FFW: Kenilworth : The Castle, Parks, Greenway, Woodlands (7-mile hike)

World cup?... What world cup? 🙄
Lets get outdoors for a late scheduling of this fantastic easy-going looping route around Kenilworth and experience its highly-acclaimed reputation on the walkers grapevine. The forecasted maximum temperature for the day is 25 degrees with a light breeze, so it will be perfect English summer weather.
Starting and ending at Abbey End Car Park (CV8 1QJ) we'll cover a looping route that stitches together the best parts of a few other tried and tested routes, soaking up all the outstanding beauty in the area.
Add in an outdoorsy group of super-social Friendly Faces (both first-timers and regulars) to make some new connections with along the way, and it'll be a cracking day out for all.

When we reach the end, we'll top it off with a well earned sit down in a pub on the high-street for a refreshing drink (and if anyone is hungry - a bite to eat) and chill out over a bit more chatter with our new-found connections.

Hit the 'Attend' button now so you don't forget.

Getting there...
If you are a driver, you will certainly attain hero/heroine status if you write a message here on the event page offering your services - stating your location and specific locations that you can collect passengers from.
If you are not a driver and would like a lift, leave a message here on the event page (as soon as you sign up) asking if anyone is kind enough to offer. Leaving that question until the day before the event is probably too late. Don't forget to offer a few pounds to your driver in return for helping you out.
Also, if you need a lift (or are a driver offering lifts) : consider how appealing your meetup profile photo is. It may seem harsh, but the reality is that if you do not have a warm friendly smile or part/all of your face is hidden, then it is less likely that someone is going to want to either give you a lift or accept a lift from you.
Travel planning info for drivers :
Kenilworth is x minutes drive away...
Warwick 11; Leamington 15; Coventry 15; Stratford 25; Rugby 30; Central Birmingham 35.

Other things to note...
- Dogs (on a lead) are allowed, kids must be 18 or over.
- Anyone bringing dogs, remember that some people can be fearful of dogs and be hiding it well, so no matter how well-behaved you feel your dog is, keep him or her on a lead at all times and be respectful of your fellow-attendees.
- Bring a homemade sandwich and a drink / snacks and we'll pick a suitable spot along the route to post up for a quick break and a munch.
- Compared to other walks of late, the terrain is very easy-going, but regardless of this - ditch the trainers and don your waterproof walking boots anyway.

Oh and parking...
I strongly suggest that all drivers install the RingGo app on your phone before the day, and use it to pay £4 for four hours in the car park when you get there. This should be comfortably enough time to complete the walk, but just in case (or if you want to hang out in the pub for a bit) you can always add an hour or more remotely from your phone if needed. Or you could take the easy option and just pay £7 for 24 hours to be covered for the day no matter what.
Please check traffic in the morning, and don't be late.

Everyone is looking forward to meeting you!

EVENT SUMMARY / IMPORTANT POINTS
1. 'First-timer' attendees are always welcome to come along and check out who we are and how we do things. After that if you wish to return for another one, becoming an official subscribing group-member is necessary, so provided you are (strictly) within the permitted group age range of 25 to 55 qualifying you to join - read the joining details here...
https://www.meetup.com/friendlyfaces/events/305407432/

2. Please be respectfully on time. (instead of disrespectfully late). Check the start time for this event and make sure you arrive early enough to be parked, paid for parking, and ready at the start point for this time or we may leave without you.

3. To attend this hiking event (being aware of the group age-limits) you must be physically active, hike-fit, free from injury, and have experience of covering this amount of miles in one go. If you are not all of these things - please remove yourself from the attendees list.

4. Dogs ARE allowed 🐶✔️ to attend this event, but must (yes, must) be kept on a lead.

5. This is a hiking event, and all attendees are expected to wear proper hiking footwear that is both waterproof and rides up at the sides to cover your ankles. No matter how confident/familiar you feel about walking in the countryside - ankle-protecting footwear is compulsory.

If you do not currently own any then please invest in a pair in advance, which will prepare you for this and many more Friendly Faces hikes in the future. The many local Mountain Warehouse stores offer an excellent selection for men and women, so there is no excuse to not be equipped for this event.
Trainers will not protect you from what could be a nasty injury - which would bring an unpopular end to the event for everyone.
(* 2026 UPDATE *) To ensure that all attendees sensibly follow this request respectfully of everyone else : Anyone who injures themselves and is not wearing ankle-protecting hiking footwear will be permanently removed from the group.