The Cannock Chase Geotrail

‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌Distance: 22.3 miles | Start: Satnall Hills Quarry | Grid Ref: SJ 983 208

This geotrail is designed to give a glimpse of rocks, landscape and he geological industrial heritage of Cannock Chase.

Download route guide (3.72 MB)

Useful information

• Distance: 36 km
• Start/finish: Satnall Hills Quarry
• Grid ref: SJ 983 208
• Postcode for SatNav: ST17 0UP
• OS map: OS Explorer 244 Cannock Chase & Chasewater

Directions

The trail is probably too long to be completed in one go so we recommend attempting it in sections. Alternative routes making shorter circuits are shown in italics. We advise visitors to use this trail guide in conjunction with the Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 244 as the proliferation of tracks on Cannock Chase can make navigation difficult. Take care crossing all roads.

Satnall Hills – Glacial Boulder (1-6)

• From Satnall Hills Quarry car park (1), cross the A513, taking extreme care, and take the footpath at the far end of the Punch Bowl car park. The valley passes Harts Hill (2).
• Follow the footpath straight ahead to Mere Pool (3).
• Here, take the narrow track straight on upwards forking left after the initial ascent to Broc Hill (4).
• Continue straight on down to the bottom of the Mere Valley and go right to Brook Lane. Follow Brook Lane to the left. At the T-junction, turn left back onto the Chase. After 300m, take the track right and continue straight on to Milford Quarry (5 & 6).
• Go back past 5 and take the first path on the right around the top of Milford Quarry to Freda’s Grave car park. Turn left then immediately right at the signpost along the Heart of England Way, taking the right fork after 250m t the Glacial Boulder.

Glacial Boulder – Birches Valley (7-10)

• From the Glacial Boulder (7), head away from the car park towards a signpost on the Heart of England Way and turn right to follow it. After 200m, fork left at the signpost down to cross Sher Brook (8).
• Follow the path left 150m to a fork. The left fork follows the alternative route back to Harts Hill. Follow the right fork up a dry valley. Continue straight on past a trig point and straight on crossing Abraham’s Valley. An alternate route runs down Abraham’s Valley, past the Seven Springs car park, crossing the Trent and on to the canal at Little Haywood. As the park bends left, meeting several others, take the bridle path sharp right and then turn immediately left at the notice board. The trail descends to a view point across the old part of Rugeley Quarry (9) and rock exposures (10).
• Continue to the road and turn right along Stafford Brook Road until it meets a T-junction with Penkridge Bank Road. Turn left and then right to the Birches Valley Visitors Centre.

Birches Valley – Castle Ring (11-17)

• Continue past the entrance to the Forest Centre and the houses, and take the main path to the left. After crossing Stony Brook (11) continue straight on along the wide track to the road.
• Turn right, beneath the rail bridge (12) and then up the other side of the valley (13).
• Cross the main road and follow the side road down to the farm. Turn left and follow the track up the valley. An alternative route turns left near the mountain bike trail, through Regent’s Wood to Stile Cop. It continues through Stile Cop car park and follows an escarpment emerging at The Levels near Bereton (27).
• Continue straight ahead along the main path until it meets the Marquis Drive / Heart of England Way at a T-junction and turn left, following it to the crossroads (14).
• Turn right along Colliery Road, and then left through a small car park on to a footpath. After 100m, take the footpath on the right. Continue along the path (15) and when it returns to the road follow the Heart of England Way to the left, continuing straight on to Castle Ring, past the second stream (16) to the crest of the sharp rise (17).
• Here, take the left fork and turn left to Castle Ring. Follow the north side of the Castle Ring to the view point.

Castle Ring – Slitting Mill (18-32)

• From the view point (18) continue on to the far corner of Castle Ring.
• Turn left downhill and then immediately right along the path parallel to the fence (19) then forking left on the main path.
• Continue down, and cross the Red Brook (20).
• Take the track to the left at the marker post, continuing on and straight across the road (21).
• Carry straight on, keeping the ridge to your right eventually heading downhill (22 & 23), over a stream and follow the valley to the right, emerging on a spoil heap (24).
• Go straight on to the Brereton-Ravenhill Way for 50m and take the path to the left up to the road bend (25).
• Follow the bridle path on the opposite side of the road on your left into the Victoria Mound quarries (26).
• Retrace your steps to the Brereton-Ravenhill Way and follow it to the left, crossing Colliery Road (27).
• Continue to the end of the business parks (28) and fork right to the outskirts of Rugeley (29).
• Turn left along Coppice Lane for 400m and take the right fork uphill. Continue straight ahead across the minor road and across the min A460 along the farm track passing through the farmyard (30) and down the path beneath the railway and straight across the field crossing the stream (31).
• At the Heritage Path, turn left and then right through a gate. Follow the path past Horns mill pond (32). An alternate route continues past the pub, turns left at the road and then takes the path right, opposite the Victory Hall, back to the Birches Valley Forest Centre.
• Back-track and follow the Heritage Path left down the valley. Take the footpath left to Slitting Mill pumping station (33).

Slitting Mill – Wolseley Centre (33-37)

• Continue along Jones Lane (34). On reaching the main road, turn right for 100m, then left along a footpath to Chaseley Road. Turn left and after 450m turn right along West Butts Road to the end. Continue straight across and take the footpath to the summit of Etching Hill (35).
• Return downhill and turn right along Mount Road. At the junction, take the footpath opposite, following the field boundary and pass through a wood to a farm track (36).
• Turn right down the track (37) and follow it to Wolseley Bridge.

Wolseley Centre – Satnall Hills (38-42)

• Follow the A51 towards Stone, cross the Trent by the Wolseley Bridge (38) and at the canal take the towpath left.
• Approaching Great Haywood, cross the canal by iron bridge, pass under the railway and take a right fork. Continue across a field taking the second main valley on the right down to a stile into a wood. Follow the path to Cliff Caves (39).
• Continue through the wood exiting by another stile, and turn left across a field, then follow the path back to the canal. Continue along the towpath to Trent Lane and turn left to cross Essex Bridge (40).
• Follow the road and Staffordshire Way through the Shugborough Estate (41) to the A513 and turn right. Follow the road (42) to Coldman’s Slade and take the footpath from the back of the second car park parallel to the road, straight back to Satnall Hills Quarry.