Walking in Warwickshire
Warwickshire is canal and castle country: towpaths climb the 21 locks at Hatton and cross the Edstone Aqueduct, field paths wander the old Forest of Arden around Lapworth and Kenilworth, and in the south the ironstone hills around Edge Hill and Burton Dassett give long views across the county.
Difficulty is shown only where we have graded the route, so choosing a level hides walks not yet graded.
Walks with a mapped start point are plotted above; the rest appear when you search their town. Zoom, drag or click a pin to explore, or search a town to list its walks.
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Top walks by area
A starting point for each part of Warwickshire: well-documented routes that finish back where they start, between 1 and 12 miles.
Warwick, Kenilworth & Arden
- Hunningham LoopHunningham · 3.4 mi
- Lapworth – Baddesley Clinton LoopLapworth · 4.1 mi
- Hagsmill Open Space LoopKenilworth · 1.1 mi
Stratford & South Warwickshire
- Ettington Grove Circular WalkStratford-on-Avon · 3.2 mi
- Wootton Wawen Edstone Aqueduct Loop 3Aston Cantlow · 3.7 mi
- Ratley Warmington Arlescote Circular WalkRatley · 5.8 mi
Southam & the Canals
- Harbury via ChestertonHarbury · 3.4 mi
- Priors Marston via HelidonPriors Marston · 4.5 mi
Popular in Warwickshire
Know before you go
Practical points for walking in Warwickshire. Rules and timetables change, so check the linked sources before you set off.
Canal towpaths
The Grand Union Canal towpath runs for nearly 40 miles from Birmingham to Napton Junction, much of it through Warwickshire. Hatton’s flight of 21 locks, nicknamed the Stairway to Heaven, lifts the canal about 146 feet out of the Avon valley at Warwick. Towpaths are shared with cyclists and boaters, so keep dogs close at locks.
Edstone Aqueduct
On the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal near Wootton Wawen, Edstone is the longest cast-iron aqueduct in England at 475 feet. The towpath runs alongside the trough, so it is easy to walk across.
Edge Hill and Burton Dassett
The ironstone hills of Burton Dassett Hills Country Park, near the 1642 Edgehill battlefield, give wide views over south Warwickshire, and the Centenary Way leads on to Edge Hill, Avon Dassett and Farnborough Hall.
Long-distance routes
Warwickshire is crossed by the 100-mile Heart of England Way, a 35-mile stretch of the Monarch’s Way and Shakespeare’s Way, which starts at Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. The county also has its own 100-mile Centenary Way from Kingsbury Water Park to Upper Quinton.
Dogs and livestock
Much of Warwickshire is farmland. Keep dogs on a lead around sheep and cattle, follow the Countryside Code and leave gates as you find them.
Maps
OS Explorer 221 covers Coventry, Warwick, Leamington Spa and Kenilworth; 205 covers Stratford-upon-Avon; and 206 covers Edge Hill and Fenny Compton.
Walking in Warwickshire: questions
How many walks are there in Warwickshire?
We list 16 walking routes in Warwickshire, starting from 11 towns and villages. The typical route is about 4 miles; 11 are under 4 miles. Every route is free to view.
Which towns have the most walks?
Lapworth (3), Stratford-on-Avon (2), Kenilworth (2) and Warwick (2). Use the town search or the town list on this page to see every walk from a particular place.
Are there short circular walks in Warwickshire?
Yes. 7 routes under 4 miles finish where they start, including Hagsmill Open Space Loop (1.1 mi), SCAD Walk 2019 (1.8 mi), Ettington Grove Circular Walk (3.2 mi) and Harbury via Chesterton (3.4 mi). Choose Under 4 mi and Back to start in the filters above to see them all.
Can I take my dog on Warwickshire walks?
Yes. Keep dogs on a lead around livestock in farmland and close to you on canal towpaths, which are shared with cyclists and boats. See Know before you go for more.
Where can I walk the Hatton Locks?
The Grand Union Canal towpath climbs beside all 21 locks of the Hatton flight on the north-west edge of Warwick. Our Warwick Racecourse to Hatton Locks walk heads out from Warwick to the flight.
Is there a Warwickshire long-distance path?
Yes. The Centenary Way runs for about 100 miles from Kingsbury Water Park in the north of the county to Upper Quinton in the south.
Which long-distance trails pass through Warwickshire?
The Heart of England Way, Monarch's Way, Shakespeare's Way and Grand Union Canal Way all pass through Warwickshire, and each has its own guide on Walking Rambler.