Warwick
Circular Walk 10 (4.5 Miles)
Walk Overview
This easy circular walk is just under 4½ miles and although it can be completed in under two hours it is better to take at least a half day or more, so that you can explore some of the historical sites and amenities along the way. Short sections of the route are along roads but mostly you will be walking along riverbank, near to parks or by the canal. Also, you will pass the historic Warwick Castle and St. John's House Museum near to the centre of Warwick. During the first part of the walk, you will enjoy a short section of The Millennium Way where it follows the Grand Union Canal.
Walk Details
- Start: Car Park by viaduct Leamington Spa CV31 3PH
- Start Grid Ref: SP 309 654
- Parking: West end of Victoria Park - by the arches
- Refreshments:
- Roebuck Pub, Smith Street, Warwick (01926 494900)
- Costa Coffee by Morrisons from the canal
- Maps: OS Explorer 221 or Landranger 151
- Distance: 4½ miles
- Time: 2½ hours
- Stiles: None
- Download: Walk GPS (GPS Exchange Format, GPX)
- GPS and GPX explained
- Find a mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play
Updated August 2022
Walk Instructions
Section A
From the car park entrance cross Park Drive using the pedestrian crossing then go R to pass under left hand arch of viaduct and proceed up the path of Princes Drive. Pass under the railway bridge to reach the large roundabout. Stay on pavement going to L of roundabout entering Old Warwick Road then cross road via the pedestrian crossing. Turn R back towards the roundabout and after 40 yards take entrance L to towpath of Grand Union Canal, going R to keep canal on left hand side (you have now joined the Millennium Way).
Section B
Go under bridge 43 then past The Moorings pub. Continue for approx 1.5 miles and after passing under bridge 49, turn R up the slipway to reach the main road (here we leave the Millennium Way). Turn R on main road to cross bridge over canal to head into Warwick.
Section C
Continue along main road under railway bridge then pass Railway Pub on L. Continue past entrance to Warwick Railway Station on R. Pass entrance to Priory Park and continue to main road junction. Cross over road via pedestrian crossing and go R past St John's House (The Fusillers Museum is closed as at July 2023). At the junction of three roads take the middle road up Smith Street - a road with some independent shops and a wide range of places to eat. The Roebuck Innon your R is Warwick's oldest Public House, dating back to 1470 - it is dog friendly. At the top of the road is the old East Gate into Warwick with St. Peters Chapel on top and the Gateway Cafe L. Turn L down Castle Hill to the roundabout (note the entrance to Warwick Castle on R and picturesque Mill Street - you may wish to divert to go into Mill Street and view the cobbled street with impressive timber framed buildings). Cross roundabout to continue down A425 passing St. Nicholas Church L to pass the main entrance to St. Nicholas park.
Relaxing riverside walk
Section D
Just a few yards before reaching the bridge take the flight of steps L down into the park (a short detour onto the bridge will give you the iconic view of Warwick Castle down the river). At the bottom of the steps go past "Warwick Boats" to find the riverside path. Continue along path with river R (a lovely picnic spot). You will reach a large footbridge spanning the river (do not cross bridge) and here you should cross straight over cycle track and then veer slightly R onto the grass track with river R and rear of houses L. Soon you arrive a little closer to the river to walk along a pleasant tree-lined riverside track. Continue on some way to go under railway bridge to reach the canal viaduct. Go under arch of viaduct then go immediately L for quite a few paces to find metal steps which will take you high up to the canal towpath (you are now back on the Millennium Way which you walked earlier, but in the other direction).
Section E
Go L on towpath with canal R to go under bridge 45. After 160 paces, as the canal narrows over the railway, take footpath L (signposted Link to Princes Drive) and continue along narrow track between fences with railway in cutting R. Eventually you will rejoin the river on L . You will see a weir, a white concrete roadbridge and a railway viaduct higher up. Pass the weir then leave the riverside walk to emerge on to the main road. Take the pedestrian crossing and go into the car park adjoining Victoria Park, where you started.
Points of Interest - What to know and what to see...
by Andy Botherway
Ford Foundry
© Copyright Robin Stott- Licensed for reuse under Creative Commons License
Ford Motor Company foundry
The Morrison supermarket development is on the site of the former Ford Motor Company foundry. This was an industrial site for 126 years before being demolished in 2010. Shops and offices have replaced the old plant.
Morrisons occupy old Ford Foundry site
The Grand Union canal first crosses the GWR line to Birmingham Snow Hill built by Brunel and then the River Avon. There are some interesting bridges / viaducts.
St John's House Museum is a historic 17th Century house, owned by the Earl of Warwick as a family residence until 1960, when it was given to the County Council and became a museum of social history and the story of the Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers.
Mill StreetWarwick
When reaching St. Nicholas church, Mill Street is to the right over the roundabout, to the left of the castle entrance. This street was one of the few areas to survive the Great Fire of 1694, which destroyed most of medieval Warwick. It is lined with particularly attractive timber-framed houses.
The town was rebuilt very quickly in the early 18th Century, with brick and stone houses (much safer than timber-frame). Mill Street was the original entry to Warwick, over a medieval Avon bridge, the remains of which can be seen from Mill Garden (entry by donation to charity in summer) at the end of the street. This fine garden also provides a spectacular view of the castle and weir.
The A425 road bridge over the Avon also gives a splendid view of the castle and boat club.
The rear of the Tesco superstore was the site of Avon power station, an electricity generating station built by a tramway company to supply power to the tramway (which ran along Emscote Road between Warwick and Leamington in the 1930’s) and to local residents. It was demolished in 1975.
The walk ends at Victoria Park which, until the 1830s, was just part of farmland on the edge of the growing spa town. In the mid 19th Century Leamington Cricket club made their first home there. In 1899 the park was extensively landscaped and redesigned to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The bowling greens are amongst the best in England hosting the English Women's Bowling Championships annually as well as Women's World Bowling Championships in 1996 and 2004.