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Transcript from leaflet published by Coventry City Council published July 2003
These woodlands flank the Kenilworth Road from the centre of Coventry to its modern boundary providing a magnificent entrance into our historic city. The beauty of the route has long been appreciated. 19th Century guidebooks describe the avenue of oaks and the views of Coventry's spires. Now part of a Conservation Area, designated in 1968. the woodlands are preserved for the enjoyment of future generations.
The Woodlands consist of Wainbody Wood a mixed woodland of 70 acres, Stivichall Common 45 acres of deciduous trees situated on former common land. Connecting these woods are the Kenilworth Road Spinneys a narrow belt of trees lining the Road on both sides for nearly two miles.
There are many opportunities for pleasant walks through the interesting woods which are rich in history as well as wildlife.
Commons remained unenclosed for part of the year and could be used by ordinary people, they included Michaelmas lands (arable fields), Lammas lands (meadows) and Waste lands. The wastes were open all year round for the pasturing of plough-oxen and other animals of the villagers.
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Traces of the original three rows of Oaks planted in the 18th Century can still be seen on the Common. Lime, recognisable by its heart-shaped leaves and reddish buds, produces flowers which attract bees with their nectar and is used to make a pleasant tea (the tea-bush is a related plant). Other trees to be seen are Beech, Silver Birch, Sycamore, a few Rowan, Hornbeam and Lombardy Poplar.
Hawthorn was thought to be supernaturally powerful against evil - the white flowers (May blossom) were used in May Day celebrations. The berries ripen in October and are eaten by many birds such as Thrushes, Robins and Chaffinches.
Shrubs present include Holly, Elder, Crab Apple and planted Rhododendron bushes.
There is a deep depression on the corner of Beechwood Avenue and Kenilworth Road (locally known as the Devil's Dungeon) which is the remains of an old stone pit.
An interesting garden wall composed of old gravestones bounds one portion of the Common. Flowers on the Common include Willowherb, Bluebells and Lesser Celandine - a small plant with long-stalked heart-shaped leaves and star-like yellow flowers in spring.
Canley Ford was the old Road to Allesley and leads down to the old ford. The trees bordering it are mainly Oak and near the Hearsall Golf Course is a hollow Oak with wooden blocks nailed inside for climbing. Hawthorn and thick patches of young Elm dominate the shrub layer. Many large Elms once grew on the Common but none remain - many were removed in 1975/6, as they were victims of Dutch Elm disease. Elm has an oval-shaped leaf with a toothed edge, pointed tip, uneven base and rough surface.
A local group called the Friends of Canley Ford was formed in 1993. They have undertaken the care and management of two meadows at the lower end of Canley Ford involving tree planting and wild flora management.
The largest Oak on the Common is along here (girth 15' 10") and nearby is an old milestone. On the corner of Green Lane are two false Acacias which produce clusters of white flowers in June (each a bit like a sweet pea flower). Nearby is a large Plane tree, at least 170 years old. It is easily recognised by its dappled bark, which is formed as segments of olive-brown bark flake away revealing a creamy-white patch beneath. Bark shedding helps the tree breathe in smoky atmospheres. It has sycamore-like leaves and spherical 'bobbles' which dangle from long stalks and consist of clusters of tiny green flowers from which seeds develop.
The bridge was built in 1842 to take the new Coventry to Leamington railway. The railway company met with opposition from landowners, including Lord Leigh and Mr. A F Gregory, who considered it unnecessary. The Gregory coat of arms is on both sides - the one on the memorial side incorporates the arms of his wife. Near the bridge is an old animal pound, first recorded in 1663.
The Stivichall hamlet was acquired by Coventry City Council in 1929 for preservation and includes a smithy, several cottages and other listed buildings.
These spinneys border the Road from the City boundary to Kenpas Highway.
Burnt Post (now the name of a nearby pub) is situated where the footpath from Earlsdon Avenue terminates on the Kenilworth Road. It was previously called Bourne Post and is thought to refer to a post marking the spot where a small brook ran across the Road.
Gibbet Hill at the junction of Kenilworth and Stoneleigh
Roads derives its name from an incident in 1765. A farmer and his two
friends, returning from Coventry market, were attacked by three armed men and
robbed and left senseless - the farmer later managed to reach a house but died
there of his injuries. The main clue (a piece of pistol) led to the arrest
of two soldiers and a weaver. They were tried, convicted, hung and their
corpses suspended in chains on the spot of the murder. Lord Leigh ordered
trees to be planted around the site of the gallows. The gibbets were not
removed until 1810 and for years afterwards the superstition remained that the
chains could be heard rattling, especially during stormy weather.
In 1043 Earl Leofric of Mercia (and Godiva his wife) founded Coventry Priory, a Benedictine monastery, giving the monks one half of their estates. The Earl's half (mainly the Southern part of Coventry) later passed to the Earls of Chester who, in the 12th Century, granted several chapelries including Stivichall to the Priory. During the reign of Henry VIII the Priory was closed down and all its land surrendered to the Crown. In 1547 the Stivichall estate was sold and over the next few centuries had various owners until after 1740 when the Gregory family acquired total ownership.
In 1909 the last of the family (Major F H Gregory) died childless and the estate passed to his cousin - the Honourable Alexander Hood who assumed the name of Gregory. After World War I he sold 121 acres in the north of the parish to Coventry Corporation later to form the War Memorial park which opened in 1921. Major C H Gregory-Hood succeeded his father in 1927 and shortly afterwards sold the rest of the estate to Coventry Corporation.
Coventry was once within the forest of Arden - in 1250 the Constable of Warwickshire was commanded to cut six acres of wood between Coventry and Warwick for the security of foot passengers. The road towards Kenilworth was first recorded in 1313.
The Road traversed Stivichall estate, and further to the south the Stoneleigh Estate which, in 1153, was granted to Cistercian monks who founded Stoneleigh Abbey. During the dissolution of the monasteries, the Abbey was closed and the estate later passed into ownership of the Leigh family who sold it in part to Coventry City Council in 1926.
Flora and FaunaEnglish Oak & Turkey Oak (introduced from Turkey in 1735) are both planted in the spinneys. Turkey Oak has a mossy acorn cup, deeply fissured bark and long, narrow leaves.
The most common species after Oak are Beech, Sycamore, Ash and Sweet Chestnut of which there are some fine specimens over 200 years old. There are over 800 Beech - their leaves turn golden-bronze in Autumn making the avenue a spectacular sight. The red-brown nuts mature in October and are known as 'mast'.
Elder, Hazel, Hawthorn and Holly provide fruits for birds - holly berries are enjoyed by Thrushes, Starlings and Wood Pigeons. Holly is profuse in places - its small white flowers with their four waxy petals appear in May. Rhododendron was planted in the Gibbet Hill area in 1949 - its purple flowers (often tinged pink) open in June.
Cuckoo Pint (also called Wild Arum or Lords and Ladies) is evident around the spinneys. It has arrow-shaped leaves (often purple-spotted) and a fleshy stem which when mature unfurls to resemble a monks cowl. Inside is a purplish spike with flowers at its base from which red berries develop.
Grey Squirrels and Rabbits inhabit the spinneys, the squirrels are so numerous that they have become a nuisance. There have also been reports of Foxes and Muntjac Deer in some areas.
Just past Gibbet Hill, high in the Oak canopy, is a rookery. In the cull of 1951 two birds per nest were killed as they were considered harmful to the Agricultural Expansion Programme.
Go through the wooden gate, then take the path slightly to your left and follow its circular route around the Wood. This path was shown on the 1886 survey map, it is brick-based but may still be muddy in places, so be careful! Planted alongside the roadside is Rhododendron Ponticum (Wild Rhododendron) and numerous Oaks. The Oak can be recognised in winter by the brown buds set alternatively on the twig with a cluster around the tip. On the right you will pass a number of young Silver Fir which have coarse, flattened needles set in two ranks. The underside of each needle has a silvery-white band of resin which helps reduce water loss. The group of three Sweet Chestnuts on the left are all over 200 years old, their bark is a notable feature since it becomes fissured in a spiral pattern.
Hazel, Holly and Elder are common shrubs throughout the Wood. Using Holly in the home at Christmas derives from the old superstition that by doing so you would be defended from lightning and protect yourself from witchcraft (from the 1640 Theatrum Botanicum).
Appearing in spring are many colourful wild flowers such as Bluebells, Wood Sorrel and Greater Stitchwort. Wood Sorrel is a pretty little herb with delicate white flowers and leaves resembling those of Clover. Greater Stitchwort has star-like white flowers and narrow lance-like leaves. The name Stitchwort dates from the 13th Century, it was probably used to cure stitch in the side or any sudden pricking pain.
The woodland undergrowth is dominated by Ferns and
Bramble. Bramble produces white or pink flowers from June to September and
then blackberries which ripen in the autumn. Bracken is the commonest
fern, its fresh green fronds appear in mid-April and are present until October
when they turn brown and die. Male Fern produces leaves (fronds) from an
underground rhizome. On the underside of the fronds tiny structures
develop - containing the spores which will eventually produce new plants.
A large plant may produce several hundred spores in a season.
Walking along the bottom path, parallel to the railway embankment, you will pass several young Douglas Fir in a line. These can be distinguished from Silver Fir by the narrow needles which stand out all around the twig giving a feathery appearance, they are also softer to the touch. Just before the path turns away from the embankment, look left to see an excellent Silver Fir - one of the fastest growing conifers for height and timber volume.
European and Hybrid Larch are both deciduous conifers. Hybrid Larch is
the least common and is a cross between European and Japanese Larch. They
can be differentiated by the cones - the Hybrid cones are tallest and the scales
are curved outwards.
Scots Pine has a reddish bark with needles in pairs. The woody cones take two years to mature and release their winged seeds - look out for Grey Squirrels which eat them.
Flowering during summer are Willowherb, Red Campion, Yellow Pimpernel,
Foxgloves and many others. The Speckled Wood Butterfly is a common sight
and is on the wing from March to September.
Several sorts of fungi are evident - you may smell Stinkhorn long before you see it. The young fruiting bodies appear on the woodland floor as white egg-shaped objects. When these mature they burst and the stalk grows up bearing a conical cap covered in an olive-green slime, attracting flies which then spread the spores. Despite its unpleasant appearance and smell it was used in the middle ages for the preparation of love potions.
Woodland PathsIn 1994 a 300m path was constructed suitable for wheelchair users and those with visual impairment. The entrance is off a small cul-de-sac called The Spinney.
There is no official public access to Wainbody Wood South because on three sides it is land locked with the railway line to the North West. It is a designated conservation area.
The name 'Wainbody' comes from two words 'Waegn' meaning wain or wagon and 'Boda', an old English personal name - the probable meaning is 'Bodas Wagon'.
This old woodland was originally part of the Stoneleigh estate owned by Lord Leigh. It was probably managed to produce timber for building, small sticks for a variety of uses (produced by coppicing) and firewood. In 1844 it was bisected by the Coventry to Leamington railway, cutting off access to the southern half.
The Northern half consists of 30 acres of mixed wood and access to it is via a wooden gate from the Kenilworth Road.
This is one of the larger woods in the city measuring 26 hectares (70 acres) and divided by the Coventry-Leamington railway line. It was formerly managed to provide timber for the Stoneleigh Estate and rear pheasants for shooting.
The present management regime is aimed at the re-introduction of coppicing, together with ride, glade and pond management. The SW boundary of the southern half is fenced to prevent rabbit damage to neighbouring crops.
Coppicing undertaken since 1995 can be seen in the South East corner of the wood adjacent to the railway line.
Travel West Midlands 14A, 14C, I5A, 15C, 42 and 54 from Coventry to Green Lane. Telephone 024 76S2 S689.
Midland Red South Services 511-517 from Pool Meadow to Kenilworth. Telephone 01788 635555.
Free car parking is provided in the Memorial Park.
See Information common to all Woodland leaflets
See also:-
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