The Cannock Chase National Landscape Annual Review 2023-2024 is now available to download from the website. The Annual Review provides a summary of last year’s achievements and successes of the Cannock Chase National Landscape Partnership. It showcases the breadth of work that has gone on in delivering our core purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of Cannock Chase.

Annual Review

The Cannock Chase Heritage Trail has been brought to life using animation and audio with the launch of two new digital trails - Chase Tales and Hear Our Heritage. The Cannock Chase Heritage Trail is a 10-mile route linking the towns of Cannock, Hednesford and Rugeley. It passes through, or close to sites of historic or environmental interest, with interpretation panels along the way that tell the story of each location. New interpretation panels and directional signage have also been installed along the route.

Visitors can now take on the new trails via the Cannock Chase Can App where they will need to collect all the QR codes for each themed trail to complete a challenge and gain points and rewards for their efforts. The app is free to download from Google Play or the App Store. Have fun and make it a family challenge to complete this summer.

Heritage Trail

The SAC and partners have put together a selection of events and activities to encourage visitors to find out more about this precious habitat on our doorstep and what we can do to help it thrive.
Visit the SAC website for dates, times and booking details. There are a range of activities and events for all ages, some have a charge and some are free (booking is required). From a British Horse Society ride on the Sunday, to family fun at the Museum, getting arty at Cannock Chase Visitor Centre, a guided walk across Brindley Heath to an insect walk with expert Phil Playford who will tell you more about the wonderful world of insects. See the link below for the full list and details.

Heath Week activities

Keep the children entertained this summer on Cannock Chase. Download these activity sheets  from our busy bees, Heather and Heathcliffe.

Purchase the lovely glossy guide "Features of Cannock Chase" only £4 and get the children to discover the different species when you are out and about. Also available to purchase from Cannock Chase Visitor Centre.

Go on a walk, like the Heritage trail, its free! A variety of different lengths and types of walk in different parts of the Chase are available here to download. Information available on cycle rides too. 

Do not forget to check out the events during Heath week, many of which are free or nominal cost.

The Visitor hubs around the Chase all have a variety of things to do. More information is available on their websites here.

Cannock Chase Visitor Centre ; Cannock Chase Forest Centre;

Museum of Cannock Chase; Shugborough Estate; Wolseley Centre

Visitor Hubs

To help you to know what to expect on a visit to the Chase, take a look at our Access guide with 21 locations including attractions, hubs and visitor centres, car parks, trails and nature reserves. Each entry shows the facilities available and sensory information on what you are likely to see, smell and hear. Used together with the videos of some of our smaller trails you can check out the terrain and discover more about what the Chase has to offer you.

Access guide

A workshop to look at ways to improve habitats for the adder on Cannock Chase was held recently. The Cannock Chase National Landscape ‘Adder Land Managers’ Workshop’ was led by Angie Julian from the Amphibian and Reptile Group (ARG UK). ARG UK have been working with organisations and volunteers to undertake adder surveys across the Chase, with funding support from Farming in Protected Landscapes(FiPL) programme. Despite being widely considered an ‘adder stronghold’, there is evidence to suggest that populations of adder on Cannock Chase may be vulnerable. Land managers, including SCC, District Councils, Forestry England, the National Trust, plus private landowners got together at the Workshop to look at practical ways to support adder populations, through habitat restoration, improving habitat connectivity and creating new habitats. Watch this space for updates on work to protect our secretive and vulnerable adders.

More information

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is inviting nature lovers to help transform an area of rare heathland on Cannock Chase for wildlife. The charity has taken on the lease of 25 hectares of lowland heath from Forestry England. Over the coming years, the Trust’s work will open up the wildlife corridor, allowing various birds, reptiles, and invertebrates to move easily across the heathland landscape. A new volunteer work party is launching, giving local people the chance to help heathland habitat to thrive here once again. Sessions will run on the first Wednesday of every month, with a focus on reducing scrub and bracken. They’re a great opportunity to keep fit, learn new skills, meet new people and have fun working outside. The Trust will also introduce cattle to gently graze enclosed areas. Grazing will reduce the quicker growing grasses and the cattle will trample the bracken, giving the smaller low growing plants like bilberry and heather chance to flourish. The work has been funded through the Farming in Protected Landscape fund.

More information

Each year volunteers donate their time and skills to help conserve and enhance the special landscape. It’s a great way to make friends, learn new skills, get fit and make a real difference. There are lots of ways you can volunteer on Cannock Chase, either through the National Landscape team or with our partners. There are roles to suit a range of interests including: helping at events, surveys, practical conservation tasks, welcoming visitors, photography and litter picking.

We are currently recruiting for volunteers to join our teams at the Milford Information Hut and at the Great War Hut on Marquis Drive near the Cannock Chase Visitor Centre. If you are a bit of a history buff or you just like meeting new people and have good customer service skills then send an email with your details and telling us what role you are interested in and we will get back to you with more information.

Email us here