Purcell Road Meadow

Purcell Road Meadow, River Sowe - Aug-2002  Purcell Road Meadow - ReedMace in tributary to River Sowe, with the River Sowe and Henley Farm meadows in the background - Aug-2002    Purcell Road Meadow is a Coventry Nature Conservation Site (CNCS). Along the Purcell Road side to the north-west are many grey blocks of flats, but they are built at a variety of angles and spacing, and becoming screened by a row of maturing trees.  Looking to the east the view is very green, with Henley Farm meadows and Henley College playing fields dominating the view across the River Sowe. The paths are trodden grass, with the main route following the banks of the River Sowe.  Half the way along you meet a small tributary which you may care to jump across - or follow the route up the tributary, and cross where the tributary is culverted as the flats are approached, then back down the other side, or take the diagonal short-cut. The tributary is the official boundary of the CNCS, but the meadow to the south is of similar character, and used by the locals to walk their dogs etc. At the south-western corner a path used by local children continues south, emerging through a hole in the fence onto the back entry way for the Sullivan Road houses - but looking back a notice says KEEP OUT!  Pity, this route could be a "better" alternate route for the Sowe Valley Footpath compared to Henley Mill Lane?     Good for Dogs rating: A good place for a run on some open grass, with the River Sowe for interest, and a feeder stream to explore.