Important route note: Please see the comment below from Alexandra Ward, alerting other readers to the fact that construction of the HS2 rail line means the lane between Lower Boddington and Claydon is currently closed, during the construction of a new road bridge (see plans here). I am told that the lane to the north-west (via Claydon Hill Farm), is fully accessible.
Map (zoom in for more detail)
Directions & GPX etc
Route directions PDF (right click to download)
GPX file (right click to download)
TCX file (right click to download)
FIT file (right click to download)
Did this ride on Saturday, 28th May 2022, and really enjoyed exploring some new areas near my home town. Please be aware that the canal towpath at Long Itchington is being asphated. This will be an improvement for cyclists but note that it will be necessary to divert through the village and rejoin the canal towpath at Stockton Locks for the next few weeks or so.
The road south of Lower Boddington is closed (completely obliterated) by HS2 works. It is possible to use a diverted footpath to walk (some sections rideable but v flinty) 200-300m between the cut ends of the road.
Be aware that the railway cuts a swathe up that valley in a northwesterly direction so parallel lanes are similarly affected) eg south of Aston Le Walls. The next lane north of the routed one (Upper Boddington to Claydon) may have been bridged (we could see a bridge up the valley but didn’t investigate).
OS, Google and Apple Maps haven’t been updated to reflect this.
Thanks Alexandra – very helpful. Hopefully someone will come forward with a suggestion for a workaround.
Rode this yesterday and HS2 countryside vandalism has left the Lower Boddington to Claydon section blocked. However, there is a signed diversion which works fine. Thoroughly enjoyed the route and started from Claydon as it’s closest to my home. Offchurch Greenway and bits of towpath were great. Book states ‘A mile and a half west of Lower Boddington is the point where the counties of Worcestershire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire meet’. Noooooo…… must mean Warwickshire not Worcestershire.
Also, I couldn’t see where the pic on page 176 was taken as I didn’t notice anywhere like it on the way. Stopped for a pint of Old Hooky at Carpenter’s Arms at Lower Bod.
Percy Pedant
Hi Dom
Thanks for the update on the route diversions. You’ve spotted a howler of a typo there – no idea how that got past the editor and proofreaders, though the fault is all mine of course. I will get it logged and corrected in future reprints. How embarrassing!
Which of the three photos on p.176 do you mean? The pub? That’s The Folly, on the canal just south of Napton-on-the-Hill. The rough track? That’s west of Claydon.
best wishes,
Jack
Hi Jack, thanks for the response. Rough track is out of Claydon, yep I remember it now, thank you. Looking forward to No. 17 ( Cotswolds) next week. I have a similar route and it’s mighty hilly 🙂
Another cracking ride Jack. We rode yesterday 26 Aug 2023 – the only new problem is that after about 2km from the start the footbridge across the river in Newbold Comyn park is boarded off and cannot be used – presumably has been deemed unsafe. There is no other bridge across so save yourself the bother of looking and skip this section. From the start at the Pump Room turn right into Newbold Terrace. At the first set of lights at the crossroads with Willes Road turn right. Follow Willes Road until it joins Radford Road. Turn left onto Radford Road and then after a couple of hundred metres you’ll rejoin the route and can join the canal towpath (follow route instruction at 2.6km). Apart from that great ride – the footpath diversion across the HS2 site at Lower Boddington is perfectly rideable – we were on mountain bikes – but is a short walk if you don’t fancy chewing up road tyres.
Loved this, great lanes, great stopping points (Village Stores in Napton), great viewpoints. The towpath at Stockton Locks was a bit tricky but not too much, & the other off-road bits were great. A fabulous day out 🙂
Hi Jack! I loved the route and the scenery!! I know this is against your grain, but I flew my bike (gasp!) from Virginia on a business trip to ride two of your courses during my visit. I rode this one on Sept. 22, 2023. The bridge on the Leam Valley local nature reserve cycleway right before Radford Rd was closed and boarded up, so I diverted back and crossed the river on Willes Rd and continued back to rejoin the route on the other side of that bridge. As previous comments mentioned, I found Hill Road blocked at the intersection with Banbury Rd at Lower Boddington. There, I turned right on Banbury Rd. Ignore the sign saying the diversion road is blocked because you’ll turn left about 1 mile down at the blockage and continue about 2 miles down to rejoin the route in Clayton. I’ll be back to try more of your routes. Thanks!
Bridge from Newbold Park back to the main road right at the start is currently closed due to flooding. Sign just says closed until further notice, easy enough to detour but a pain to retrace your cycle as not many options for crossing the river. Canals pretty grim after all the rain, should start improving now…
As Walt and Rich have said the bridge from Newbold Comyn Park to Radford Road is closed – not due to flooding, but because it was deemed unsafe. It has now been removed altogether and the council have said that it will be replaced before the end of 2024. For the moment, the detour is via Willes Road.
9th June 2024: parked at Bath Street car park in Leamington Spa @ £3 for all day. Can confirm that canal side path to Stockton Locks narrows and gets trickier. No obvious half way stop for coffee and snacks: Farnborough National Trust closed on Sundays. Just made it to Napton Village Stores as it closes 12.00 on Sunday with great coffee and snacks but only a quarter of way around route. Fabulous views from Burton Dasset Hills. The unsurfaced bridleway after Hanbury towards Leamington Spa got very narrow with lots of nettles, bramble and wild rose, so longer leg wear would have reduced the scratched legs! Had tasty dhosas at Kayal at the end.
I rode the route today, really enjoyed it. On a gravel bike with 43mm tyres I had no problems using the signed pedestrian path through the HS2 works after Lower Boddington. It’s no more difficult than the track after the rail crossing at Claydon. Would recommend the Village Store at Bishops Itchington for coffee and cake.
Really enjoyable route. The missing bridge mentioned above has been replaced with a very sturdy looking construction, don’t think that will have a problem for many years to come. The HS2 issues mentioned are no problem either, all have very well signed access and even people ‘on duty’ to make sure you cross safely. The village store in Napton is an absolute must the cake and pastry selection is a dream 👌