Challenges
10 DAY CHALLENGE
Day 1 – Friday 11.5 miles
Breakfast – Middleton Cheney – Henry's Cafe
Lunch – Chipping Warden – The Griffin
Overnight – Upper Boddington – The Plough pub £75 twin inc. continental breakfast, plus £8.50 full English. Very near, but not on the trail.
Lower Boddington - Apple Cottage B&B £90 .Easy walking distance of trail, but not on it.
Evening meal – The Plough in Upper Boddington or Carpenters Arms in Lower Boddington
Day 2 – Saturday 12.5 miles
Breakfast – The Plough or Apple Cottage
Lunch – Napton - Folly Inn on the canal
Overnight – Long Itchington - Whitehall Farm B&B £90 double. On the trail.
Evening meal – Long Itchington has lots of pubs – look at our pubs page.
Day 3 – Sunday 10 miles
Breakfast – Long Itchington – Whitehall Farm or The Harvester Inn (not the chain) at 10am
Lunch – Cubbington – The Kings Head, Queens Head, Hollies Tearoom or convenience store are on the original trail.
Offchurch - The Stag - is on the diverted trail
Overnight – Leamington Spa - Premier Inn, breakfast optional extra. Right on the trail.
Evening meal – Leamington Spa town centre has many options including the food court just up the road
Day 4 – Monday 8 miles Optional pm visit to Kenilworth Castle
Breakfast – Premier Inn, or Costa Coffee / Morrisons after 1 mile, off canal.
Lunch – Warwick - Saxon Mill on A46 0.3m off trail, or opposite Kenilworth Castle at pub/tearooms
Overnight – Kenilworth - The Old Bakery B&B, High St. £92 double incl. breakfast. 0.3m off the trail.
Evening meal – Kenilworth has several options including the Queen and Castle.
Day 5 – Tuesday 10 miles
Breakfast – The Old Bakery (incl)
Lunch – Catchems Corner/Carol Green - picnic bought in Kenilworth
Overnight – Meriden - The Bulls Head pub £50-75 double
Evening meal – The Bulls Head, Fish & Chips or local pub.
Day 6 – Wednesday 8 miles
Breakfast – The Bulls Head
Lunch – Balsall Common – Ye Olde Saracens Head Pub, on the trail.
Overnight – Heronfield - Kings Arms pub 0.3m off the trail. £60-75 double incl. continental breakfast, optional upgrade.
Evening meal – Kings Arms pub
Day 7 – Thursday 11 miles
Breakfast – Kings Arms pub
Lunch – Hockley Heath – Miller and Carter, The Wharf, Marsins Bakery or Co-op store
Overnight – Henley in Arden - Bridge House Hotel 0.3 off the trail £90 double or White Swan on the trail £90 double.
Evening meal – Henley in Arden has numerous options see our pubs page - or Fish & Chips/Indian/Chinese
Day 8 – Friday 8 miles Optional pm visit to Coughton Court NT house and gardens
Breakfast – Bridge House Hotel
Lunch – Bannams Wood - Picnic bought in Henley One Stop Shop
Overnight – Coughton – The Throckmorton pub £70 double (Fish Friday 2 for 1)
Evening meal – The Throckmorton
Day 9 – Saturday 13 miles
Breakfast – The Throckmorton
Lunch – Flyford Flavell – The Boot Inn
Overnight – Upton Snodsbury – The Oak pub £60
Afternoon Tea and/or Evening meal – The Oak
Day 10 – Sunday 11.5 miles
Breakfast – The Oak
Lunch – Stoulton - Felis restaurant at 12 noon (not open weekdays)
Finish Pershore Bridge around 4pm - optional overnight – Angel Hotel Pershore
5 DAY CHALLENGE
The 5 Day Challenge can of course be done using the 10 Day Challenge as the basis, but only stopping at the end of days 2/4/6/8. Note that Day 1 would be 24 miles, then 3 days at 18 followed by the last one being 24 again.
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Andy Ventress did the 5 Day Challenge in September 2020 - it was pretty warm, but he completed it well - congratulations.
Our Chairman Barry, his wife Rachel and good friend Sarah completed the 10 Day Challenge in early September 2020. They carried everything they needed for 10 days on their backs - no taxis, no cars, no wheels. Their itinerary launched our 10 Day Challenge above.
David and Helen Webley went one better than our 5 Day Challenge and did it in 4 days over the August Bank Holiday Weekend 2020, to celebrate their 1st Wedding Anniversary and to raise money for the Cleft Palate Association. They finished almost in the dark each day and actually did 109 miles in total. Well done to the "Walking Webleys"!
Jon Meadows from Shirley 41 Club and his son Ben completed the 5 Day Challenge in March 2020 just before lockdown. It was very wet underfoot but they managed it raising £1600 for the RNLI - well done to you both.
Each Shire County has its own unique characteristics:
Worcestershire with its rolling countryside, rivers and views of the Malvern Hills
Warwickshire boasts Coughton Court, the Forest of Arden and some historic towns with castles and country houses galore. There are two canals to explore.
Solihull has several lovely villages and National Trust locations such as Packwood and Baddesley Clinton
Northamptonshire is shrouded in history and has many villages with their typical brown stone walls and beautiful churches. Get away from it all!
Oxfordshire is a lovely county, which we venture into for a short distance
Our "accommodation" page suggests some overnight stops for these challenges. Our "pubs" page has many more pubs and accommodation suggestions, but quite a few are on our circulars, not the linear trail.
Both ends of the Millennium Way are served by bus/rail connections. Best of luck and when you have finished be sure to ask us for your certificate and your place on our Roll of Honour.