing.

Another great asset for the city but one that seems to have become a victim of its own success.  Car parking here is obviously a huge issue and you see crammed car parks and streams of people walking down from Whitley.

The Whitley Abbey Bridge over the River Sherbourne is now closed to traffic and used to form part of the London to Coventry road, again before Thomas Telford kindly built a new one.

A commemorative stone and plaque in memory of the seven men of the Royal Engineers 9th Bomb Disposal Company who lost their lives when an unexploded German bomb removed from the city centre exploded whilst being unloaded near this spot.

From here you are treated to another dose of suburbia as you pass through Willenhall and Ernesford Grange with few signs of history unless you keep your eyes peeled for another Basil Spence church in Willenhall.

A couple of old weavers cottages in St Jame's Lane, Willenhall, would have been a nicer photograph if it hadn't been bin day.

The next point I alight is the University Hospital, mainly because I have to.  The 360 bus stops here and the clockwise changes into the anticlockwise and visa-versa.  Why?  I've no idea.  I wondered whether it was to stop the drivers getting giddy.  A friend suggested it was to even out tyre wear on the buses.

Another place that seems to suffer from huge traffic problems.  You can't help but think that the design stage of this development didn't go quite right.

Time for a spot of lunch and I escape the bedlam of the hospital and the road construction going on there and head over to the tranquil setting of Caludon Castle. There's not much of it left and in fact the truth is that it wasn't a castle at all, not of a moated country mansion for the landowners.

Caludon Castle

I could have rejoined the 360 close to Caludon Park but thought I should make the effort to ride every last bit of it so walked back up to the hospital and caught it there.  This next section took me through Wyken, Courthouse Green and Little Heath or in my case Memory Lane.  I past a house I used to rent in Sewall Highway and then later the old Courtaulds factory site in Little Heath that used to manufacture cellulose acetate for cigarette tips where I worked for a while.

My fourth stop of the day was at the Ricoh Arena home of Coventry City football club and Wasps Rugby club.  The arena is now owned by Wasps but the football club have to rent it off them.  I walk back toward the bus stop passing the brand new train station that's about to open any day but even this is somewhat controversial as trains won't currently be running near to match times for safety reasons.  The was a hope that extra rolling stock could be secured but that's presently proving difficult.

Sky Blue's colours still very much in evidence inside the ground but I doubt it will be long before the gold and black of Wasps RFC appear here.  

A rather fine statue of Coventry City player and chairman Jimmy Hill stands outside the ground.  He is probably better known to many as the BBC Match of the Day anchorman for many years. 

And so I board the 360 for my final leg of this 31 mile circular tour of the city and travel through Holbrooks and Whitmore Park and call in at Cardinal Newman school as it disgorges it's pupils.  Our batch of kids are deposited at various stops throughout Coundon and by the time I get off, at my original starting point in Greyswood Avenue, the bus is all but empty.

So has the 360 attained the cult status of Birmingham's number 11 outer circle?  I don't think it has as yet but maybe one day it will. Until then it will be a functional bus for those shoppers, hospital patients, workers and pupils who live on its 31.5 mile route.

Coventry Way

Having recently completed the Heart of England Way I thought about what other paths near home I could tackle.  The obvious one was the Coventry Way, a 40 mile waymarked track circling the city but never actually encroaching on the suburbs.  The path joins up many of the villages surrounding the city, a surprising number of which start with the letter B such as Bubbenhall, Brinklow, Bedworth, Barnacle, Berkswell, Burton Green..... 

The Oxford Canal at Ansty

I've walked the Coventry Way a couple of times previously, both in an anticlockwise direction.  Around ten years ago I followed the series of circular walks in the very fine Coventry Way guidebook that enables the individual to complete the Way over 20 individual trips out.  Then in 2008 I walked the Coventry Way in one go as part of the annual organised event in what was pretty poor walking conditions.  It's the longest walk I've ever done. Other events around the city were cancelled due to flooding but the event went ahead.  I'm not convinced I'll be tackling something that challenging again anytime soon.

Bedworth Water Tower

This time I chose to tackle the path clockwise over two longish stretches (Corley Moor to Brinklow and Brinklow to Kenilworth and a few shorter walks). The Coventry Way shares its route with the Heart of England Way for a shortish section in the Meriden area so I missed that bit out.

A frosty morning near Wolston

The path is well maintained and there's an active team of people who go out monthly to carry out repairs and replace stiles with kissing gates.  The only conurbation to speak of that the walker encounters is Bedworth where a bit of careful navigation though some modern estates is required with the water tower acting as a navigation aid.  Apart from that the only other sections of road walking to speak of are in the Stoneleigh area broken up by some fine meadows.

We've got our eyes on ewe - near Bubbenhall.

An old railway line, now converted into the Kenilworth Greenway, gives the walker a break from the need to navigate.  The Greenway has been extended at the eastern end in recent years and the Coventry Way diverted to take this in and avid a section of read walking.  The HS2 development however hangs over the area.  There's also a section of canal towpath walking in the north east near Brinklow which also has the main train line running alongside.  The hedged-in bridleway between Brinklow and Bretford is a favourite of mine.

Some admirable grafitti in Bedworth

The rest of the Coventry Way is mainly through open fields, mainly arable, some with sheep or horses.  I don't think I encountered any cattle but then again its winter so maybe they are all indoors by now.  It's a pretty flat path, only sometimes climbing and giving you a view distant view.    

Square Lane Fishing Pool near Corley Ash

The path is well served by public transport with regular services connecting Coventry to Bedworth, Brinklow, Kenilworth and Meriden and no doubt a few more places en-route.  I only used a bus once myself back from Brinklow which worked out just fine.  The cafe lover however is going to be disappointed.  I think a coffer in the sweet shop in Ryton is all I managed all the way round.  There are however plenty of pubs to choose from.

One of the steepest slopes you'll see!

For the history lover the path takes you through the remains of Brinklow Castle and quite a few old church years such as Meriden and Bubbenhall.  Throw in some old stone bridges and ponds and you've a fine series of walks indeed.  Thanks to all those who work hard to maintain this route.

Bridge over Smite Brook north of Brinklow

Stone bridge near Stoneleigh

Link to:  Coventry Way website

Sign in Bedworth.  We didn't see any but that may have been becasue of the weather...

Heart of England Way - Part 7 - Chipping Campden to Bourton on the Water

A cold, frosty, bright and still day.  A perfect day for walking.  An early start too as daylight is short at this time of year.  Well done to Chipping Campden for still allowing street parking.  I made a stuttering start, having to return to the car to get my gaiters and then missing the path.  Over some horsey fields and I was soon at Broad Campden though I'm still confused as to why there was no HoEW waymarking on this first stretch.

Some frosty topiary in Broad Campden

The HoEW gets more undulating at this southern end of the path and there's no doubt I am entering the Cotswolds.  The sandy coloured building are everywhere.  It was very different walking to last weeks mud.  A drier week and a hard frost made for easy walking,  Gone are the leather boots and I'm back in lightweight walking shoes.

The frost is hanging around well into the morning

I wonder if they realised this would make a good picture when they put the bike there?

On arriving in Blockley I spied a village coffee shop.  Who'd have expected a coffee shop in a small village in mid-winter to be packed but packed it was.  I think they've found a winning formula. 

I can heartily recommend the caramel slices

  Between Blockley and Bourton-on-the-Hill there were indeed a few hills to climb, a few geocaches to find and even a hunt out with the hounds.  After a short road section in Bourton the path turns due south and passes through the Sezincote Estate with its Indian style manor house.

Sezincote House

The last section of the Heart of England Way passes through a series of typical Cotswold villages, straight off the front of a chocolate box.

Long afternoon shadows and Lower Slaughter church

End of the Way at Bourton on the Water

I had miscalculated the distance today and had set off very early thinking it was a twenty mile stretch but it turned out to be only fifteen miles so I arrived earlier than expected. I had a hunt around to see if there was anything to signify it was the end/start of the HoEW but never found anything.  

My mind went back to my childhood when we used to come here occasionally to see my grandparents who came here on holidays each year.  I remember one year they said I could have a present from the shops.  I saw a flower press and asked for that but it never materialised. 

After a very quick look around the town I jumped on a bus that took me to Morton in Marsh and then another back to Chipping Campden arriving just as the sun was setting.

Walking the Heart of England Way has been a very enjoyable experience.  I've been lucky with a string of fine weather days on weekends.  I used OS Explorer maps and also had the route downloaded onto my GPS.  I found the HoEW guide by Stephen Cross a useful resource.  Although I didn't carry it with me I found the background information on the places I passed through most interesting.  The information it contained on transport links was also most helpful.

Heart of England Way - Part 6 - Bidford to Chipping Campden

A fine day was forecast which is why it was a bit of a surprise when it started to rain not long after I got in the car to leave Coventry.  I decided to bring my collie dog with me this time.  Let's see what adventures that will bring.  Luckily the rain soon stopped as we headed south to my starting point of Bidford-on-Avon where there's a convenient free car park just north of the old bridge, the starting point for the day. 

Early morning mist on the Avon at Bidford

The sunlight and mist on the fields and river made it ideal for taking some photos but trying to juggle camera, backpack and dog on the narrow bridge wasn't easy.  The HoEW follows the Avon upstream for a while till it reaches the picturesque village of Barton. 


Latterbox Cottage in Barton

Leaving Barton the path follows a track for half a mile and then onto open farmland.  It's not long before we enter Collets Wood, another one of the areas planted with new trees thanks to Felix Dennis who I mentioned in the last blog.  As we exit the area the signage becomes confusing sending me off in a different direction as that indicated on the map and my GPX file on the GPS.  I can only assume that the Way has recently been rerouted to take walkers though some of the new Heart of England Forest.  It turns out to be a good diversion as it passes the final resting place of Felix Dennis, now adorned with a lovely sculpture of the of Dennis wearing a jacket engraved with some of his poems sculpted by the artist Andrew Sinclair. 

Sculpture of Felix Dennis

 

After going through Dorsington village the path continues south-east along the banks of Noleham Brook and is conveniently fenced off from the nearby fields full of sheep.  I entered the village of Long Marston via a narrow lane at the back some houses, crossed the main road which took me down a lane to cross the Stratford Greenway, an old railway line and now cycleway into Stratford.  Not far after this, my dog Shadow decided he didn't like the route.  We were approaching a firing range and he was getting spooked by the noise.  He lay down and refused to move any further.  This meant finding a different route.  We headed south across some fields and onto the road, a fortuitous diversion as we found a nice coffee shop that I otherwise wouldn't have discovered.

The chance discovery of Violetta's tearoom

 

The village of Lower Quinton appeared in the distance.  From the angle we had it was only modern housing so rather than continue on the road to join the HoEW there we took the footpaths SE over the fields to the attractive village of Upper Quinton and rejoined the Way there.  From here the path skirted the flanks of Meon Hill and also gained some height so offered good views over the Vale of Evesham.  The first couple of fields crossed were rutted, probably due to historical use, with peaks and troughs every three or four meters making for a strange walking experience.

Views over Meon Hill and a muddy path.  There was mud of every variety today - slushy, sticky, slippery.....

Walkers of the HoEW don't necessarily get to see the best views of the village of Mickleton, famed for being home of the Pudding Club.   The path enters the village down a ramshackled track, across a playing field and then exits again via someones back garden.  OK, I may have got a bit lost at this stage.  Things improve then a bit and a good view of the church is seen before a steep climb up onto the road at Barker's Hill.  Some passersby warned me of the upcoming muddy paths but it was no worse than I'd been on all day.    

Before I knew it I was back walking on country lanes with a more solid footing that ended up at the pretty Mickleton Hill's Farm and the first building seen with a real Cotswold look about them.  Stephen Cross's guidebook of the Heat of England Way also describes how the railway tunnel I crossed here was the last time the Riot Act was read in England in 1849 in a dispute between Brunel's company and one building the tunnel.

Soon after crossing the tunnel the path enters a giant dome-shaped arable field topped with derelict farm buildings and machinery giving the area a strange feel.  Descending from the field we enter the market town of Chipping Campden and there's no doubting now we have arrived in the Cotswolds.  The first thing you see is the large St James church which had a very Christmassy feel to it with the sound of the choir practising for the upcoming concert emanating from it.  

A restored banqueting house in Chipping Campden

Just as I was about to explore the East Banqueting House behind the church I bumped into my wife.  It's OK, we'd arranged to meet in the town so she could kindly give me a lift back to Bidford.  We had a pleasant hour wandering around the town. 

end of the day - Chipping Campden

 

 When we turned to come back poor Shadow had another sit down protest.  We think it's because he hadn't worked out that Margaret had her car in town and was thinking he was going to have to walk the 15 miles back to Bidford.  Fair play to him, he'd probably walked 30 miles already with all the running around he'd done.    

Heart of England Way - Part 5 - Henley-in-Arden to Bidford

The weather forecast predicted it would stop raining early morning and fair play to them, they were right; just as I arrived in Henley in Arden it seemed to stop.  Whilst I'm on the subject of judging things here's my marks for Henley: ten out of ten for having a public convenience and a good coffee shop, zero out of ten for signposting the way to the station.  Never mind, found it eventually, donned my wet weather gear and set off south.



The path supposedly went through the middle of this lake. 

It was pretty quiet on the path today, certainly away from the villages.  The streams and rivers were high but not quite breaking their banks.  Some of the fields however were sodden with plenty of water running off them.

This area was once covered by the Forest of Arden and one man, the late Felix Dennis, business entrepreneur, publisher and tree lover has been tried his best to recreate the forest and has bequeathed much of his fortune to do so:  Felix Dennis Heart of England Forest Project . Felix Dennis is also famed for being jailed in the 1970s as part of the Oz magazine obscenity trial.

The first place I came across Dennis's work was Bannam's Wood where I also almost stood on an infant muntjac deer who seemed to be wet and miserable.

Poor little fellow

Not a tree but a bench donated by Felix Dennis in Brannam's Wood.  It would indeed have been nice to rest here on a dry day but it was one of those days today where you need to keep moving, but thanks anyway Felix.

Alcester was two thirds of the way along today's walk and therefore ideally placed for a coffee stop.  It's quite a sizable town with a mix of old and modern housing, a church in the centre with a coffee shop next to it. 

Good coffee and eccles cake.  Hope I didn't scare them too much by being so muddy.



The old streets of Alcester

There was plenty of geocaching to be had today, particularly at the southern end of the walk.  In fact I had to stop caching eventually for fear of not making it to Bidford before it got dark.  I found 22 caches all together, many of them as part of a Delta68's power trail in the area.    There were even a couple of trig points but I'd already visited those previously ten years ago.




Of all the trees I saw today, and there were a lot of them, this one in Alcester seemed to typify the season of autumn best.

Just south of Alcester I took a short diversion off the Heart of England Way onto the Arden Way and then up Oversley Woods. Why?  Because it's a TuMP, a hill with a thirty meter promontory i.e. a drop of 30 meters between it and the next TuMP.   There were four of these on or near my route today adding a mile or two to the original 14 miles.

A well decorated shed in a caravan park through which the HoEW passes..

South of Oversley the scenery seemed to change.  Arable farming was replaced by numerous horse paddocks.  In fact I began to feel like a horse after a while given the number of stiles I had to jump over.  The villages are becoming quite posh.  I even bumped into Nigel Havers.  OK, it may not have been him but it didn't half look like him.


The Fish Inn with an umbrella entrance porch - no, I don't know why either.
 

The clouds lifted for the last hour of my walk giving some welcome late afternoon sunshine.

I'll end the blog with a rant concerning the pricing policies used by bus and train companies. There didn't seem to be a direct link between Bidford and Henley, certainly not on a Sunday, so my route took me by bus into Stratford and then train back to Henley.  The empty bus arrived dead on time and for the relatively short hop into Stratford I was charged £4.15.  The driver said the standard fare was £4.70 but he could sell me a cheaper daytripper ticket.  There was me expecting something round the £2 mark.  When I called up the bus company on Monday I was told that actually the daytripper was £7 and they don't know where the driver got the £4.15 price from. Never mind I said, I've two buses to catch on the next leg of the Heart of England Way so I'll get a daytripper ticket then.  That won't help I was told, the buses are operated by two different companies.

The train journey was longer and cheaper but the pricing policy still annoyed me. A single ticket  was £3.70, whilst the day return was £3.60  (yes, I did buy the return ticket).  As the train was 30mins late due to signalling problems I started to read the posters.  One described railcards for the young, the old, the disabled, the family, for groups and for people travelling in pairs.  It seems nobody likes the single traveller going one way. OK, rant over.