Ten traffic free cycle routes in Warwickshire

Warwickshire is home to a wonderful network of traffic-free cycling routes that offer a quieter, calmer way to explore the county - and they are perfect for all ages and abilities. Whether you're a family introducing young children to life on two wheels, a group of friends looking for a leisurely, relaxed day out, or simply someone who prefers to take their time and soak up the scenery, without sharing the road with cars, these routes deliver cycling at its very best. 

Former railway lines have been transformed into smooth, surfaced greenways; reservoir paths loop around open water with wide skies above; and canal towpaths drift gently through countryside that has changed little in centuries. These are routes where you can actually look up - at the wildlife, the views, the villages - without a care in the world. Whatever your age or ability, Warwickshire's car-free cycling network offers a genuinely relaxed way to get out, slow down and discover the county from the saddle.

Stratford Greenway

A high-quality surfaced path suitable for cyclists, walkers and wheelchair users, the Stratford Greenway is part of the National Cycle Network and forms a five-mile section of the West Midlands Cycle Route, linking Oxford to Derby via Birmingham. The route is traffic-free, though you will need to cross some minor roads along the way. Two characterful railway carriage cafés - Bobby's and Milcote Café - sit along the route, making it a lovely family day out.

The Greenway follows the course of the old Honeybourne railway line, a single-track line built in 1859, crossing the River Avon via Stannals Bridge, overlooking Stratford racecourse and arriving right into the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon. 

Long Marston, at the southern end of the route, is a quiet Warwickshire village set among open farmland, while Stratford-upon-Avon itself needs little introduction - the birthplace of Shakespeare, home to the Royal Shakespeare Company, and one of the most visited towns in England. 

The Greenway is known for its corridor for wildlife, and that's evident in the variety of birdsong you'll hear from the outset. Redwings, skylarks and song thrushes can be spotted along the way, while robins and swallows flit between the tree-lined edges. The sustainable landscaping has allowed habitats to remain and flourish, with protected species recorded within the surrounding area including ten species of bats. As you travel the route you can also spot wild plants such as walnut trees, cowslips, knapweed, wild carrot and tansy making a quintessential English countryside scene.

Kenilworth Greenway

National Route 523, known locally as the Kenilworth Greenway, is a short traffic-free walking and cycling route that runs from the outskirts of Kenilworth to Burton Green, providing an essential link between local villages, the University of Warwick, Tile Hill railway station, and Kenilworth town centre. It covers around four miles and is fully car-free. The greenway is surfaced throughout and can be accessed by wheelchairs, pushchairs and mobility scooters. 

The Kenilworth Greenway follows the old railway branch line from Berkswell to Kenilworth Junction, which opened in 1884, and over the decades since its closure, has become a quiet wildlife corridor, with hawthorn, birch and other plants softening its edges and animals and birds finding cover in dens and nests along the way. 

Kenilworth itself is well worth exploring - the town's ruined castle has a fascinating history stretching back to the 12th century and was visited by royalty including Elizabeth I, while Abbey Fields offers open green space right in the town centre, and a good range of independent shops and cafés provide plenty of opportunity to refuel.

At the other end of the line is Berkswell, with its red-roofed, white-timbered cottages, beautiful Norman church and its historic Bear Inn. The village takes its name from the Berks Well, a 16-foot square stone-walled well just outside the churchyard, said to have been used for baptisms by immersion and still visible today. On the village green you'll find a set of ancient stocks while Maud Watson, winner of the first Ladies' Lawn Tennis Championship at Wimbledon in 1884, is buried in the village churchyard. 

The route passes through a pleasing mix of woodland edges and open countryside

Offchurch Greenway

The Offchurch Greenway, which forms part of the Sustrans National Cycleway Route 41, was formerly part of the Leamington to Rugby railway line. This flat, surfaced footpath and cycleway offers exceptional views across South Warwickshire along its one and a half miles.

The greenway sits to the east of Royal Leamington Spa, one of England's finest Regency towns, with its elegant Georgian architecture, beautiful Jephson Gardens and a vibrant independent food and drink scene. The village of Offchurch itself is a quiet, pretty settlement with an ancient church, and the surrounding countryside is quintessential South Warwickshire - gently rolling farmland with wide, open skies. Access from Leamington is possible via the canal towpath at Radford Semele, making it easy to combine both greenway and waterside riding in a single outing.

Passing by villages and wildlife reserves, the greenway provides much-needed routes for connecting wildlife habitats and gives those who travel along it the chance to see a wide variety of local species. The elevated, open nature of the old railway embankment means the views across South Warwickshire are particularly rewarding - on a clear day church spires and farmsteads dot the horizon in all directions.

Lias Line Greenway

The Lias Line Greenway connects to Warwickshire County Council's Offchurch Greenway and Marton with a segment of the route taking visitors along the Grand Union Canal. It follows the branch line of the old Lias Line railway route, which closed in 1985 after 134 years of transporting minerals and passengers.

The Lias Line passes pretty villages, wildlife reserves, reservoirs and canals, connecting people with some beautiful corners of rural Warwickshire. Long Itchington, one of the villages the route links, is a charming village with a large duck pond at its heart and a handful of traditional pubs - the kind of place that makes a natural stopping point mid-ride. The stretch along the Grand Union Canal is particularly attractive, with narrowboats moving slowly through the lock flights and the towpath offering a tranquil, waterside contrast to the open railway alignment.

As part of the project, Sustrans worked with Warwickshire County Council's Ecology and Landscape team to build wetland areas to encourage great crested newts, installed bat boxes along the route, and worked closely with Warwickshire Butterfly Conservation to improve habitat for the common blue butterfly. The route also passes Wildlife Trust sites at Ashlawn Cutting and Cock Robin Wood, both havens for rare plants and butterflies - making this one of the most wildlife-rich cycling routes in the county.

Kingsbury Water Park

Covering over 600 acres of country park and encompassing 15 lakes, Kingsbury Water Park offers many miles of surfaced paths around the lakes and a bridleway around the southern perimeter suitable for cyclists. Bike hire is available in the park, and there are multiple colour-coded family routes to choose from.

The park was created by flooding old gravel pits and sits on the River Tame, with the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal running along its western side, offering the option to extend a ride along the towpath towards Birmingham or Fazeley. The park has a visitor centre, café, children's farm at Broomey Croft, a miniature railway and water sports on Hemlingford Water, making it one of the most complete family days out in North Warwickshire. Several colour-coded cycle routes of varying lengths wind through the site.

The combination of open water, reed beds, woodland edges, and grassland makes Kingsbury an outstanding place for wildlife watching from the saddle. The park is particularly noted for birdwatching, with a number of hides situated around the lakes - expect to see a wide range of wildfowl, wading birds and occasional rarities depending on the season. Kingfishers are regularly spotted along the River Tame, and the quieter corners of the park offer real tranquillity.

Draycote Water

A flat five-mile path surrounds the reservoir at Draycote Water Country Park, near Rugby, ideal for cycling and walking, with a section forming part of National Cycle Route 41. The park also has a visitor centre and restaurant.

Draycote Water is a substantial reservoir covering around 600 acres on the edge of the Rugby district, set in open Warwickshire countryside with wide views in every direction. Hensborough Hill offers the chance to climb for even more panoramic views of the surrounding area. The nearby village of Dunchurch, with its historic pub and attractive village green, makes a pleasant detour, and the market town of Rugby - birthplace of the sport of the same name - is easily reached from the reservoir by bike via quiet lanes.

Rugby is one of those towns whose name is known the world over. The game of rugby football is inextricably linked to Rugby School, a prestigious institution dating back to 1567, and it was here that the first rules for rugby football were written by three pupils in 1845. Beyond its sporting fame, Rugby boasts a wealth of historical and cultural attractions, from beautifully preserved Victorian and Georgian buildings to a vibrant arts and theatre scene, with the Rugby Art Gallery and Museum housing a nationally recognised collection of contemporary art.

The reservoir is a well-known birdwatching destination, particularly in winter when large numbers of wildfowl congregate on the open water. Look out for great northern divers during the winter months, along with kittiwake and small numbers of Mediterranean and little gulls. In summer the route is popular with families, with the flat, traffic-free circuit around the water making it an easy and rewarding ride for all abilities.

Grand Union Canal

The Grand Union Canal is one of England's great waterway arteries, and its Warwickshire stretch offers some of the finest towpath cycling in the Midlands. Threading through the county from the outskirts of Coventry down through Warwick, Leamington Spa, and on towards Napton, it passes historic locks, pretty villages and open countryside that changes little from the water's edge. The undisputed highlight is the Hatton flight of 21 locks dropping steeply through the Warwickshire countryside - one of the most impressive sights on the entire canal network. The towpath is not always fully surfaced, but the riding is rewarding and largely flat, and the canal basin at Braunston, where the Grand Union meets the Oxford Canal, makes a natural and picturesque stopping point.

Coventry Canal

The Coventry Canal runs 38 miles from the centre of Coventry to Fradley Junction, passing through Bedworth, Nuneaton, Atherstone, Polesworth, and Tamworth. For cyclists, the towpath offers a genuinely varied ride - beginning at the vibrant Coventry Canal Basin, restored and now home to shops, small businesses and an art gallery, before heading north through a mix of urban corridor and increasingly rural Warwickshire countryside. A particularly dramatic section passes the Atherstone flight, eleven locks lowering the water level by eighty feet over approximately two miles. Beyond Coventry, the canal is very rural and home to lots of wildlife - you may spot kingfishers, white-clawed crayfish, dragonflies and herons, and even the occasional otter or water vole.

Stratford-upon-Avon Canal

The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal is one of the most rewarding waterways to follow by bike, connecting the southern suburbs of Birmingham with the River Avon right in the heart of Stratford. The approach into Stratford is particularly memorable - the canal basin sits directly in front of the Royal Shakespeare Company theatre, where the water meets the River Avon in one of the most photographed canal scenes in England. The towpath surface varies along the route, but the riding is peaceful and the scenery consistently beautiful.

Kingswood Junction, near the village of Lapworth, is where the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal meets the Grand Union Canal and it is a rewarding spot to simply stop and watch the world go by. There are attractive canal features to take in including barrel-roofed lock cottages, turnover bridges, wrought iron bridges, old pumphouses, and a busy flight of locks. Stop for a bite to eat at the picnic area by the water or at one of the nearby canalside pubs.

Oxford Canal

The Oxford Canal winds its way through the eastern edge of Warwickshire in characteristically leisurely fashion, following the contours of the landscape rather than cutting through it - a legacy of its 18th century design by engineer James Brindley. The canal skirts the town of Rugby before arriving at the scenic countryside and passing the villages of Brinklow and Stretton under Fosse towards Coventry, eventually reaching the junction at Hawkesbury where it meets the Coventry Canal. 

The village of Napton on the Hill, with its 12th century church and old windmill, makes an excellent detour from the towpath, and the pretty canal village of Braunston - where the Oxford meets the Grand Union - is a lively hub of narrowboat activity with a good choice of canalside pubs. Travelling by towpath here puts you firmly at the pace of the canal itself - slow, unhurried, and full of small pleasures.