Tag: Shugborough

November 6th – A warm, pleasant day with little wind saw me yet again fail to resist the pull of Cannock Chase. We seem to be in the terminal stages of autumn, and the colours are spectacular, as we’ve yet to suffer a frost. Today, the trails were a bit muddy, but great fun again, and as I sped around the trails I saw many families out and about. I came off the Chase at Milford Common planning to go to Hoar Cross; but the sunset and scenery were so spectacular that I decided to head back to Seven Springs along the canal after cutting through Shugborough, and came back over the Abraham’s Valley in the dark. A visceral, wonderful experience.

September 25th – Another afternoon ride on and around the Chase, I again crossed Shugborough – this time in the other direction. I’d headed over Longdon Edge and through Rugeley, then from Milford Common I’d visited the Stepping Stones, Seven Springs, Wolseley Plain and Hednesford. I don’t normally cycle this route in this direction; it was a hard ride over the Chase, but well worth it. My, the rise from Milford to Stepping Stones is a hell of a challenge.

September 24th – Having had a look at the bike shop in Milford, I cut through the Shugborough estate to Great Haywood. The seat of the late Earl of Lichfield is by turns wonderful, quirky and depressing. There are magical corners to this estate, from Tixall ‘wides’ – the canal widened to look like lakes – to the deciduous woods and odd, ugly follies. It depresses me as there’s little to actually do here that doesn’t cost money. I’d stop for tea in the cafe, but you have to have a ticket. It’s all a bit sad, really.

There’s a lovely small rare breeds farm, and I’m rather taken with the miniature goats.

September 4th – A great ride over Cannock Chase and Shugborough to blow the blues away. The forest was as beautiful as ever, and there was little sign yet of autumn encroaching. Shugborough was also lovely, but it seems these days you can’t stop for tea without buying an entry ticket, which is rather sad. More pictures on my main blog.

June 19th – Rolling up from Milford, over the River Trent, one comes to the delightful village of Tixall. There are several great architectural features here, the Gatehouse, Stables, Pepperpot lodge, church and more than one beautiful home. I like the avenue best; a long, straight, tree-lined lane terminating in a lovely little observatory overlooking the Trent Valley and Shugborough Estate.

England doesn’t get much better than this.