Chase-2-Chase Walk (With RAF history walk)

Starting at Marquis Drive, the free parking is perfect for this round trip walk. Crossing beautiful forestry land, this walk is perfect for those who want to capture a glimpse of wildlife but also staying shaded under the tall trees. By having the Visitor centre as the half way point, the café provides the perfect pit stop for a cake and a coffee. After a short walk around the fields of Birches Valley, it’s time to head back. On the walk back you can either veer off to the left of the ponds for a more secluded and quiet walkway (as per this route) or stick to the path you ventured down before. As you get closer to your starting point, there is a steep hill that can take some time if you’re not used to a slightly more strenuous walk. But, once you are at the top, it is time to take in some history and walk the old grounds of the RAF base of Marquis Drive. Signs around the walk tell you all about the base and what used to be in the fields surrounding you.

Technical sheet

68464889
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.98 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 2h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 92 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 97 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 207 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 128 m

Description

Start: Marquis Drive Visitor Car Park, Cannock, WS12 4PW. The car park is free if you park along the parallel spaces around the loop. There is a pay and display car park on site too. Please check before you park.

(S/E) The walk starts out easy with a walk down the hill, North towards Marquis Drive and then right (South-East) at the end of the road, towards the woodland. At the pedestrian crossing, continue straight ahead and take the next path to your left into the woodland. Continue following the main path along the edge of the trees crossing several paths until the path bends slightly to the right (North-East). To your left you should see Cannock Chase Holiday Cottages.

(1) Take the main path to the right (Cross Chase Walk) and walk alongside the ponds (Fairoak Pools and the first of Stony Brook Pools).

(2) There will be a wooden bridge to your right, continue straight ahead and take the second path to your left, a straight path heading North towards the Birches Valley Visitors' Centre. After approximately 600m, follow the Birches Valley (road) to the road. This skirts around some houses, take the next right to the visitor centre.

(3) After your stop at the visitor centre, return to the road and turn right. Look for a path to your right which heads South (Heritage Trail). Don’t be surprised if you venture here on a weekend and hear some distant screams from within the Forrest. Cannock Chase has one of the longest Go Ape Ziplines that runs parallel to some of this walk.

(4) On reaching the path junction, bear right following the main Cross Chase Walk southwards back towards Stony Brook Pools. Here the path bears slightly to the right (South-West) past the first of the ponds to(2). Continue along Cross Chase Walk to Fairoak Pools.

(5) When walking back alongside the ponds, I recommend taking the path on the left, across the little wooden bridge, by the first pond. This route back to the base of the hill is often quieter.

(6) Once you come back to the bottom of the hill turn left, it’s time for that steady ascent back up to the Marquis Drive walk. Be careful, the ground is uneven and in heavy rain, there is often a deep natural drainage dip that forms within the path. Once at the top of the hill turn left onto Marquis Drive, you may see your car waiting for you on your right, but I promise, turning left will allow you to continue on a lovely walk and learn some history on the way.

(7) Turn right and walk around the old RAF base here at Marquis Drive and learn about the brave men and women who worked in the buildings that once filled these fields. After the first marker, take the path to the left (South-East) until you come to another path, turn right heading South-West. At the end of this path, bear left to a viewpoint.

(8) There are a couple of beautiful views from the back of the fields and a bench at the top of one, where you can stop and look at the tree lined horizon, on a clear day. After stopping at the viewpoint, continue on taking the South-West path (to your left if you look back at the path you came from) and turning right at the second junction (North, at the edge of the woods) and then left to walk back to the visitor centre. There are public toilets and a little café where you can grab an end of walk snack or another drink. There is also a play area for the kids (if they have more energy to burn that is)(S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 202 m - Marquis Drive Visitor Centre (Free Parking)
  2. 1 : km 1.1 - alt. 160 m - Path Junction/Cannock Chase Holiday Cottages
  3. 2 : km 2.01 - alt. 140 m - Stony Brook Wooden Bridge
  4. 3 : km 2.84 - alt. 136 m - Birches Valley Vistor Centre and Cafe
  5. 4 : km 3.3 - alt. 129 m - Path Junction
  6. 5 : km 4.31 - alt. 151 m - Wooden Bridge
  7. 6 : km 5 - alt. 165 m - Re-Joining Route
  8. 7 : km 6.03 - alt. 201 m - RAF Walk Begins
  9. 8 : km 6.86 - alt. 192 m - View Point Bench
  10. S/E : km 8.98 - alt. 202 m - Visitors Centre (Café/Toilets/Playground)

Practical information

Each visitors centre has a café which serves hot and cold food and a variety of drinks. There are also play areas for the kids and plenty of benches to stop and perch upon, along the route.

This is a bike friendly route.

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