Cannock Chase

 Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - AONB (UK)  Add category

 Upload a photo

An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Surprisingly wild for an area near densely populated conurbations, Cannock Chase offers 20,000 acres (8,100 ha) of heath and woodland. Of this, 3,000 acres (1,350 ha) form a country park with appropriate facilities.
The Chase is the remnant of an oak forest that was the hunting preserve of Norman kings and later of the Bishops of Lichfield, and deer are still plentiful (Sherbrook Valley is a good sighting-point). Among modern conifers old oak woods can still be found, notably at Brocton Coppice, and rare plants survive in less-trodden areas like the marshy ground at Womere.
The Chase provides opportunities for outdoor recreation ranging from picnics and gentle walks from the car to more strenuous rambles. Popular objectives are viewpoints such as Coppice Hill, Brereton Spurs and Castle Ring, an impressive Iron Age hillfort, and many visitors are attracted to the unique military cemeteries near Broadhurst Green, where some 5,000 Germans lie. A published trail explains these and the remnants of a World War I training area and prisoner-of-war camp. Full information about the Chase is available at the Marquis Drive visitor centre.

www.visitcannockchase.co.uk