Walking and rambling

There are lots of chances to enjoy walking in Coventry. As well as being surrounded by areas of beautiful Warwickshire countryside, the city also boasts some fascinating city centre history walks. Coventry City Council has a Healthy Walks Team to guide you in the health benefits of walking and there are many local groups you can join who enjoy walking for pleasure. On this page you can find contact details of walking groups and links to further information on local walks and walking in Coventry.

If you would like your club, group or organisation to be included here, email the details to us and we will do our best to include them. E-mail your details to: cultureandleisure@coventry.gov.uk

Backpackers Club

The Backpackers Club is a national club run by active members. It supports and promotes backpacking: self sufficient light weight camping for walkers, cyclists, canoeists, cross country ski packers, in fact anyone who has mastered the art of carrying everything required for safety and enjoyment in the great out doors for a weekend or for weeks at a time. Services include equipment reports, magazine, foreign and overseas travel information, postal lending library, farm pitch directory, long distance footpath pitch directory, and camping equipment insurance scheme. There are monthly local meetings, regular backpacking weekends, Scottish Backpacking Week, Christmas Party, A.G.M. Walkers, Cyclists, Canoeists and Cross Country Ski Packers who carry their camping equipment with them are welcome to join. There is a membership charge.

Contact: Allan Carter - Midlands Area Co-ordinator
Telephone: 024 7659 8681
E-mail: allancarter@btinternet.com
Website: http://www.backpackers.co.uk (external).

Coventry CHA Rambling Club

Coventry CHA Rambling Club organise Saturday and Sunday rambles, Sunset Strolls during the lighter evenings, as well as having several weekends away throughout the year, staying at hostels or bed and breakfast accommodation in the surrounding area. Saturday rambles are usually 4-5 miles at a gentle pace and are usually held in the West Midlands / Warwickshire area where travel passes can be used on local buses are trains. We hire a coach on Sundays which gives more flexibility. Ramblers can choose if they wish to do morning or afternoon walks or both. Leaders endeavour to park the coach near to a pub at lunch time as rambling can be very thirsty work! People who do not ramble all day can stay on the coach and if possible, the driver will find a village or teashop where they can spend some time. Our Sunset Stroll programme runs from mid May until mid August on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evening commencing at 6.30pm. At the end of the 4-5 mile stroll everybody has the option to go for a well earned drink and or meal if they wish. We are a friendly club and are always pleased to welcome new members. Our annual subscription is only £9 per year and this is payable when 2 rambles have been completed. Anybody who feels reasonably fit, wants to enjoy the countryside and make new friends can contact the secretary for further information.

How to find us: 11,Mellowship Rd,Eastern Green,Coventry.
Contact: Mr B Keates. Honorary Secretary. Evenings/weekends.
Telephone: 024 7646 5871.
Email: briansidkeates@aol.com
Website: www.coventrycha.co.uk (external).

Coventry and Warwickshire Outdoor Group

We're a group of people with a common interest in reasonably demanding outdoor activities - day walks, weekends away, and occasional cycle rides.
We organise a walk on most weekends, ranging from local and easy (typically 10 miles or so), to longer days out e.g. to the southern Peak District. Our weekend trips, usually staying in hostels, often include more challenging high level days in the mountains of Snowdonia, Lake District etc. We also run some longer trips such as walking or cycling between hostels, including abroad. A reasonable level of fitness is needed, plus boots, waterproofs etc as we do go out in all weathers. Most of our current members are in their 30's and 40's, and there are about 40 active members at the moment. We have a £5 annual membership fee, but you are welcome to come on a few events before you join. Keen and active walkers are always welcome, so get in touch with us for more info and a copy of our latest programme.

Contact: Nigel
Telephone: 024 7645 4646
E-Mail: enquiries@coventryoutdoorgroup.co.uk
Website: http://www.coventryoutdoorgroup.co.uk

Coventry Ramblers

Founded in 1983, Coventry Ramblers is a thriving group, with about 500 members, offering a wide variety of rambles to suit most age groups and abilities. The walks vary in length from 4 to 14 miles and cover the counties of Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Gloucestershire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire including the northern part of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Occasionally, trips further afield are made by coach and holidays are organised in the UK. The Group also carries out footpath maintenance work and promotes the aims and objectives of the Ramblers' Association which exists to facilitate, for the benefit of everyone, the enjoyment and discovery that walking outdoors can bring; and to promote respect for the life of the countryside.

Contact: Leslie Wake, Membership Secretary. Evenings/weekends.
Telephone: 024 7641 5232
Email: coventryramblers@hotmail.co.uk
Website: www.CoventryRA.org.uk (external).

Coventry Ramblers for the Over 50's

Coventry Ramblers for the Over 50's encourages mature citizens in the healthy pastime of walking, by organising short rambles in and around the city. Walks are circular, mostly footpath and grassland, from points in the vicinity of bus stops and free parking. They last about 2 1/2 hours covering 3 to 4 miles. Citizens of Coventry, over 50 years of age, are welcome to join.

How to find us: 72 Joseph Creighton Close, Coventry, CV3 2QF
Contact: Ralph Morris - Organiser
Telephone: 024 7626 8334

A Coventry Way Association

We are a young Association, working to encourage and enable access to the countryside around Coventry. We help maintain and improve our public paths with the support of the three local authorities, Warwickshire County Council, Coventry City Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. A Coventry Way, a 40-mile circular walk round the countryside near Coventry, is featured on the latest Ordnance Survey Explorer maps 221 and 222. On the first Sunday in September each year we run a Challenge event where over 100 participants complete all 40 miles in one day. We have also created 21 shorter (2½ to 12 miles) Circular Walks linked to A Coventry Way, published as a guide book, with clear mapping and route descriptions and packed with additional information.
How you can join in our activities:
Buy a guide and enjoy the walks
Tell us what you think and report problems on the footpaths
Take the Challenge or support the event on the day
Join A Coventry Way Association and help maintain and improve the footpaths

Contact: John Green
Telephone: 024 7650 3044
E-Mail: webmaster@acoventryway.org.uk
Website: www.acoventryway.org.uk (external)

Healthy Walks Team

The Healthy Walks Team encourage people to enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle through starting walking. A weekly programme of organised walks operates across the city. All the walks are free and are designed for anyone who wants to start exercising again. Whether you are concerned about heart problems, enjoy walking, or would just like to meet people, then stride on! The web site gives a list of weekly walks with times and

How to find us: Floor 2, West Orchard House, 28-34 Corporation Street, Coventry, CV1 1GF.
Contact: Naomi Brook and Romilla Watson
Telephone: 024 7683 3148
E-mail: healthywalks@coventry.gov.uk
Website: www.coventry.gov.uk/healthywalks

HF Coventry Rambling Group

For more than 70 years, Coventry HF Club has organised weekly rambles and social events, enabling hundreds of people to enjoy guided walks in the countryside, and to meet in the city centre for evening get-togethers. Sunday rambles, of about ten miles, are along public rights-of-way over hills, through fields and valleys, woods and villages. Many are in the lovely countryside of Warwickshire, and we also walk in the Cotswolds, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire and other areas.
Some are figure-of-eight rambles, enabling people to return home after the lunch break if they wish.

Telephone: 024 7667 7256
Website: www.jamtoday.btinternet.co.uk/HF/HF.htm (external)

Midland Hill Walkers

Midland Hill Walkers are a group of people who enjoy hill walking. We walk or scramble anywhere there are hills or mountains. Our walks are graded from easy (5-6 miles) to fairly strong (10-12 miles). Anyone who is reasonably fit and healthy is welcome to join. There's no age stipulation but it's probably from 14 to 65 years. There is a monthly programme of walks - the coach departure point is in Kenilworth (there are ample car park facilities). For further details contact the group organiser.

How to find us: 33, Lammas Court, Wolston, Near Coventry, Warwickshire, CV8 3LP
Contact: Jack Waddell Leader/Group Organiser. e-mail midlandhillwalkers@yahoo.co.uk
Telephone: 02476 541249

Links to local walks web sites

History walks

History Walks contains information on local walks through Coventry's history from visiting local buildings and landmarks to art trails and factory tours.

The Coventry Walks web site

The Coventry Walks web site gives details of many walks in Coventry. It provides an index of walks, a wealth of history and information on things you may see during the walks, maps and links to other web sites.

All details were correct at time of publishing. Coventry City Council do not endorse any of the clubs, groups or organisations featured here and will not take any responsibility or liability for any agreements or legal contracts undertaken.

Clubs and groups G-Z