A moderate route in Warwickshire. Check the GPS track on Outdooractive for full details of the route, waypoints, and terrain.
Starting Point: Roadside parking, Bell Mead, Studley (SP 074 639).
Terrain: Road, lane, kissing gate, River Arrow path, footbridge, field path, Arden Way, road crossing, paddock, track, Mars Hill, field path, woods, hedge path, stile, lane, track, road, Millennium Way, Bannam's Wood, Morton Common, farm track, River Arrow return Notable features: Studley, River Arrow, Studley Castle (Giant Redwoods), church c.1115, war graves, Arden Way, Mars Hill, Morton Bagot, Bishops Farm, Millennium Way, Bannam's Wood (bluebells), Morton Common, Spernall, Greater Rheas encounter
An entertaining and eventful circular walk through the quiet Warwickshire countryside south and east of Studley, combining two of the county's fine long-distance routes — the Arden Way and the Millennium Way — with a rich variety of landscapes, history and wildlife encounters. The outward leg along the River Arrow and northeast through the fields via Mars Hill on the Arden Way is pleasant walking throughout, though the route demands attention at several points — our two navigation errors notwithstanding, the directions need care in places and the kissing gates are not always obvious. The Victorian Giant Redwoods near Studley Castle are an early highlight, and the optional church visit with its remarkable war graves provides a moment of genuine reflection. The extraordinary encounter with four Greater Rheas in a Warwickshire field — still entirely unexplained — is the walk's unforgettable centrepiece and the kind of thing that could only happen to someone who gets out into the fields often enough. The return through Bannam's Wood, carpeted in bluebells in spring, and north along the River Arrow via Spernall is a fine and varied finish. A thoroughly enjoyable walk with more than its share of surprises.