The Comyn has a number of entrances and from each one, you can explore a different part of it.
You can go over the wooden bridge from the Radford Road car park, walk past the Newbold Comyn Arms straight on the Old Golf Course, or you can park at the foot of Beacon Hill. From there, you can get onto the perimeter path and head for the Old Golf Course, or cross the football pitches towards Pedley’s Wood.
Let’s take you on a few walks around the Comyn
From Radford Road to Pedley’s Wood
The wooden bridge will take you onto a field bordered by the River Leam. It often gets flooded so watch out for that a day or two after heavy rain as you may not be able to cross it.
Turn left and you can walk along the river towards the car parks, Beacon Hill and the Old Golf Course. Go straight ahead and you’ll find yourself on a series of playing fields.
But let’s turn right before the playing fields and take the River Walk. This is the view across that part of the river on a cold, frosty day. Beautiful, isn’t it?
The walkers in the left of the photo are heading towards a kissing gate, known by some locals as Dead Fish Gate (there’s a story about a much-loved dog – adorable but greedy – who threw himself into the river at that very spot because he’d smelt a dead eel. He draped himself across a log in the middle of the river and proceeded to eat the whole lot).
Go through the kissing gate and follow the path. Take the right fork to follow the river all the way around, and you’ll eventually come to a sharp slope upwards.
You’re now in Pedley’s Wood. Turn right and follow the path.
About halfway round, there’s a wooden bird hide where you can look through to the big nature reserve.
If you wanted to, you could cut through Pedley’s Wood – there are two left forks – but if you carry on, the path will turn to the left, and you’ll walk with the woods to your left, and hedges and farm fields to your right.
Eventually, it will bring you out at the top entrance to the woods. You’ll come out into the Flying Field.
You can walk straight ahead, through the gate into the playing fields and back to the Radford Road entrance, or you could take the first right turn towards the Old Golf Course and White Bridge.
From Pedley’s Wood to White Bridge
Come out of Pedley’s Wood and take the fork to the right. A little way along the path is a turn to the right with a wooden plank. This will take you through the middle of a big farm field. When you reach the end, turn to the left (it’s private property to the right).
A little way down that path is a kissing gate. Go through the gate and at the bottom of that field is the River Leam.
Follow the river to the right and there’s a lovely spot for dogs to play, drink and bathe. It’s called White Bridge because there’s a … white bridge there.
From White Bridge to the Old Golf Course
Double back on yourself and go back through the kissing gate at the edge of the White Bridge field. Turn right to cross the farm field and after the wooden plank, turn left onto the footpath.
A little way along, you’ll see a gap in the trees to the right. You’ll see two stretches ahead divided by a line of trees.
Either of these two stretches will take you to the Old Golf Course, but if you take the one on the right hand side, you’ll go through a lovely bough.
Then you can either bear left towards the top of Beacon Hill or stay to the right of the woods and walk around the Old Golf Course, being careful to avoid fast moving bikes on the tracks.