Cannock Chase

Fun and flow just 40 minutes from the centre of Birmingham

by Jon Woodhouse

Thu, Jun 18, 2020 10:27

Cannock Chase

Birches Valley Staffordshire, England WS15 2UQ United Kingdom

Amenities

Bike hire
Bike shop
Bike wash
Café
Parking
Toilets

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Cannock Chase offers up the fun red-graded Follow the Dog cross-country loop plus bike park jumps and drops at Stile Cop, all just a short distance from the centre of Birmingham and easily accessed from the M6 motorway.

2021 cannock chase centre.jpg — 2021 cannock chase centre (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Mountain bikers are best off parking at the Birches Valley Forest Centre, which has pretty much everything you’ll need, with all the usual cafe facilities plus a bike shop with bike hire, plus there are lots to do here for non-riding family or partners.

2021 cannock chase jump.jpg — 2021 cannock chase jump (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

While there’s unsurprisingly not a huge amount of height or extreme gradient on offer, there’s lots of flow and technical fun in sections and it’s a good all-weather choice, with most of the riding being in the trees and on hardpacked trails.

2021 cannock chase northshore.jpg — 2021 cannock chase northshore (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Amenity details:

The Birches Valley Visitor Centre has an on-site cafe that does hot and cold food and drinks, plus there’s a picnic area, toilets and kid’s playground. Parking is paid, but there’s loads of it.

The on-site bike shop has all the usual spares and kit, with the ability to do repairs if needed. They’re a dealer for Santa Cruz, Yeti, Hope and Trek bikes too, just in case you fancy splashing out on a new ride. There’s also bike hire, with Trek hardtail and kid’s bike available to hire in advance for a full or half-day. A bike wash is on site too.

Nearby facilities:

Bike servicing, sales and repairs

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to bike shops in the local area, with a number of sales and repair shops within a short distance as well as the on-site shop. Run and Ride is a 10-minute drive away from the centre and stocks Scott and Cannondale bikes plus a number of clothing brands.

If you’re just after repairs, then nearby Rugeley (6-minute drive) has a couple of options, with Berms and Whips and Rugely Cycle Repairs both offering workshop services.

Food, drink and shops

Once again, you’re spoilt for choice with loads of local pubs and shops within a short distance. The Horns Inn at Slitting Mill is a short ride away from the centre and there’s a whole load of pubs and restaurants in Rugeley, while Cannock itself (10-minute drive in the opposite direction) also has plenty of highly rated pubs and restaurants to pick from. Both have a full complement of shops, petrol stations and so forth.

Where to stay

Rugeley and Cannock both have loads of accommodation, from B&Bs to hotels. There are lots of camping and caravanning options too, with Chase Glamping pods a very short distance away. The Cannock Chase Camping and Caravanning site is around 10-minutes away, with pitches for tents or camper vans.

Perhaps you’re looking for a ride off the beaten trail, or you want to mix your riding up with some nature walks. Be sure to check Komoot to uncover further adventures in this area.

>> Hiking in Cannock Chase
>> MTB Trails around Cannock Chase

Trails at this centre

Follow the Dog

10.8km

The Monkey Trail

22.8km

Stile Cop Bike Park

65m

Jon Woodhouse

Jon’s been riding bikes for ages and has been involved in the bike industry for most of his working life too, starting out as a Saturday boy at Harry Hall Cycles before moving into the world of media via the odd stint as a mountain bike guide. He’s worked at Singletrack, headed up What Mountain Bike magazine and been tech ed at BikeRadar before arriving at the helm of road.cc’s knobbly tyred sister site off-road.cc.

He mostly rides mountain bikes up and down things as fast as possible (not always that fast to be honest) but isn’t averse to riding drop bar bikes either, whether that’s on gravel or tarmac.

He goes all funny at the mention of rubber compounds and shim stacks.