Cannock Chase
Encyclopedia
Cannock Chase is a mixed area of countryside in the county of Staffordshire
, England
. The area has been designated as the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Chase gives its name to the Cannock Chase
local government district.
Cannock Chase is located between Cannock
, Lichfield
, Rugeley
and Stafford
. It comprises a mixture of natural deciduous woodland, coniferous plantations, open heathland and the remains of early industry, such as coal mining
. The landscape owes much to the underlying Triassic
bunter
formations. Cannock Chase was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB) on 16 September 1958 and is the smallest area so designated in mainland Britain
, covering 68 km² (26.3 sq mi). Much of the area is also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI). Despite being relatively small in area, the chase provides a remarkable range of landscape and wildlife, including a herd of around 800 fallow deer
and a number of rare and endangered birds, not least migrant
Nightjar
s. A feeding station at the Marquis Drive Visitors' Centre, sponsored by the West Midland Bird Club, attracts many species, including Brambling
, Yellowhammer
and Bullfinch
. Efforts are underway to increase the amount of heathland on the chase, reintroducing shrubs such as heather
in some areas where bracken
and birch
forest have crowded out most other plants. The local flora also includes several species of Vaccinium
, including the eponymous Cannock Chase Berry (Vaccinium ×intermedium Ruthe). In January 2009, an outbreak of Sudden Oak Death
disease (Phytophthora ramorum) was discovered on the chase, at Brocton Coppice. Various restrictions were put in place in an attempt to prevent its spread.
There are a number of visitor centres, museums and waymarked
paths, including the Heart of England Way
and the Staffordshire Way
. Additionally, there are many unmarked public paths. On the Chase's north-eastern edge can be found Shugborough Hall
, ancestral home of the Earls of Lichfield
. At its southern edge are the remains of Castle Ring
, an Iron Age
hill fort
, which is the highest point on the Chase. Several glacial erratic
boulders are also found on the Chase, remnants of glaciation. One is mounted on a plinth.
The Chase has several war memorial
s, including German
and Commonwealth
war cemeteries. A memorial to the victims of the Katyn Massacre
was unveiled by Stefan Staniszewski, whose father Hillary Zygmunt Staniszewski (a high court judge) died in the massacre. Preserved below the memorial are phials of soil from both Warsaw and the Katyn forest. The mascot Dalmatian
dog of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (Earl of Liverpool's Own) is also buried on the chase marked with a memorial marble headstone.
The Chase is popular with cross-country mountain bike users. The purpose-built XC 'Follow the Dog' trail is an 11 km (6.8 mi) technically challenging route, opened in 2005, starting and finishing at the Birches Valley Visitors/Cycle Centre. It is open to all, however it is not recommended for beginners. A new section of XC trail was opened in April 2010. The 'Monkey Trail' (7 mile) is a more technical trail that splits from 'Follow the Dog' at about the halfway point, then rejoins slightly further on. There are several features mountain bikers can look out for when riding on the chase, such as Kitbag hill, Rabbit hill, Quagmire bridge, Roots hall and Brocton shorts to name just a few.
Since 2006, the forest has been used as an open air music venue as part of the Forestry Commission
nationwide Forest Tour
, with acts such as The Zutons
, The Feeling
, Status Quo and Jools Holland
playing in a forest clearing.
The area gained national notoriety in the late 1960s when the A34 Murders made national headlines; the remains of three young girls were found buried on the Chase after going missing from areas along the A34 road
between there and Birmingham
. Raymond Leslie Morris, a motor engineer from Walsall
, was found guilty at Stafford
assizes of one of the murders in 1968 and was sentenced to life imprisonment
. He is still in prison over 40 years later as one of the country's longest serving prisoners.
s, Werewolves
, British big cats
, and UFO's
have appeared in the local press. However no conclusive evidence has ever been produced verifying these claims, and they may best be thought of as forming part of local folklore
.
The 1972 Labi Siffre
album Crying Laughing Loving Lying
features a track entitled Cannock Chase.
Cannock Chase has also achieved national notoriety for its association with the sexual practice of dogging
. This occurred in March 2004 when the ex-England footballer Stan Collymore
was revealed in a News of the World
investigation, to have regularly engaged in the activity at a car park near Anson's Bank.
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The area has been designated as the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Chase gives its name to the Cannock Chase
Cannock Chase (district)
Cannock Chase is a local government district in England. It covers a large part of Cannock Chase forest and the towns of Cannock, Rugeley and Hednesford.There are several parish and town councils in the district:* Rugeley* Hednesford...
local government district.
Cannock Chase is located between Cannock
Cannock
Cannock is the most populous of three towns in the district of Cannock Chase in the central southern part of the county of Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England....
, Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
, Rugeley
Rugeley
Rugeley is a historic market town in the county of Staffordshire, England. It lies on the northern edge of Cannock Chase, and is situated roughly midway between the towns of Stafford, Cannock, Lichfield and Uttoxeter...
and Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
. It comprises a mixture of natural deciduous woodland, coniferous plantations, open heathland and the remains of early industry, such as coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
. The landscape owes much to the underlying Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
bunter
Bunter (geology)
Bunter beds are sandstone deposits containing rounded pebbles, such as can notably be found in Warwickshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, Devon and Dorset in England...
formations. Cannock Chase was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
(AONB) on 16 September 1958 and is the smallest area so designated in mainland Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, covering 68 km² (26.3 sq mi). Much of the area is also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI). Despite being relatively small in area, the chase provides a remarkable range of landscape and wildlife, including a herd of around 800 fallow deer
Fallow Deer
The Fallow Deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. This common species is native to western Eurasia, but has been introduced widely elsewhere. It often includes the rarer Persian Fallow Deer as a subspecies , while others treat it as an entirely different species The Fallow...
and a number of rare and endangered birds, not least migrant
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
Nightjar
European Nightjar
The European Nightjar, or just Nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus, is the only representative of the nightjar family of birds in most of Europe and temperate Asia.- Habitat and distribution :...
s. A feeding station at the Marquis Drive Visitors' Centre, sponsored by the West Midland Bird Club, attracts many species, including Brambling
Brambling
The Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.- Etymology :The common English name is probably derived from the German "brâma", meaning bramble or a thorny bush. It has also been called the Cock o' the North and the Mountain Finch.- Description...
, Yellowhammer
Yellowhammer
The Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It is common in all sorts of open areas with some scrub or trees and form small flocks in winter....
and Bullfinch
Eurasian Bullfinch
The Bullfinch, Common Bullfinch or Eurasian Bullfinch is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. In Anglophone Europe it is known simply as Bullfinch, as it is the original bird to bear the name bullfinch.This bird breeds across Europe and temperate Asia...
. Efforts are underway to increase the amount of heathland on the chase, reintroducing shrubs such as heather
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
in some areas where bracken
Bracken
Bracken are several species of large, coarse ferns of the genus Pteridium. Ferns are vascular plants that have alternating generations, large plants that produce spores and small plants that produce sex cells . Brackens are in the family Dennstaedtiaceae, which are noted for their large, highly...
and birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
forest have crowded out most other plants. The local flora also includes several species of Vaccinium
Vaccinium
Vaccinium is a genus of shrubs or dwarf shrubs in the plant Family Ericaceae. The fruit of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the cranberry, blueberry, bilberry or whortleberry, lingonberry or cowberry, and huckleberry...
, including the eponymous Cannock Chase Berry (Vaccinium ×intermedium Ruthe). In January 2009, an outbreak of Sudden Oak Death
Sudden oak death
Sudden Oak Death is the common name of a disease caused by the oomycete plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. The disease kills oak and other species of tree and has had devastating effects on the oak populations in California and Oregon as well as also being present in Europe...
disease (Phytophthora ramorum) was discovered on the chase, at Brocton Coppice. Various restrictions were put in place in an attempt to prevent its spread.
There are a number of visitor centres, museums and waymarked
Waymarking
Waymarking is an activity where people locate and log interesting locations around the world, usually with a GPS receiver and a digital camera. Waymarking differs from geocaching in that there is no physical container to locate at the given coordinates. Waymarking identifies points of interest for...
paths, including the Heart of England Way
Heart of England Way
The Heart of England Way is a long distance walk of around through the Midlands of England. The walk starts from Milford Common on Cannock Chase and ends at Bourton on the Water in the Cotswolds passing through the counties of Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Gloucestershire.The walk provides links...
and the Staffordshire Way
Staffordshire Way
The Staffordshire Way is a long distance walk in Staffordshire, England. The path links with the Cheshire Gritstone Trail, the Heart of England Way and the North Worcestershire Path.- The route :...
. Additionally, there are many unmarked public paths. On the Chase's north-eastern edge can be found Shugborough Hall
Shugborough Hall
Shugborough is a country estate in Great Haywood, Staffordshire, England, 4 miles from Stafford on the edge of Cannock Chase. It comprises a country house, kitchen garden, and model farm...
, ancestral home of the Earls of Lichfield
Earl of Lichfield
Earl of Lichfield is a title that has been created three times in British history. Lord Bernard Stewart, youngest son of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, was to be created Earl of Lichfield by Charles I for his actions at the battles of Newbury and Naseby but died before the creation could...
. At its southern edge are the remains of Castle Ring
Castle Ring
Castle Ring is an Iron Age hill fort, situated high up on the southern edge of Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, in the village of Cannock Wood, England. Castle Ring was thought to have been occupied around AD 50, by the Celtic Cornovii tribe....
, an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
, which is the highest point on the Chase. Several glacial erratic
Glacial erratic
A glacial erratic is a piece of rock that differs from the size and type of rock native to the area in which it rests. "Erratics" take their name from the Latin word errare, and are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundreds of kilometres...
boulders are also found on the Chase, remnants of glaciation. One is mounted on a plinth.
The Chase has several war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
s, including German
Cannock Chase German war cemetery
The Cannock Chase German war cemetery is on Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, England.On 16 October 1959, the governments of the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany made an agreement about the future care of German military personnel and German civilian internees of both World wars...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
war cemeteries. A memorial to the victims of the Katyn Massacre
Katyn massacre
The Katyn massacre, also known as the Katyn Forest massacre , was a mass execution of Polish nationals carried out by the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs , the Soviet secret police, in April and May 1940. The massacre was prompted by Lavrentiy Beria's proposal to execute all members of...
was unveiled by Stefan Staniszewski, whose father Hillary Zygmunt Staniszewski (a high court judge) died in the massacre. Preserved below the memorial are phials of soil from both Warsaw and the Katyn forest. The mascot Dalmatian
Dalmatian
Dalmatian may refer to:* Dalmatia, a region mainly in the southern part of modern Croatia* Dalmatae, an ancient people from the region* Dalmatian language, an extinct Romance language* Dalmatian , a breed of dog...
dog of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (Earl of Liverpool's Own) is also buried on the chase marked with a memorial marble headstone.
The Chase is popular with cross-country mountain bike users. The purpose-built XC 'Follow the Dog' trail is an 11 km (6.8 mi) technically challenging route, opened in 2005, starting and finishing at the Birches Valley Visitors/Cycle Centre. It is open to all, however it is not recommended for beginners. A new section of XC trail was opened in April 2010. The 'Monkey Trail' (7 mile) is a more technical trail that splits from 'Follow the Dog' at about the halfway point, then rejoins slightly further on. There are several features mountain bikers can look out for when riding on the chase, such as Kitbag hill, Rabbit hill, Quagmire bridge, Roots hall and Brocton shorts to name just a few.
Since 2006, the forest has been used as an open air music venue as part of the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
nationwide Forest Tour
Forest Tour
Forest Tour is an annual United Kingdom live popular music event held nationwide, in their forests.-History :...
, with acts such as The Zutons
The Zutons
The Zutons are an English indie rock band from Liverpool. They were formed in 2001 but did not release their first album, Who Killed...... The Zutons?, until May 2004. They achieved their biggest hits with "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?" and "Valerie", both taken from their second studio album...
, The Feeling
The Feeling
The Feeling are a BRIT award-nominated English pop band from West Sussex and London. The band categorise their music as "pop".Following a limited release of their first single "Fill My Little World" in late 2005, the band entered the UK Singles Chart at #7 with their first full release "Sewn" in...
, Status Quo and Jools Holland
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
playing in a forest clearing.
The area gained national notoriety in the late 1960s when the A34 Murders made national headlines; the remains of three young girls were found buried on the Chase after going missing from areas along the A34 road
A34 road
The A34 is a major road in England. It runs from the A6042 in Salford to Winchester in Hampshire. It forms a large part of the major trunk route from Southampton, via Oxford, to Birmingham, The Potteries and Manchester...
between there and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. Raymond Leslie Morris, a motor engineer from Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
, was found guilty at Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
assizes of one of the murders in 1968 and was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
. He is still in prison over 40 years later as one of the country's longest serving prisoners.
In popular culture
Since the nineteenth century, sightings of Black DogBlack dog (ghost)
A black dog is the name given to a being found primarily in the folklores of the British Isles. The black dog is essentially a nocturnal apparition, often said to be associated with the Devil, and its appearance was regarded as a portent of death. It is generally supposed to be larger than a normal...
s, Werewolves
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
, British big cats
British big cats
British big cats, also referred to as ABCs , phantom cats and mystery cats, are Felidae which are not native to Britain which are reported to inhabit the British countryside. These sightings are often reported as "panthers", "pumas", or "black cats"...
, and UFO's
Unidentified flying object
A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
have appeared in the local press. However no conclusive evidence has ever been produced verifying these claims, and they may best be thought of as forming part of local folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
.
The 1972 Labi Siffre
Labi Siffre
Labi Siffre is a British poet, songwriter, musician and singer most widely known as the writer and singer of " So Strong", "It Must Be Love" and "I Got The", the sampled rhythm track which provides the basis for a number of well-known hip hop tracks such as Eminem’s breakthrough hit single, "My...
album Crying Laughing Loving Lying
Crying Laughing Loving Lying
Crying Laughing Loving Lying is the 1972 release by Labi Siffre.All songs written, performed and produced by Labi Siffre. The album was recorded at Chappells in London....
features a track entitled Cannock Chase.
Cannock Chase has also achieved national notoriety for its association with the sexual practice of dogging
Dogging
-Slang:* Dogging , a British euphemism for engaging in public sex* Dogging, in Scotland refers to truancy* Intentional restriction of workforce productivity-Technology:...
. This occurred in March 2004 when the ex-England footballer Stan Collymore
Stan Collymore
Stanley Victor "Stan" Collymore is an English football pundit and former footballer, who played from 1990 until 2001. He held the British transfer record when he moved from Nottingham Forest to Liverpool for £8.5 million in 1995 and was capped three times at senior level by the England...
was revealed in a News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
investigation, to have regularly engaged in the activity at a car park near Anson's Bank.
See also
- BeaudesertBeaudesert (house)Beaudesert was an estate and stately home on the southern edge of Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. It was one of the family seats of the Paget family, the Marquesses of Anglesey...
- Cannock Chase German war cemeteryCannock Chase German war cemeteryThe Cannock Chase German war cemetery is on Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, England.On 16 October 1959, the governments of the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany made an agreement about the future care of German military personnel and German civilian internees of both World wars...
- Castle RingCastle RingCastle Ring is an Iron Age hill fort, situated high up on the southern edge of Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, in the village of Cannock Wood, England. Castle Ring was thought to have been occupied around AD 50, by the Celtic Cornovii tribe....
External links
- Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Website
- Staffordshire County Council page on Cannock Chase
- West Midland Bird Club feeding station
- Chase Trails Mountain Biking
- Chase Skills Mountain Bike Coaching at Cannock Chase
- Ramblers' Association page on Cannock Chase
- Article with photo of Katyn memorial at Cannock Chase
- Church Street Conservation Area, Cannock Chase Heritage Trail, cannockchasedc.gov.uk
- Protected Planet page for Cannock Chase