The Kenilworth to Berkswell Greenway is a linear Country Park set in the beautiful South Warwickshire countryside. The site forms a 6.5 kilometres section of former railway, with the entire park extending to some 16 hectares.
History
The railway branch line from Berkswell to Kenilworth Junction was opened in 1884. It effectively provided a short cut avoiding Coventry for freight trains heading south. Rumour has it that it was used in the war for the transport of munitions and the siding at Berkswell, left when the track was lifted in the 1960s, was used for ‘parking’ the Royal Train when the Queen visited the area. Later, even the siding was removed to make way for a station car park.
Left to itself, the old railway became a wildlife corridor. Hawthorn, birch and other plants quickly took hold and softened the edges, animals and birds found cover for dens and nests.
Warwickshire County Council took ownership of the route in the 1970′s but apart from work to clear a wider path, it was left to the walkers and the wildlife. After the turn of the Millennium, Warwickshire County Council worked in partnership with Sustrans to develop the route.