Shepherd's huts near Coventry

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.