リトルパッキントンでののおすすめグラベルライド

コベントリー運河の人気の合流地点で、合流点のすぐ先でタム川を渡ります。バーミンガム方面に進むと、ドレイトン・バセットとドレイトン・マナーの近くにある有名な白い旋回橋を通過します。運河沿いにミドルトン・レイクスRSPBサイト、ミドルトン・ホール、キングスベリー・ウォーター・パークまで歩いてください。

Such a towpath (known in German as a towpath or Leinpfad), which runs alongside the river or canal, was an essential part of the transport infrastructure in earlier times. Before ships could move by motor power, horses walked along the bank, pulling the boat against the current. This activity was called "treideln" in German, and thus the "treidelpfad" got its name. Where these paths – running directly along the bank – have survived to this day, they no longer serve their original purpose, but are still popular: namely, with hikers and cyclists.

Rivers and canals crisscross the country, as they were a crucial part of the transport infrastructure – especially in the early days of industrialization. Factories needed the delivery of raw materials in previously unknown quantities, and finished goods also had to find their way to traders. Many of the canals originated in this era. Later, rail and, even later, trucks took over the task of transporting goods. When building the artificial waterways, however, it was important to consider that differences in elevation always had to be overcome, and so locks are often located along the canals – at varying intervals, depending on the local situation. Only with their help was shipping possible.

Beautiful views from this vantage point

The castle was founded after the Norman Conquest of 1066; with development through to the Tudor period. It has been described by the architectural historian Anthony Emery as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant for its scale, form and quality of workmanship". Kenilworth played an important historical role: it was the subject of the six-month-long siege of Kenilworth in 1266, thought to be the longest siege in medieval English history, and formed a base for Lancastrian operations in the Wars of the Roses. Kenilworth was the scene of the removal of Edward II from the English throne, the perceived French insult to Henry V in 1414 of a gift of tennis balls (said by John Strecche to have prompted the campaign that led to the Battle of Agincourt), and the Earl of Leicester's lavish reception of Elizabeth I in 1575. It has been described as "one of two major castles in Britain which may be classified as water-castles or lake-fortresses...

Drop down and corner past a medieval castle. Pretty cool.

It's nice to look at and walk over but the spiral stairs up and down are a nightmare to get bikes up and down.

Towpath is usually in pretty good condition for most of the year. Probably not all suitable for a road bike but anything with 40mm or above tyres is going to be fine.