Cannock Chase

Immerse yourself in the breath-taking beauty of Britain’s smallest mainland Area of Outstanding Beauty on a visit to Cannock Chase.

An idyllic setting laden with leisurely walks and cycle tracks, the former Royal forest, which celebrates its 60^th year as an AONB in 2018, is known for its rolling hills, purple heather and miles of quiet woodland routes to explore.

Cannock Chase Walks

There are waymarked paths to wander all over Cannock Chase, including the Staffordshire Way, the Heart of England Way and the Way for the Millennium, and accessible routes like the Sherbrook Trail taking in the picturesque Sherbrook Valley.

The Cannock Chase Circular Walk is a mostly gentle eight mile route with a few steep sections to climb. Starting at The Glacial Boulder, it takes in the beauty of Fairoak Pool and the fun of the Stepping Stones at Sherbrook Valley.

Refreshments are available at the Cannock Chase Visitor Centre and the Birches Valley Forest Centre, while there is parking at The Glacial Boulder car park.

The Rugeley to Colton Circular Walk has four and six mile routes, both starting at Rugeley Trent Valley railway station.

They are easy walks, with excellent views, passing through lush woodland, along the Trent & Mersey Canal and across the River Trent via the Brindley Bank Aqueduct.

Pubs en route include The Yorkshireman, close to the start of the walk, and The Greyhound near the end in Colton.

Parking is available at Rugeley Trent Valley railway station.

The Staffordshire Tolkien Trail comprises three walks linked to the celebrated 20^th Century author, JRR Tolkien, who spent much of his early life in Staffordshire and regularly walked and cycled on these and other routes.

Some say the landmarks on these walks found their way into his stories, such as The Book of Lost Tales, where The House of a Hundred Chimneys is thought to represent Shugborough Hall.

The Tolkien Trail Cannock Chase Walk follows a moderate 10 mile route from Coppice Hill Car Park, exploring sites reflecting the Chase’s military history, such as the World War 1 training camps at Brocton and Rugeley, and the Cannock Chase War Cemetery.

Tolkien was one of the 500,000 men posted to the camps at Brocton and Rugeley during World War 1.

The nine mile Tolkien Trail Great Haywood Walk also starts and finishes at Coppice Hill Car Park, following a quite hilly path via the Stepping Stones, the Shugborough Estate, and the villages of Great Haywood (where he lived in 1916 with his wife Edith) and Little Haywood.

The third walk on the Tolkien Trail is the 11 mile Gypsy Green Walk, which begins at Penkridge Library and follows the peaceful Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal to Gypsy Green, the site of Tolkien’s cottage, before passing through quaint villages like Acton Trussell, where The Moat House makes a fabulous pit-stop for refreshments and longer stays.

Free parking is available at the Haling Dene Centre near Penkridge Library.

The Cannock Chase War Trail Walk offers a poignant look at the legacy of the Great War, covering 7.5 miles and visiting a number of war memorials.

This moderate route sets off from the car park at Coppice Hill, near Brocton. A few hundred yards from the starting point you will discover Freda’s Grave, dedicated to the mascot of the New Zealand Rifles in 1918.

Later, the walk will take you to the German War Cemetery and Visitor Centre, where the remains of all German servicemen who died in Britain in both wars are buried.

A short distance away, there is also the Commonwealth War Cemetery, the final resting place of servicemen from various nations, including New Zealand and Britain, who died in camp hospitals.

Cannock Chase Mountain Biking

Get your adrenaline pumping in one of the best locations for mountain biking in the country!

Cannock Chase has built a reputation through challenging and technical mountain-bike trails, extreme downhill options, and the beauty of the backdrop combining Cannock Chase forest and the largest heathland in the Midlands.

Follow the Dog was the first dedicated mountain bike trail in the Midlands. It is a fairly flat red route, designed for competent riders, covering 6.7 miles of the forest.

It’s a single track, fast with technical sections and features including boardwalks, rock gardens, rollers and drop-offs like The Werewolf Drop!

The Monkey Trail is an extension to Follow the Dog. It’s a 7.5 mile track of demanding climbs and technical descents, aimed at experienced riders.

Look out for the rock gardens, step ups, step downs and obstacles like unavoidable rocks!

Stile Cop bike park has plenty of reasons to visit again and again, with 12 exhilarating downhill trails to choose from.

You could start with the original Red Course, designed for intermediate riders, before moving on to the legendary Walleater, the biggest of the trails offering a test for even the best riders.

And the Balboa is a tantalising target, tricky and technical with bigger rocks, ladder drop and a kicker into the fast finish.

Some of the world’s best mountain bikers are set to take on these acclaimed routes – Cannock Chase will be the venue for the mountain biking events at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, to be hosted by Birmingham.

Parking for the cross country trails is available at the Birches Valley Visitor Centre (postcode WS15 2UQ).

For Stile Cop, use WS15 1ND, which will get you to the general area, or search for Stile Cop Car Park or Stile Cop Bike Park for precise locations.

Cannock Chase Cycling

As well as the challenge of Cannock Chase mountain bike trails, there are more relaxing routes for leisure cyclists and families to have a go at.

All start from the Birches Valley Forest Centre, are they are free to use, open all-year round, and great for a laidback stroll too.

The easy Ladyhill Trail is a circular one mile route which is accessible for wheelchairs, pushchairs and prams, as well as bikes. See if you can spot the Fairy Trees on your way, and don’t forget to look out for The Gruffalo!

The Fairoak Trail covers 2.5 miles of the forest, with the easy path leading into the magnificent valley and past the pretty Fairoak Pools. The area is home to tons of species including deer, woodpeckers and adders.

Sharing a path with the Fairoak Trail to begin with, the Sherbrook Trail offers two routes to choose from: the Pepper Slade loop and the Abraham’s Valley loop.

At 7.5 miles, the Pepper Slade loop is the shorter of the two, but still takes in the beautiful Sherbrook Valley. The Abraham’s Valley loop is 12.5 miles and includes the Stepping Stones.

Alongside these circular routes, there is the 10 mile Chase Heritage Trail, a linear path which has been broken down into three sections focussing on the Rugeley, Hednesford and Cannock areas.

The trail features various sites of interest including the Museum of Cannock Chase, Mill Green and Hawks Green Nature Reserve and the historic village of Slitting Mill, which played a major role in the local iron industry in the 17^th and 18^th centuries.

Cannock Chase Things to Do

For adrenaline-fuelled adventure, try the high ropes course at Go Ape Cannock Chase, with 1500m of tree top crossings, plus rope swings, all-terrain segways and stunning views from the 260m zip wire.

Discover Cannock Chase forest on horse-back through the Cannock Chase Trekking Centre, providing off-road riding for all abilities, from gentle treks to exhilarating days out under instruction from the experienced team.

Uncover surprising secrets at the Museum of Cannock Chase, with exhibitions exploring the area’s contribution to the Allies’ war efforts during World War One, its mining heritage, and the hundreds of species of wildlife which call the Chase home.

And the vast Shugborough Estate, on the edge of the AONB, boasts a Georgian mansion house, complete with servants’ quarters and a working farm, Lord Lichfield’s private apartments and beautiful Grade II listed gardens to admire.

There’s more wonderful scenery and history to soak in at the Chasewater Country Park, a 360 hectare haven designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its rare flora and fauna, and the heritage Chasewater Railway dating back to the 1860s.

For captivating culture, head for the Prince of Wales Theatre for great live music, West End shows, and ballet, or there’s the Premier Suite for tribute acts and gala dinners with sporting greats.

Cannock Chase Events

While the Chase is renowned for its peace and tranquillity, for a couple of weekends in June it becomes a hive of activity.

On June 10^th, the IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire triathlon brings more than 2000 hardy souls into the county to plunge into Chasewater Reservoir for a 1.2 mile swim, bike 56 miles around Cannock Chase, and run 13.1 miles on the streets of Stafford.

And at the end of the month, the UK’s biggest selling bands, such as Paul Weller, Elbow, and The Kaiser Chiefs, turn it up to 11 for the Forestry Commission’s Forest Live gigs.

The line-up for 2018 is one of the best yet!

Paloma Faith brings her summer tour to the forest on June 28^th, performing tracks from her latest album, The Architect, with hits such as Only Love Can Hurt Like This and Stone Cold Sober sure to make an appearance.

Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott will dip into their classic Beautiful South back catalogue on Saturday 30^th, alongside tracks from their three albums as a duo, with support from Billy Bragg.

And George Ezra will close the weekend with tracks from his huge debut album Wanted on Voyage on Sunday 1^st July.

Cannock Chase Places to Eat

There are tantalising treats to savour at Springslade Lodge, famed for its fabulous afternoon teas, Canalside Farm – a hotspot for fruit-picking – and the Woodlands Restaurant at Chase Golf Club, while there’s the Inferno, the world’s hottest curry, to take on at Dilshad if you dare!

Cannock Chase Places to Stay

And you can extend your stay at the luxurious Dalraddy Cottage, the Self-Catering Property of the Year at the 2017 Enjoy Staffordshire Tourism Awards, meander along Cannock’s tranquil canals with Anglo-Welsh Holidays, or spot fallow deer at the Silver Trees Holiday Park.

Birches Valley Postcode

Birches Valley Forest Centre is located in the heart of the forest. Facilities include a café open 364 days a year, toilets and 500 parking spaces.

Parking charges from £2 to £10 apply.

Also at Birches Valley Forest Centre is the Swinnerton Cycles bike shop, which offers bikes, sports drinks, and trail maps, and also has mountain bikes available for hire.

The postcode for Birches Valley Forest Centre is WS15 2UQ.

Cannock Chase Visitor Centre Postcode

Alternatively, the Cannock Chase Visitor Centre at Marquis Drive is a great place to start your walk or bike ride.

Open seven days a week, the centre has a café, adventure playground, BBQ and picnic areas, toilets and a shop selling souvenirs and maps.

The Cannock Chase Visitor Centre postcode is WS12 4PW.