I have just spent a few days walking round Cannock Chase and thought I would share it. In the 1970s I used to live on the chase, I dont any longer but often go back and know it very well. This is how it went:-
Beginning the walk by the Pye Green telecomms tower I soon came to the Commonwealth war cemetery, and shortly after that the German war cemetery. There are a number of war memorials on the chase to remind us that there were victims from many different nations. Walking on I came to the Katyn Memorial on the heathland dedicated to the massacre of 25,000 Polish prisoners of war. Continuing on there are really nice extensive views across the heathland down into Sherbrook Valley, there is an unusual plant that lives there called the Cannock Chase Berry which is a natural hybrid between the bilberry and cowberry and only known in a few locations, the berry of the hybrid is bigger than both bilberry and cowberry and edible but sadly too late in the year for me to pick and enjoy them. Strolling on past the Glacier Boulder (just a big rock) I came across a little memorial in the middle of nowhere called Fredas Grave, it is where the mascot of the New Zealand Rifles is buried, the mascot being a Dalmation that died in 1918. A little further on is an area rich in flora and fauna, it is one of the rutting stands of the fallow deer, its been my pleasure to watch the deer here for many years so I took a rest and watched a herd of about 30 for a while, the bucks were still grunting despite being late for rutting and the ground all around this area was all churned up with their rutting activities, some of the bucks were very big and impressive and as always I enjoyed watching them. Nearby crested newts can be found in a couple of small ponds and adders thrive there too and its also rich in fungi particularly parasols. Dragging myself away from this oasis I carried on walking through Brocton Coppice towards Devils Dumble, Brocton Coppice is a lovely area of ancient oak woodland with many fine trees. At the bottom of Devils Dumble is the Stepping Stones over Sher Brook, a convenient spot to take a rest. From the stepping stones I headed for Dick Slees Cave, although marked on OS map as such its actually not a cave at all and just a hollow in the ground (I wonder how many people have wondered around there looking for a non existent cave !), its supposed to have got its name from a hermit called Dick Slee who lived in the hollow there with a pet hare. There is a lovely open area around there on the top of the hill which is abundant with various fungi, fly agarics, parasols, stinkhorns, russulas and others too. From the non-cave I headed across Abrahams Valley skirting the rifle ranges and sand quarry to end up at Wolseley Park Hall, another area with a big fallow deer population, there I took another rest. On the move again I continued heading south past Birches Valley Forestry Visitor Centre and then past Fairoak Pools, this area of the chase is mostly thick conifer plantations, one particular area nearbyis where the bucks gather together when they split from the does. I then crossed the railway where deer are sometimes killed by passing trains and on across the A460 main road, the area south east of this road is where the red deer of the chase are found, strangely this road seems to act as a divider between the fallow and red deer populations, few fallow are found south of it and few red are found north of it, Ive never understood why but it has been the same for many years. I continued south east to Wandon, crossed another road and headed down rides through dense conifers to Horsepasture Pools, a brook flows out of the pool called Shropshire Brook which holds a colony of native White Clawed Crayfish. From the brook I headed up to see the old ruins of Beaudeseert Hall, theres a spot between the two thats often a good place to see the red deer stags but sadly saw none this time though fresh tracks were abundant. I took a look around the decaying ruins, once the grand stately home of the Marquess of Anglesey but now just being reclaimed by nature. From there the final destination was Castle Ring, an iron age hill fort and the highest point on Cannock Chase with great views across the forest. -- There you are, those who know the chase will know some of those spots, but to all sorry if Ive bored you to tears. ATB.
A few pics (obligatory I suppose) but just to add, I didnt and dont carry a camera (because Im so crap with them and cant afford a decent one anyway) so Ive added a few that I took on my mobile phone to give the reader some idea, they are really crap pics, sorry, but anyone reading can snatch better ones by googling the net of the same spots if they wish for better illustration. The pic of the berry is off the net as its out of season now and I thought it would be nice to add being unusual.
Katyn Memorial.
The unusual Cannock Chase Berry that grows on the heathland.
Fredas Grave.
Rutting stand of Fallow Deer.
The Stepping Stones over Sher Brook looking towards Brocton Coppice.
What, no cave! The open fungi rich area on the hilltop by Dick Slees Cave.
Horsepasture Pool.
Shropshire Brook which holds the native White Clawed Crayfish.
The crumbling ruins of a once grand stately home, Beaudesert Hall.
Castle Ring, iron age hillfort and highest point on Cannock Chase.
Thankyou for looking if you have got this far, ATB.
Beginning the walk by the Pye Green telecomms tower I soon came to the Commonwealth war cemetery, and shortly after that the German war cemetery. There are a number of war memorials on the chase to remind us that there were victims from many different nations. Walking on I came to the Katyn Memorial on the heathland dedicated to the massacre of 25,000 Polish prisoners of war. Continuing on there are really nice extensive views across the heathland down into Sherbrook Valley, there is an unusual plant that lives there called the Cannock Chase Berry which is a natural hybrid between the bilberry and cowberry and only known in a few locations, the berry of the hybrid is bigger than both bilberry and cowberry and edible but sadly too late in the year for me to pick and enjoy them. Strolling on past the Glacier Boulder (just a big rock) I came across a little memorial in the middle of nowhere called Fredas Grave, it is where the mascot of the New Zealand Rifles is buried, the mascot being a Dalmation that died in 1918. A little further on is an area rich in flora and fauna, it is one of the rutting stands of the fallow deer, its been my pleasure to watch the deer here for many years so I took a rest and watched a herd of about 30 for a while, the bucks were still grunting despite being late for rutting and the ground all around this area was all churned up with their rutting activities, some of the bucks were very big and impressive and as always I enjoyed watching them. Nearby crested newts can be found in a couple of small ponds and adders thrive there too and its also rich in fungi particularly parasols. Dragging myself away from this oasis I carried on walking through Brocton Coppice towards Devils Dumble, Brocton Coppice is a lovely area of ancient oak woodland with many fine trees. At the bottom of Devils Dumble is the Stepping Stones over Sher Brook, a convenient spot to take a rest. From the stepping stones I headed for Dick Slees Cave, although marked on OS map as such its actually not a cave at all and just a hollow in the ground (I wonder how many people have wondered around there looking for a non existent cave !), its supposed to have got its name from a hermit called Dick Slee who lived in the hollow there with a pet hare. There is a lovely open area around there on the top of the hill which is abundant with various fungi, fly agarics, parasols, stinkhorns, russulas and others too. From the non-cave I headed across Abrahams Valley skirting the rifle ranges and sand quarry to end up at Wolseley Park Hall, another area with a big fallow deer population, there I took another rest. On the move again I continued heading south past Birches Valley Forestry Visitor Centre and then past Fairoak Pools, this area of the chase is mostly thick conifer plantations, one particular area nearbyis where the bucks gather together when they split from the does. I then crossed the railway where deer are sometimes killed by passing trains and on across the A460 main road, the area south east of this road is where the red deer of the chase are found, strangely this road seems to act as a divider between the fallow and red deer populations, few fallow are found south of it and few red are found north of it, Ive never understood why but it has been the same for many years. I continued south east to Wandon, crossed another road and headed down rides through dense conifers to Horsepasture Pools, a brook flows out of the pool called Shropshire Brook which holds a colony of native White Clawed Crayfish. From the brook I headed up to see the old ruins of Beaudeseert Hall, theres a spot between the two thats often a good place to see the red deer stags but sadly saw none this time though fresh tracks were abundant. I took a look around the decaying ruins, once the grand stately home of the Marquess of Anglesey but now just being reclaimed by nature. From there the final destination was Castle Ring, an iron age hill fort and the highest point on Cannock Chase with great views across the forest. -- There you are, those who know the chase will know some of those spots, but to all sorry if Ive bored you to tears. ATB.
A few pics (obligatory I suppose) but just to add, I didnt and dont carry a camera (because Im so crap with them and cant afford a decent one anyway) so Ive added a few that I took on my mobile phone to give the reader some idea, they are really crap pics, sorry, but anyone reading can snatch better ones by googling the net of the same spots if they wish for better illustration. The pic of the berry is off the net as its out of season now and I thought it would be nice to add being unusual.
Katyn Memorial.
The unusual Cannock Chase Berry that grows on the heathland.
Fredas Grave.
Rutting stand of Fallow Deer.
The Stepping Stones over Sher Brook looking towards Brocton Coppice.
What, no cave! The open fungi rich area on the hilltop by Dick Slees Cave.
Horsepasture Pool.
Shropshire Brook which holds the native White Clawed Crayfish.
The crumbling ruins of a once grand stately home, Beaudesert Hall.
Castle Ring, iron age hillfort and highest point on Cannock Chase.
Thankyou for looking if you have got this far, ATB.
