2 Walks around Balsall Common
All walks are circular(ish) and start from Hallmeadow Road by the permissive path (half way between Riddings Hill and Grovefield Avenue on the railway side).
This makes the Fisheries Café a convenient spot for a takeway drink or snack (hot if before 1.00PM). However, as they are circular routes you can start them wherever is convenient.
Directions Walk One
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A 3 mile walk to Mercote Farm bridge. This walk uses footpaths that are now getting a bit muddy in places
Starting from Hallmeadow walk up the road on the other side from the railway until reaching the steps into Lavender Hall Park. Go up the steps and then follow the path to the right along the hedgeline to then turn go left past the car park and exiting onto Lavender Hall Road.
Follow the road to the Kenilworth Road and cross over turning right and walking to Wootton Green Lane.
Turn down Wootton Green Lane and follow it until you reach Wootton Grange.
Walk down the drive until you reach the kissing gate on the left leading into a field. Go through it.
Follow the footpath to the right, past Wootton Grange until reaching Wootton Lane (there is an odd stile here that if you are short or flexible you can duck under rather than climb over).
Turn right for about 20 yards and then cross a ditch and stile into a field on the left.
Follow the footpath straight up the hedgeline (not the one that goes diagonally across the field).
At the top of the field turn right and walk over the railway bridge crossing the next field to bring you to the A452.
Turn right and follow the path beside the A452 back to the roundabout at the top of Hallmeadow Rd.
Cross the road and after a few yards on the Kenilworth Rd take the footpath alongside the white house beside Sainsbury’s.
NB This is the only house on the Kenilworth Road in Berkswell Parish and where our late Councillor Don Hitchcock lived for many years.
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This leads you to the Hornets football field. Follow the hedge to the corner where a kissing gate leads to steps that take you up and over the hedge exiting out onto the side of the roundabout by Lavender Hall Bridge. Follow Hallmeadow Road back to the start.
Directions Walk Two
5 1/2 mile dry walk around Balsall Common. This walks is all on pavements, roads or hard paths.
From Hallmeadow Road walk up to the roundabout with the Kenilworth Road.
Cross the road and walk up the A452 past the car wash to Wootton Lane.
Turn left and then left again into Wootton Green Lane.
Walk the lane all the way back to the Kenilworth Road.
Turn right walk down the Kenilworth Road until the roundabout and then turn right and follow Dengate Drive until the entrance to Grange Park.
Follow the path through Grange Park until emerges onto Greenfield Avenue.
Turn right until you reach Needlers End Lane.
Turn right and follow Needlers End Lane until you reach Balsall Street East (although you can do a scenic detour through Willow Park and view the new Cherry Tree).
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Turn left and at some point cross the road until reaching Frog Lane.
Follow Frog Lane until reaching Holly Lane. Turn left up Holly Lane and then right onto Alder Lane.
Keep straight on at the traffic lights onto Kelsey Lane until you reach Meeting House Lane.
Turn up Meeting House Lane until you reach Sunnyside Lane. Turn right into Sunnyside and left at the roundabout to bring you to Station Road.
Turn right down to the Station Roundabout and then left back up Hallmeadow Road.
