{"id":31207,"date":"2023-10-18T17:39:50","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T15:39:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=31207"},"modified":"2023-11-14T13:39:33","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T12:39:33","slug":"04-cannock-chase-staffordshire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/2023\/10\/18\/04-cannock-chase-staffordshire\/","title":{"rendered":"04 Cannock Chase, Staffordshire"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>
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WEST MIDLANDS<\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

04<\/span> Cannock Chase, Staffordshire<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Distance: 6.5 miles\/10.5km | Time: 4 hours | Grade: Moderate | Total ascent: 159m<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

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While small, Cannock Chase packs in orienteering trails, cycling trails and a children\u2019s play area<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

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Walked by Simon Whaley<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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At 26 square miles, Cannock Chase is England\u2019s smallest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). A former royal hunting forest, it has ancient woodland, conifer plantations and open heathland, supporting rare species such as nightjars and woodcocks. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Walk this 6.5-mile route in October and you may see male fallow deer crossing the Chase for the rut, while muntjac and red deer are sometimes spotted harvesting the rare Chase berry, a blueberry-cowberry hybrid. Search the skies for migrating redwings and scrutinise the Scots pines for crossbills. <\/p>\n\n

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1) START <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

From the visitor centre car park, bear left of the centre and playground on to a road and turn right. Turn left along Marquis Drive. Continue along the road briefly, bear right beside a property then cross the road on to the path opposite. Continue through conifers, turning right at a junction, then left between silver birches. At the next junction, turn right, then left again through dense woodland to a road. Cross on to a bridleway and continue to a T-junction. <\/p>\n\n

2) 1 MILE <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Turn left, dropping through mixed woodland. Pass a metal kissing gate (left), then turn right at a crossing track. Drop gently between a conifer plantation and Sherbrook valley\u2019s heathland, passing a pond (left). Keep a look out for deer and stoats. Ignore side tracks and descend to a junction. Turn right and climb through Pepper Slade to the parking area by the MOD rifle range. <\/p>\n\n

3) 2.8 MILES <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Continue ahead along a forest track to reach a barrier gate. Turn right and follow this to the road. Cross over to join a stone path. Turn left, running parallel to the road, then take the narrow signed bridleway on the right. Head into Birches Valley, crossing several tracks, eventually dropping towards a road. Cross on to the bridleway opposite. Climb towards Fairoak Lodge and Cottages. Pass between a garage and a property and, where the track bears right, continue ahead on a narrow waymarked bridleway. Drop to a junction. <\/p>\n\n

4) 4.2 MILES <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Turn left through a woodland valley, passing a picnic table and a pond (right). You may spot Canada geese, mallard and reed bunting. Turn right between ponds, then left. Walk to a junction, bear left over a bike trail, then turn right at a junction. <\/p>\n\n

5) 5 MILES <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Take the next bridleway (right) and ascend Jockey Hill to a T-junction. Turn right. Pass the old RAF Hednesford site and the ripening fruit in a community memorial orchard. Turn left at the zebra crossing to reach the visitor centre.<\/p>\n\n

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USEFUL INFO <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Starting point<\/strong>
Cannock Chase Visitor Centre. Pay & Display parking at the visitor centre. Free parking along Marquis Drive. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terrain<\/strong>
Wide, stone forest tracks, some narrow paths. One steep descent. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Map<\/strong>
OS Explorer 244 <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eat\/drink<\/strong>
There is a caf\u00e9 at Cannock Chase Visitor Centre. Winter opening is 10am to 4pm on weekends. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

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In association with<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

For more walks and days out visit countryfile.com<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Photo: Alamy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cannock Chase is England\u2019s smallest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":31203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"93","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"93","purple_seq_number":"2","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"2","purple_source_article":"article_93-2.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_93-2.xml","purple_source_issue":"November-2023","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"November-2023","purple_external_id":"November-2023-93-2","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"November-2023-93-2","purple_issue_code":"|0000084075||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000084075||","purple_android_product":"com.im.countryfile.209","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.countryfile.209","purple_ios_product":"com.im.countryfile.209","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.countryfile.209","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"91da22fd-9e7f-40d1-a93f-fc46e9516d91","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-18T15:40:01Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"c98bd831-2393-4e6d-8d17-1cca6cf2734f","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-18T15:40:01Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQ==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AyYvYMSOTTm2NFxzKbPJzTw","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":true,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[135],"tags":[14],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/bf519f8d-5cbf-4cce-ba02-c0af2e97b8a1.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/bf519f8d-5cbf-4cce-ba02-c0af2e97b8a1.jpg",1334,750,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/bf519f8d-5cbf-4cce-ba02-c0af2e97b8a1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/bf519f8d-5cbf-4cce-ba02-c0af2e97b8a1-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/bf519f8d-5cbf-4cce-ba02-c0af2e97b8a1-768x432.jpg",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/bf519f8d-5cbf-4cce-ba02-c0af2e97b8a1-1024x576.jpg",800,450,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/bf519f8d-5cbf-4cce-ba02-c0af2e97b8a1.jpg",1334,750,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/bf519f8d-5cbf-4cce-ba02-c0af2e97b8a1.jpg",1334,750,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Cannock Chase is England\u2019s smallest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31207"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31207"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31207\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32670,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31207\/revisions\/32670"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}