A £5.1million greenway for walkers, cyclists and horse riders has been officially opened for Warwickshire residents.

Built on the disused Lias Line railway route, the route creates a direct link between the Offchurch Greenway and Long Itchington.

Now the county's longest greenway, the project has diverted 4km of the National Cycle Network off the roads and onto 4.2km of off-road track.

The work has been led by cycling charity Sustrans, and supported by the Department for Transport as part of a nationwide project to make active travel safer.

Work began in October 2021 and the link was officially opened on Friday, July 16 by local representatives including MP for Kenilworth and Southam Sir Jeremy Wright.

Sir Jeremy said: "This project goes alongside the government's goal of encouraging more cycling and walking to tackle some of the biggest health and environmental challenges that we face.

"In addition, it will complete a long-held community aspiration to develop the entirety of the Lias Line so that it becomes a 'path for all', enabling local people and visitors alike to get outdoors and experience some beautiful parts of Warwickshire."

Sir Jeremy Wright has supported the scheme and said the greenway would be a 'path for all' (image by Mark Radford Photography)

Named after the stone buried beneath it, the Lias Line closed in 1985 after 134 years of transporting minerals and passengers.

As well as turning the line into a greenway for cyclists, Sustrans has worked with Warwickshire County Council's ecology and landscape team to build wetland areas to encourage great crested newts.

Bat boxes have also been installed and the charity has also worked closely with Warwickshire Butterfly Conservation group to improve the habitat for the common blue butterfly.

Although the project has been completed, Sustrans are already planning more events to encourage the community to participate in activities such as planting and wildlife counting.

The next phase of the programme will close a 120-metre gap at the western end of the scheme between the Fosseway overbridge, which is being constructed by HS2, and the start of the Lias Line Greenway. Construction is expected to start in mid-2023.

In the long-term subject to funding, Sustrans are planning to make use of the old railway 'main line' to create a new off-road track to improve connectivity with Birdingbury, Rugby and other nearby villages.

The third and final phase will follow the branch line route south to the Stockton reservoir. 

Clare Maltby, Sustrans' England director Midlands and East, said: "From the very beginning, we've worked closely with the local community and that's reflected in the outcome.

"What we have is a path for everyone, it's for the walkers, the cyclists, the horse riders and for nature too.

"This scheme has improved connectivity and made it easier to walk and cycle in Warwickshire - but it's also created a haven for wildlife.

"These improvements are part of our paths for everyone programme which is helping to bring us one step closer to a National Cycle Network that is safe and accessible for everyone." 

Please visit: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/lias-line for more information about the Lias Line.