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The UK’s longest canal runs under 12 miles to the west of central Coventry at Knowle, and is also easily accessed from close-by Dorridge railway station. The 137-mile waterway linking Birmingham to London is full of surprises, showcasing quieter, more verdant sides of the big towns it passes through, and crossing particularly pretty countryside on this Solihull to Warwick stretch. Narrowboat, walk, or cycle the towpath, visit canalside pubs, and camp at small, private campsites and caravan parks nearby.
Another one of Coventry’s green gills is the River Avon, which skirts the southern edge of the city around Ryton-on-Dunsmore. Much of it can be walked via the Shakespeare’s Avon Way, Centenary Way, and Coventry Way footpaths, making up bucolic routes from Coventry to Rugby (east), Warwick (southwest), and afterwards, Shakespeare’s birth town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Close to Coventry, various campsites let you pick your own spot, many by the riverside.
May through September sees average high temperatures in the Coventry area of 17°C or more, providing the balmiest weather for campers. Yet April, May, and September all have tolerable average temperatures too, plus less rainfall and fewer crowds than the height of summer. The countryside around Coventry (particularly in hotspots like the Grand Union Canal) gets very popular in July and August. July’s three-day music extravaganza, Godiva Festival, is the calendar highlight of Coventry.