From The Queen’s Head, walk up Eaves Green Lane, following the Heart of England Way. Ignore Walsh Lane and continue right on Eaves Green Lane. Go beneath the A45 and continue into the hamlet of Eaves Green. Continue ahead at the junction, on Showell Lane.
Pass Eaves Green Park Home estate and bear left through a kissing gate to a path that leads over meadows into Meriden Shafts woodland, via a footbridge and a kissing gate. Continue through another kissing gate and leave at its northeastern end via a further kissing gate. Go left along the track for 50 paces, then turn right into pastureland via a kissing gate. Continue ahead by the side of the hedge, across three fields via a gate and a stile, and on to Harvest Hill Lane in Hollyberry End via another stile.
Go left on the lane past Ivy House Farm. The Heart of England Way leaves the route at a sharp left bend, but you stay on the lane. After passing Marlbrook Hall Farm, bear right at the next road junction to follow Becks Lane.
At Becks Barn go right of the drive via a stile to a waymarked path. Two gates lead through to a further kissing gate. Cross the road and the next field to a lane via a gate near two communication masts. Go along the lane, then left over a stile to a footpath to the left of Close Wood. Skirt a pond, and cross two stiles to enter the woodland. Leave Close Wood via another stile, and continue along the path over cultivated land.
Pass left of High Ash Farm and left of a Dutch barn, and descend to a kissing gate by a field gate. Through this bear right, descending a lane past Lodge Green House to Fillongley Road. Cross the road and continue down Lodge Green Lane opposite. Turn right over a stile, and take the path following a line of oak trees across a cultivated field. At the end, go over a stile to the road and turn left along Walsh Lane to a bridge over the A45.
Immediately across the bridge, go right through a gate and take the path high above the A45. Go left through a gate into pastureland, heading for a footbridge to the right of a pond. Continue to the next field and a stile at the corner. Ignore the road and bear sharp left through a kissing gate to descend over several fields towards Meriden. Round the footpath crossing the drain at a footbridge and aim for the kissing gate. Go through this onto Old Road, and turn left to return to The Queen’s Head.
This easy walk offers the opportunity to visit a historic place and walk through some of the most attractive woodland in the area. It’s rumoured that Lady Godiva, wife of Earl Leofric of Mercia and owner of the village until ad 1066, founded the parish church of St Lawrence. You can see several... timber-framed buildings and some moated farmsteads in the village. The village claims to be the centre of England, and there is a sandstone pillar-shaped cross on the village green that carries the inscription, ‘This ancient wayside cross has stood in the village for some 500 years and by tradition marks the Centre of England’. Meriden became home to Triumph motorcycles from 1941, after the factory in Coventry was destroyed by fire during World War II. In 1973, workers blockaded the factory to prevent closure, and subsequently formed a co-operative to buy it. In turn, Triumph Motorcycles (Meriden) Ltd eventually closed in 1983, and the factory was demolished the following year. The site has since been built over by a housing estate, with road names featuring Triumph motorbike model names. A plaque commemorating the Triumph Motorcycle Factory Meriden stands by Bonneville Close. The National Cyclists’ Memorial, on the village green, is dedicated to all those cyclists who gave their lives in both World Wars – the British army had a cycling corps during Word War I. The memorial was erected with subscriptions from cyclists and cycling clubs and unveiled in May 1921 in the presence of over 20,000 cyclists. It was placed in Meriden to make it easy for cyclists to reach it from anywhere in the country, and is the site of an annual rally and commemorative service every May. At 18th-century Forest Hall, to the west of Meriden, there is a piece of ancient turf where the Woodmen of Arden, the oldest archery society in England, holds its meetings. The turf is believed to have been undisturbed since the trees of the Forest of Arden first cast their shade over the archery butts. The society was established in 1785, and its membership is strictly limited to just 82 archers. There is also a horn here, said to have belonged to Robin Hood.
After Greater London, the West Midlands is the UK’s biggest county by population, and after London, Birmingham is the UK’s largest city. There’s a lot to seek out here – it has a vibrant culture, with exceptionally good nightlife.
From The Queen’s Head, walk up Eaves Green Lane, following the Heart of England Way. Ignore Walsh Lane and continue right on Eaves Green Lane. Go beneath the A45 and continue into the hamlet of Eaves Green. Continue ahead at the junction, on Showell Lane.
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Pass Eaves Green Park Home estate and bear left through a kissing gate to a path that leads over meadows into Meriden Shafts woodland, via a footbridge and a kissing gate. Continue through another kissing gate and leave at its northeastern end via a further kissing gate. Go left along the track for 50 paces, then turn right into pastureland via a kissing gate. Continue ahead by the side of the hedge, across three fields via a gate and a stile, and on to Harvest Hill Lane in Hollyberry End via another stile.
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Go left on the lane past Ivy House Farm. The Heart of England Way leaves the route at a sharp left bend, but you stay on the lane. After passing Marlbrook Hall Farm, bear right at the next road junction to follow Becks Lane.
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At Becks Barn go right of the drive via a stile to a waymarked path. Two gates lead through to a further kissing gate. Cross the road and the next field to a lane via a gate near two communication masts. Go along the lane, then left over a stile to a footpath to the left of Close Wood. Skirt a pond, and cross two stiles to enter the woodland. Leave Close Wood via another stile, and continue along the path over cultivated land.
4 of 6
Pass left of High Ash Farm and left of a Dutch barn, and descend to a kissing gate by a field gate. Through this bear right, descending a lane past Lodge Green House to Fillongley Road. Cross the road and continue down Lodge Green Lane opposite. Turn right over a stile, and take the path following a line of oak trees across a cultivated field. At the end, go over a stile to the road and turn left along Walsh Lane to a bridge over the A45.
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Immediately across the bridge, go right through a gate and take the path high above the A45. Go left through a gate into pastureland, heading for a footbridge to the right of a pond. Continue to the next field and a stile at the corner. Ignore the road and bear sharp left through a kissing gate to descend over several fields towards Meriden. Round the footpath crossing the drain at a footbridge and aim for the kissing gate. Go through this onto Old Road, and turn left to return to The Queen’s Head.
This easy walk offers the opportunity to visit a historic place and walk through some of the most attractive woodland in the area. It’s rumoured that Lady Godiva, wife of Earl Leofric of Mercia and owner of the village until ad 1066, founded the parish church of St Lawrence. You can see several... timber-framed buildings and some moated farmsteads in the village. The village claims to be the centre of England, and there is a sandstone pillar-shaped cross on the village green that carries the inscription, ‘This ancient wayside cross has stood in the village for some 500 years and by tradition marks the Centre of England’. Meriden became home to Triumph motorcycles from 1941, after the factory in Coventry was destroyed by fire during World War II. In 1973, workers blockaded the factory to prevent closure, and subsequently formed a co-operative to buy it. In turn, Triumph Motorcycles (Meriden) Ltd eventually closed in 1983, and the factory was demolished the following year. The site has since been built over by a housing estate, with road names featuring Triumph motorbike model names. A plaque commemorating the Triumph Motorcycle Factory Meriden stands by Bonneville Close. The National Cyclists’ Memorial, on the village green, is dedicated to all those cyclists who gave their lives in both World Wars – the British army had a cycling corps during Word War I. The memorial was erected with subscriptions from cyclists and cycling clubs and unveiled in May 1921 in the presence of over 20,000 cyclists. It was placed in Meriden to make it easy for cyclists to reach it from anywhere in the country, and is the site of an annual rally and commemorative service every May. At 18th-century Forest Hall, to the west of Meriden, there is a piece of ancient turf where the Woodmen of Arden, the oldest archery society in England, holds its meetings. The turf is believed to have been undisturbed since the trees of the Forest of Arden first cast their shade over the archery butts. The society was established in 1785, and its membership is strictly limited to just 82 archers. There is also a horn here, said to have belonged to Robin Hood.
After Greater London, the West Midlands is the UK’s biggest county by population, and after London, Birmingham is the UK’s largest city. There’s a lot to seek out here – it has a vibrant culture, with exceptionally good nightlife.
