The Western Midlands group had the weather gods on our side on the first day of December. The drive to Kenilworth was torrentially wet, but as we convened in the car park to be briefed by walk leader Carl, the rain stopped and the sun appeared, giving us a surprisingly mild afternoon.

Carl’s fascinating and varied walk took in the abbey park lake, before we stopped for our leader to give us a talk on the history of Kenilworth Castle. Founded in the 1120s around a powerful Norman great tower, the castle was significantly enlarged by King John at the beginning of the 13th century. Much later, Kenilworth castle was later transformed into a spectacular Elizabethan palace by Robert Dudley in an effort to impress his queen.

The walk then took us south across the ancient mere, allowing us to return for a view of the castle from a different angle.

We then followed a winding path back through the park to the ruins of Kenilworth Abbey. The skeletal remains of the once-grand monastery provided a stop for lunch.

We then continued towards Crackley Woods, a remnant of the ancient Forest of Arden. The forest floor was a tapestry of leaves, before our return was via the Kenilworth Greenway, once a railway line, now reclaimed by nature and walkers alike.

A super afternoon of walking and history. Twenty GOC members attended, with a fitting round of applause to thank Chris T for his work as GOC WM coordinator over the past five years. A hard act to follow, but Martin D and I will do our best.

We are looking forward to a packed year of walks in 2025. If you would like to lead a walk next year, we’d love to hear from you.

James B

Joint Western Midlands Coordinator

Thanks to David M and Paul A for the pictures and of course, Carl, for a superb day.