Coventry Definitive Paths : Update News

Attractive green meadow near path 1, with Full size Football goal posts, and dogs playing : 3-Feb-2009

The first release of 'City of Coventry (former County Borough Area) Definitive Map and Statement of Public Rights of Way' documents are now issued.  These are available for inspection, and currently (Feb-2009) include the first 252 prow to be recorded (the total is estimated to be about 800).  The 252 consist mainly of all the paths within relatively new housing developments, and record all the footpaths "adopted" by Coventry CC when the building of the estate was completed.  More background details are available in the "Definitive Map update - Coventry" paper presented at the Local Access Forum on 6-Nov-2008 (PDF 17KB).

All 250 which are open on the ground have been added to the Coventry Walks maps.  Some were already on the maps, but the majority are newly added.  A few comments identifying the most interesting additions are given below.

Anderton Road estate, Longford (Map13 T5)

This includes paths 1 to 9.  It is also one of the more interesting completely new editions to C-W.  Path 1 is a delightful mini green corridor leaving near the bus stop half way along Anderton Road, through the estate, leading to an attractive green meadow with Full size Football goal posts (but a very narrow pitch!).  Path 2 continues from near the end of path 1, and you can explore the other paths through to path 9 and the bus terminus.  You can make a longer walk by linking up to Sutton Stop, along the canal or over the Emerging New Park.  See also MS Live Coventry Definitive Path 1 + for an overview of the area.

Coventry Definitive Path 1 arriving on Right, Path 2 leaving in Centre : 3-Feb-2009
 

Park Hill Lane North, viewed from the A45 : 30-Jan-2009

Allesley Green estates (Map23 F11-G12)

Woodridge Avenue estate & Parkhill Drive estate make excellent provision for walkers.  Most of the houses are in closes, so traffic is low, but every close has paths giving short cuts to other closes.  Further paths link to the ancient paths in the area, in particular to Park Hill Lane.

The northern part of Park Hill Lane was not on C-W maps until I visited to check the paths in Woodridge Avenue estate.  Locals use it to walk their dogs, and recommend a short walk along the A45 to return by the footpath between the estate and the golf course.

There are also good links onto Pickford Brook Meadows, and via the improved crossings of the A45 slip roads to Allesley.
 

Dorchester Way estate, Walsgrave (Map 23 & Map 33 X12-Y12)

Most of the paths on this estate are now on the Definitive Map.  I have added all these, plus a few others of equal relevance on the ground but not on the Definitive Map.  For the most part all the most useful and interesting ones were already on C-W map, but now all options are shown
 

Bredon Avenue Estate - view of the northern end of the main path within the green corridor between the Princethorpe Way estate and the Bredon Road estate : 10-Feb-2009

Bredon Ave estates, Binley (Map 33 X16-X18)

Again the main paths were already shown, but I have now added all 70+ minor paths shown on the Definitive Map, plus some 35 in the immediate area of equal relevance on the ground but not on the Definitive Map (These 35 are shown 2px wide, and the 70 3px wide).

The density of Definitive Paths in this area is high - maybe the highest in the UK?
 

Others

Most of the other additions are on the Attoxhall Rd estate, Bridgeacre Garden estate, Coombe Park Rd estate or John McQuire Cres., Binley.  These are all smaller versions of the Bredon Ave estates or the Allesley Green estates, and treated in a similar thorough way.

Within the 252 there are also a few isolated paths which have been recorded due to specific local needs, mostly to remove any ambiguity of status.
 

Future Pans

I will let you know when further significant changes are made to the Definitive Maps.  It will of course take some time before all of the other (approx 550) paths are completed.