Tag: Cannock Chase

October 29th – It’s been a long time since I did a proper ride cam, something I’ve been needing to sort for a while. I have lots of footage to edit up, but the software I use has been a bit crabby in recent versions, which has now been ironed out, so hopefully I’ll get some more done.

This is a short film of riding Rainbow Hill on Cannock Chase from the edge of the golf course on the Rugeley Road, over Rainbow Hill and down to Moor’s Gorse, a ride I’ve recorded before but on this bright, sunny autumn afternoon it seemed a good one. I’m riding a mountain bike for a change, and get to speeds of about 30mph. The ride is recorded real time.

The music is ‘All of the Time’ a cult classic by Mason Williams.

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

October 29th – A run up over the old Ironstone Road, Prospect Village and Rainbow Hill, crossing Birches Valley, Penkridge Bank and down Abrahams Valley was in order, particularly as British Summer Time had ended and darkness would fall an hour earlier.

The forest is beautiful at the moment, and with the weather getting cold, all but the trail centre at Birches Valley were pretty quiet. The ride was a blast but the sudden cold was a shock.

It’s coming on winter and I’m back in love with Cannock Chase again.

October 15th – Sometimes, all you want to do is tear up the trails and get rid of the pressures of the previous days, and on a borrowed 29er, that’s exactly what I did.

It’s amazing how, late on a Sunday afternoon with dusk encroaching, the Chase is deserted, as if most of the bikers, dog walkers and explorers are only fair-weather friends. But this period – with empty trails, beautiful subdued colour and a wealth of fungi, flora and wildlife, is a magical time.

I crossed Rainbow Hill to Birches Valley, then up Penkridge Bank to Rifle Range Corner, down Abrahams Valley to Seven Springs, back to Stepping Stones, up the Sherbrook Valley and back via Brindley Heath, much of it in peaceful darkness.

Flowing down the trail, hearing owls, dear and startling rabbits and badgers, a fantastic evening ride that was just what I needed to refresh my jaded mind.

October 8th – Up in the cinematic, wide open landscape of Brocton Field, there’s a historical, Great War curiosity that serves as a lovely memorial and good map explorer exercise for kids and newcomers to this fine place – Freda’s Grave.

The grave, off a minor footpath high above the Sherbrook Valley, is the resting place of the mascot of the New Zealand Rifles who were stationed here as the awful conflict came to a close. The harlequin Great Dane was very much loved, and her memorial has been periodically renewed and restored. 

It’s good to see so many people pay tribute, a testament to the UK (and New Zealand’s, of course) love affair with our best friends.

You can find out more about Freda here. 

I descended into the valley, and across a gradually darkened Chase lifted by the quality of the day, the ride and finally, fresh air and the joy of getting back to somewhere I love and hadn’t been for ages.

October 8th – A better day when the sun periodically graced us with it’s gentle, warming optimism, and since it’s autumn, where better to go than Cannock Chase? It’s one thing I miss in summer; the Chase is far too crowded to ride much in summer, making every ride a trial of concentration and nerves, but at the cooler, damper end of the year it’s virtually deserted in the best parts and people rarely venture there.

I hauled myself up over Pye Green and to Brocton Field before descending into the Sherbrook Valley and over Milford and Shugborough and back along the canal to Rugeley and then home through the night-time lanes of Longdon.

A great ride tat cheered me up totally – and I’d forgotten the improvised birded feeding point up in the car park off Chase Road for Freda’s Grave – I watched birds happily feeding for 20 minutes, captivated by their antics. It was also wonderful to see a nuthatch, which is a first for me – it reminded me of a land-based kingfisher. The colours are gorgeous.

We need more decent weather days. I need more of this in my life right now.

August 28th – I suppose inevitably, the forest is gearing up for Autumn which does seem to be encroaching a little early this year, with early examples of fungi making an appearance. I was particularly surprised by the red fly agaric – the classic spotted toadstool – which don’t normally appear for at least a month yet. The sulphur tuft (thanks, John!) were particularly pretty.

But the sun streamed through the trees, the bugs buzzed and it was quiet – and on a day when I normally feel that summer is over, I had a great ride.Perhaps it’s not over yet.

June 17th – From Amerton, I went for a long afternoon and evening ride around old haunts; Drointon, Blithfield, Newborough, Hoar Cross, Woodmill. A lovely ride, gorgeous golden hour on one of the warmest, most beautiful days of the year.

Newborough’s elegant, Francophile church is one of the finest in the UK, and certainly gives Staffordshire’s other gem, Clifton Campville a run for it’s money.

So sad to see the Meynell Ingram pub at Hoar Cross is still closed. That could be such a good pub in the right hands.

June 11th – A terrible end to a ride that started really well. I headed out in sunshine to visit a new coffee shop in Stowe by Chartley, run by a local lad. I headed up over Chasewater, up through Cannock and was just running down Abraham’s Valley on the Chase when a critical part of my drivetrain failed irreparably and I had to call for a lift home.

You can’t prepare for all eventualities, and some things can’t be fixed out on the road, but I felt cheated as I’d had a great ride, seen orchids and red deer, blue skies and The Chase was gorgeous.

It was sad to fail so unceremoniously and I felt irritated and cross at not spotting the issue in advance.

The bike was soon fixed at home and I cursed myself continually while effecting the repair.

Ah well, there will be other sunny days, and the Chase will still be there next week. Keep the coffee pot warm for me.

April 15th – A good 50 miler over the Chase, Shugborough and around Blithfiield Reservoir rewarded me with sights of deer, rabbits and even a sheep with a curious resemblance to an old-fashioned teddy bear. So good to be out in the spring, despite the gloom, cold and strong winds.

Such a pleasure too to see the fallow deer who’ve been scarce of late, looking scruffy in the moult. Summer is coming for sure!

December 26th – No time to take photos on the Chase as darkness fell, but an exhilarating blast off Brocton Field down into the valley was just what the doctor ordered. Remarkably, there were very few people around, and a fast loop up Sherbrook Valley and back over Wolseley Plain was wonderful.

Not so wonderful was the driving on the way back. Considering this is the season of goodwill, there’s an awful lot of aggression on the roads…