The Route

Take Ettington Road south west and after 0.25 mile turn left into Walton Road and continue straight on for 4 miles.  Cross over the  ‘Fosse Way’.  Then take the left fork and 1 mile later you reach Pillerton Hersey.  Just after Pillerton Hersey Church turn left at the war memorial onto the road to Kineton.

Follow this road for 2.5 miles, passing through Butlers Marston and then straight on through Little Kineton.  In Kineton you reach a T-junction with St. Peter’s Church opposite.  Turn right and then left at the next T-junction onto the Southam Road.  Continue through the village for approximately 0.25 mile and turn left into Lighthorne Road (no signpost).  At 2 miles turn right (there is no signpost and if you want a shorter ride back to Wellesbourne carry straight on up the short steep hill, cross over the ‘Fosse Way’ and continue back through Moreton Paddox).

After 0.5 mile you meet the Wellesbourne to Lighthorne road where you turn right.  Follow this road for 1.25 miles into Lighthorne.  At the village green turn left into Church Lane (no signpost) just after The Antelope public house.  Continue and just before you get to the church turn left.  Follow this small lane for 1.5 miles which includes crossing back over the ‘Fosse Way’.  When you get to the T-junction in Moreton Morrell village turn left.  Continue through the village and pass the Agricultural College on your right and you come to a T-junction where you turn right.  After 1.5 miles you enter Wellesbourne and come to T-junction with the Kineton Road where you turn right.  Continue for 0.25 mile into Wellesbourne and when in the village turn left into Bridge Street (after the pedestrian crossing) and a further 0.25 mile brings you back to Chestnut Square.

Topography

In addition to the steep climb out of the Dene Valley on Walton Road this is an undulating ride with further steep climbs out of Kineton and Moreton Morrell.  A very steep descent completes the ride down to Staple Hill Farm and back to Wellesbourne.

Advisory

A hill start is needed to cross the ‘Fosse Way’ on the way out, traffic on this road travels fast so less experienced riders should consider dismounting and walking across.  Consider this too on your return.

Points of Interest:

·         Stone cross war memorial in Butlers Marston.
·         Little Kineton village and its large green and duck pond.
·         Distant views of Edge Hill and examples of ‘ridge and furrow’ encapsulated in the pasture.
·         Kineton village centre, market square and St Peter’s church.
·         The historic St John’s castle mound in Kineton.
·         Bridges over and under the long disused Stratford Midland Junction Railway.
·         Evidence of the old Gaydon airfield, once home of the V-bomber.
·         Compton Verney parkland to the west of Lighthorne Road, 1⅔ miles after Kineton.
·         The attractive villages of Lighthorne and Moreton Morrell.

Distant views of Edge Hill can be seen from a number of points.  Nearer to the route look out for the stone cross war memorial in Butlers Marston and a good example of well preserved ridge and furrow in the field to the south of the road as you leave the village.  There is an attractive large village green at Little Kineton surrounded by scattered stone cottages complete with a pond where there are benches and an information display.

Kineton is a large village making much use of the local honey coloured Jurassic limestone particularly St Peter’s church, the earliest parts of which date from 1315.  Just off Warwick Road (B4086) is Castle Road at the end of which you can visit St John’s Castle mound, site of the Norman motte and bailey fortification dating back to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.  There is a display board and it is now part of a nature reserve.  And of course don’t forget, just off Southam Road is the relatively hidden Market Square which is well worth a look.

As you leave the village crossing a hump back bridge over the long closed Stratford Midland Junction Railway again where you will see the railway companies large cast iron plaque warning you of the various weight restrictions imposed a century ago for the various vehicles in use at the time.  There is no restriction for the modern lightweight bicycle!

Once you have climbed the Lighthorne Road you will be at the eastern side of Compton Verney House and its parkland, if you look carefully you can see the house itself from the road.  To the right of this section of road across the fields there is a mound of earth which demarks the end of the runway of the old Gaydon airfield which was the home of the cold war V bomber.

The neighbouring villages of Moreton Morrell and Lighthorne are an attractive eclectic mix of stone buildings.  As you pass through Lighthorne there is both an old village pump and an interesting well on Church Lane.  As you climb out of Moreton Morrell, on your right is Moreton Hall, dating back to 1903 and built by a wealthy New York banker and now forming part of Warwickshire College.

Refreshments

The Coffee Stop and Sandwich Deli in Kineton
Occasional farmers market in Kineton
The Swan, Kineton
The Carpenters Arms, Kineton
Shukurs Restaurant, Kineton
The Antelope Inn, Lighthorne