Within Warwickshire

Alcester Heritage and Villages

Alcester, once an important Roman settlement, is nowadays a small, friendly market town that is ideally located for discovering Shakespeare’s Stratford and touring the Cotswold countryside. Take your pick of three cycle routes from the Greig Leisure Centre, to explore rural heritage sites and National Trust properties. The rides, of 10, 20 and 25 miles can also be linked into one longer 33-mile full circuit – if you’ve the energy!

General overview of route (please click ‘Download Trail here’ at the bottom of the page for full direction details and distances before setting out):

1. The 25-mile ‘brown route’ from Alcester to Aston Cantlow and Studley passes Coughton Court: home of the Throckmorton family since 1409, this intriguing house holds a special place in English history with its close connections to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
 
2. Crossing the Rivers Arrow and Alne, the low lying countryside of Warwickshire is fringed by gentle hills.

3. The 10-mile circuit of the ‘red route’ from Alcester follows the valley of the River Alne, passing Kinwarton Dovecote (National Trust) and Walcote village.

4. If you cycle the 20-mile ‘yellow route’, you encounter some hills but are rewarded by flat stretches along the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. You pass Mary Arden’s (a Shakespeare house) at Wilmcote and may also be tempted to spend time in Stratford-upon-Avon town centre before heading back.