The next Whittington Walk 2 Jan 2012

Off we set with chocolate lab, OS map and the Whittington Walks book having planned the walk across the Ranges, Hopwas Wood and back along the Coventry Canal. The sun was shining, the sky was cloudless.

 

  The Ministry of Defence area consists of Rifle Ranges, and mixed broad leaved woodland which extends eastwards to the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal and the River Tame. The Rifle Ranges at Whittington, are they actually still used?

 

Packington Porkers enjoying the outdoor life.

and into the woods at Hopwas. North of Hopwas village is Hopwas Hays Wood, which consists of approximately 385 acres of ancient woodland, that was owned for many years by the Levett family of Wychnor Park.A large part of the woodland is currently owned by Tarmac.

 

 More autumnal than wintery.

The route went straight through the woods although it was tempting to explore to the left and right as paths crossed our route down to the canal and River Tame.

The canal towpath leads past several bridges and very close to the main line where Virgin trains thundered up and down. We met several walkers and dogs and a few determined, very muddy cyclists. Apart from an unexpected fall into the canal by puppydog, we spent the next 3 miles meandering our way back to Whittington, via Fisherwick.

 

foraging for mushrooms.

Final bridge before taking the road back into Whittington and towards a liquid imbibement, well deserved at the pub.