Shustoke Reservoir Is Owned by Severn Trent – the the – Trent Severn by Owned Is Reservoir Shustoke

of over one million people. million one over of after use after C/O Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Wildlife Warwickshire C/O

Recycle Recycle Partnership Landscape Wetlands

hidden landscape on the doorstep doorstep the on landscape hidden

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and Tamworth is an extraordinary, extraordinary, an is Tamworth and

Stretching between Birmingham Birmingham between Stretching

wildlife of the Tame Valley Wetlands. Wetlands. Valley Tame the of wildlife

This walk has been created with assistance from: assistance with created been has walk This

Explore the landscape, history and and history landscape, the Explore

@thetamevalley

Facebook.com/tamevalleywetlands

[email protected]

tamevalleywetlands.co.uk

For more information visit: information more For

website. the from download to available is guide This

Please visit www.stwater.co.uk for more information. more for www.stwater.co.uk visit Please

has approximately 24 spaces with a charge to park. park. to charge a with spaces 24 approximately has

car park is located off Coleshill Road (B46 2BE) and and 2BE) (B46 Road Coleshill off located is park car

Shustoke Reservoir is owned by Severn Trent – the the – Trent Severn by owned is Reservoir Shustoke

warwickshire.gov.uk/BusTimetable

address: web following the at found be can

information More week. the throughout services

This walk is served by a number of irregular bus bus irregular of number a by served is walk This

Getting here Getting

M42

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Medium: 9km / 5.5 miles 5.5 / 9km Medium:

SOLIHULL

BIRMIGHAM

Circular Walks Circular M6 M69

e M5 T SHUSTOKE

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Reservoir A452

KIGSBUR

WOLERHAMPTO M42

A453 A5 Shustoke

TAMWORTH

M6 A444

M6 TOLL M6 LICHFIELD

Shustoke farmland and church © Donna Willis

Emperor dragonfly Grebe Whitacre Pumping Station © Chris Harris © Donna Willis © Chris Harris

Walk highlights Shustoke Reservoir Today Birmingham is During spring and St Cuthbert’s Church The reservoir was built fed by reservoirs in the summer the great St Cuthbert’s Church has to provide water for Elan Valley in Wales with crested grebe can be its origins in the medieval Birmingham in the late Shustoke providing water seen courtship displaying period. It is thought the 19th Century. It supplied to Nuneaton and the and performing their nave and chancel date the city with 28 million surrounding districts of ‘weed dance’, where from the first 30 years of litres of water daily, fed Bedworth and Atherstone. potential mates will the 14th Century, with the from the rivers Bourne When walking, keep a look ‘dance’ by mirroring each tower and spire added the and Blythe. out for bird species such other’s head and neck following century. The nearby Whitacre as great crested grebe, movements, sometimes The weathercock was Follow the Pumping Station was built house martins and swifts whilst holding weeds in made by Richard Snape, Countryside Code as a treatment plant. The and also look to the north their bills. the village blacksmith, in reservoir was completed west for the Whitacre Shustoke Reservoir, 1762 at a cost of £2 2s. Sections of this circular walk travel around 1884. Pumping Station in the owned and managed The Plough Inn through wildlife friendly areas, distance. by Severn Trent, is a The village pub was built please be aware of this and know popular destination for in the 1790s and is a good your Countryside Code: sailing, fishing on Upper opportunity for a break n Leave gates and property as you Shustoke, bird watching after the walk. find them and keep to paths and walking. n Leave no trace of your visit and take your litter home n Keep dogs under close control n Be considerate of locals and others enjoying the outdoors n Follow advice and local signs. ircular Wa e C lk ok st CIRCUL u KE AR h TO W Key S S A e U L H K h t S C Walk highlight Buildings Railway r

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nd la ly ol 0 0.25 miles H M oa t H 0.5 km ou se L n

Landscape and path Follow the old, largely the ditch line to your right. Go over a ditch through the kissing gate. Shustoke type: The route uses 2obscured tarmacked Upon reaching the next 11 crossing and through Then walk between the unsurfaced footpaths path to the left, through field, follow the way marker two more gates, bearing hedgerow and a pool on Reservoir the field. and permissive path to to the right along the field your right. through arable fields, the left then right towards edge to reach Coleshill Road Walk After crossing the Continue through farm tracks, tarmacked Dingle Lane once again. (B4114). Please be aware of footbridge, turn right three more kissing pavements and roads. 3 fast traffic on this section. 14 Distance: approx. following the course of the Cross the road and go gates until you enter the There are sets of steps, 2.9km (1.8 miles) River Bourne to a kissing through the kissing gate Upon reaching woodland. Following the 7 Allow: 1 hour footbridges, slopes, gate then over the railway. into another arable field, 12 Coleshill Road, turn way marker posts and pedestrian gates, walking uphill towards the left following the green turning left, walk through After crossing the kissing gates and trees in the distance and fence on your left hand side, a kissing gate, along the railway bridge, turn left Directions: 4 another way marking post. along the grass verge. After track straight ahead to a stile during this walk. alongside the railway. Follow the tree line to the approx. 110m, cross the another kissing gate and From the car park, walk Map: OS Map 232 In 400m, turn right next kissing gate and turn road and walk down to the farm track which joins north towards the reservoir Nuneaton & Tamworth, 5through the kissing gate right alongside the railway, wooden kissing gate into Hollyland after 100m. and turn left through Lichfield & Atherstone. and walk north following returning to the earlier a field. Please keep dogs the gate towards the Carry straight on the hawthorn hedge. On railway bridge. under close control here as interpretation panels, down Hollyland. your left will be Colin Teall this field contains horses. 15 detailing the history of Shustoke Cross the railway once Upon reaching the junction Wood. Walk through the Cross the field, heading up the reservoir. Follow the again and walk through with Moat House Lane ‘Figure of 8’ disused stile and carry on 8 the hill towards the north path round the reservoir. the kissing gate then bear in 260m, turn right and northwards towards the west edge of the grounds of left through another kissing go through the kissing When on the east side of Circular Walk edge of the field, crossing St Cuthbert’s Church and gate along the Ash Path, gate, walking through the reservoir, walk south the stile onto Dingle Lane. another kissing gate. Distance: approx. following the railway track an arable field in a along the access road and look for a large gap in the 9km (5.5 miles) Upon reaching Dingle for approximately 1.1km. Now is a good northerly direction. hedgerow. Walk through Lane, turn left towards opportunity for a Allow: 2.5-4 hours 6 Look for the finger post 13 Passing through into a meadow and head the bridge and follow the refreshment break at The and follow it to the right, two last kissing for the kissing gate in path down to the right of 9 Griffin Inn. Walk down the 16 down a set of steps, over gates will find you on the distance. the bridge. Walk alongside lane to the roadside and Directions: the stream and up another Back Lane in Shustoke. the railway for a short turn right but just before Follow the path through From the car park, set of steps to the eastern Walk north once again to distance then bear away the junction turn left and woodland for 350m then walk back to the main side of Shustoke Reservoir Church Road (B4114), past 1 to the right, keeping the go through a kissing gate through another kissing entrance of the reservoir and turn left, along the road, The Plough Inn, the village boundary hedge of the field and then a pedestrian gate gate back into the car park. onto Coleshill Road. Turn uphill to a kissing gate. pub built in the 1790s and on your right, follow the onto more fields. Walk right and walk along the a good opportunity for a Alternatively, walk past way marking posts over a Turn left through the in a southerly direction, pavement for approximately break after the walk. Cross the gap, up the hill then small ditch crossing. Walk arable field, keeping following the waymarking 300m until you reach a 10 the road and follow the right along Bixhill Lane. to the left along the field to the marked routes. Upper posts through another waymarker post at the pavement to the left and When opposite The edge and after crossing a Shustoke Reservoir is on kissing gate then continue entrance to a field, follow the in 80m find the entrance Plough, turn right and second ditch, turn to the your left. heading for the south path around the reservoir. to Shustoke Reservoir on back into the reservoir right walking south along west corner of this field the right hand side. car park on the right.