Summary (by AI):
Blog: Cannock Chase has been on my list of places to mountain bike for literally years. That’s the beauty of this ABC process; it’s finally forcing—or rather, enabling—me to actually get out and visit these spots, which is fantastic.
I’d never quite understood the name before. It turns out a "Chase" is actually an old-school term for a private hunting ground—essentially land that belonged to a nobleman or a bishop rather than the King. In this case, it was the Bishop of Lichfield's patch. Regardless of the etymology, it’s a brilliant location. Situated just north of Birmingham, it’s incredibly central—basically right in the middle of the country.
I have to admit, it was a fantastic day of mountain biking, though definitely a game of two halves. There is a massive National Forest setup there, to the extent that it costs something like twelve quid just to park your car. It’s steep, but I guess it pays for the infrastructure, so fair enough. There’s a big bike hire place on-site and two established mountain bike routes: "Follow the Dog" and "The Monkey Trail."
I decided to tackle both, linking them together via a short connecting trail to get the full experience. It was a pretty challenging day out. The route was a demanding single-track run through what I’d describe as the fir tree section of the Chase. It was surprisingly hilly, which made for a really solid ride. At one point, I found myself in a sort of unspoken race with another guy. We kept passing each other, exchanging those mutual nods of acknowledgment as we pushed through the circuit.
The terrain was so punishing on the descents that I actually went through a set of brake pads—or at least, my brakes aren't working very well now. I still need to work out exactly why, but I’m pretty sure the pads just got cooked from that ride.
For the second half of the day, I moved over to the other side of Cannock Chase, where the landscape completely shifts. It opens up into this beautiful heathland. The riding there is lovely—wide-open fire roads, small single tracks, and even a few rivers to splash through.
It was absolutely tremendous. At one point, I ended up poking out of the top end of the Chase. I’d spotted the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal earlier and decided to follow it for a couple of miles. It was a nice change of pace—lots of canal boats and that classic industrial heritage feel.
All in all, I really enjoyed the Cannock Chase ride. I’m glad I finally ticked it off the list, and I’ll definitely be going back.
The Map: