Cannock Chase

Cannock Chase is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty situated in Staffordshire and within 30 miles of Derby.  It has become a mecca for off-road cyclists with it's multitude of cycle routes which cross the open heathland and penetrate the depths of the forest..
Most of the routes are unsurfaced  and some are only suitable for top level mountain bikers, but others are suitable for less experienced riders.
There are so many possible routes that should we try to detail them all here, you would all have died of chronic boredom long before you had looked at them all, so the intention is to give you an idea of the options for exploring this wonderful landscape.
Firstly, since most of the surfaces are loose gravel and pebbles, mountain bikes are recommended, as is a degree of confidence and experience in bike handling.
Secondly, since there are so many paths and one path looks much like another, it is very easy to get lost here, so have some navigational aids with you.  As a minimum, a large scale map and a compass, but better a GPS set with a "Go To"  back to your starting point. Also a mobile phone is highly desirable in case of emergency.
Although most of your ride will be off-road, there will be times when you have to cross the public highway, so take great care as some cars are driven far too fast on these roads, sometimes colliding with deer who stray onto the road.
An excellent series of free cycling/walking maps is published by Staffordshire County Council and these may be down loaded HERE
Paper copies are available at Tourist Offices.

The following photographs are not in any particular order, but will show what is available.

 Some of the routes are waymarked and start from the Visitor Centre, off Marquis Drive, where there is a car park, cafe, and toilets. Car park charges are reasonable, (£1 for 3 hours / £2 for more) but you can park for free on the adjacent road sides.

                                                      This is the Visitor Centre

                       And this is the sort of surface that you may be faced with in places.

But here on the site of the old RAF station at Hednesford nice tarmac traffic free roads ideal for children and novice cyclists.

Much of Cannock Chase is wooded, and cultivated by the Forestry Commission, who to their credit have gone to great lengths to put in marked cycle routes.

                                           Other parts of the Chase are open heathland

Although most of the area is well drained due to the pebbles and gravel which form the substrate, there are some shallow streams to ford.

                                                  Typical minor hazards and crossing paths.

  And even a few small lakes, such as these at Fairoak Pools, unbelievably once the site of a colliery.

                                      The paths surround the pools, a good place to rest awhile.

                       And a fine place for horse and rider to cool off in the heat of high Summer.

Cannock Chase has been used for military purposes for over 100 years and there is evidence of this in many places.

 The immaculately manicured Military Cemetery, where the remains of people of all nationalities killed on UK soil during two world wars are buried.

The Katyn Memorial nearby recalls Polish people killed on the orders of Stalin during WW2.

Opposite the Katyn Memorial is Spring Slade Lodge, our recommended place for refreshment.
                                                      Behind it is a small camp site.
                                There are several larger camp sites on Cannock Chase.

                                                                  Need we say more?

                              Sit outside in the garden or inside if the weather is not so good.

                     Alongside the path, beside the stream a stretch of fertile grassland.

                     At the Tackeroo Caravan Site a wide path amongst the majestic pine trees.

So to summarise, a fabulous area for cycling off road, with some stunning scenery and lots of interesting historical features to see.
Give it a try and enjoy what the area offers, not only for cycling but walking, bird watching, horse riding, photography and other country pursuits, but remember the map and compass, and don't get lost.

York to Selby (The Solar System)

This ride takes us from one amazing ecclesiastical edifice in the shape of York Minster, to another, Selby Abbey, and on the way, for the benefit of those of us who are not astro-physicists we travel along a scale model of the solar system, giving a feel for the vastness of space, from the Sun to Pluto depicted in proportionate size, as is the distance between them.
You can do all this on a bike, and your cycling speed is proportionally 10 times the speed of light!
This is Route 65 of the National Cycle Network, another disused railway route, so almost entirely traffic free with no hills and as a bonus has a good tarmac surface throughout.

For the purpose of the ride the parts of York that matter are the Railway Station, York Minster, and the River Ouse. All fairly close to the City Centre and easy to find.  Even tourists and other strangers to the City will know where these places are.

     York Minster took 250 years to build from 1220 to 1472 after the original building on the site was sacked by the troops of William the Conqueror.

View down river from  Ouse Bridge.  Neither riverside paths seen here are really suitable for cycling, so take the road behind these buildings on the right.  It is called Skeldergate.

Here is Skeldergate Bridge -  a stylish combination of stone and metal.  Little traffic on our route beneath the rightmost arch as beyond is only a caravan site and a skate park

                                 The road is gated so virtually no motor traffic here.

Another stylish but more modern bridge, this being the Millenium Bridge for cycles and pedestrians only.  We do not cross it but keep to the right bank of the river.

We leave the river side at this sign, climb a short gradient on a narrow path, and emerge on the road opposite the old Terry's Chocolate factory, a fine building now likely to be developed for some other purpose.
York remains a chocolate producing city however, producing in the King's Square factory no less than six million bars of KitKat every day.

                  The Terry's Chocolate Factory. As factories go, not a bad looking building.

                Cross the road here towards the Racecourse which is on the Knavesmere

The back of the grandstand comes into view, and we follow the path to the left at the white rail.

                   Crossing the Racecourse on this path which has a very spongy surface.

                                    A sharp left turn here and we head towards the A64 trunk road.

                    Getting rather too close to the70mph traffic, but fortunately only for a short distance.
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And here we arrive at the start of the Solar System with the model Sun high above the path. The planet Pluto is the size of a ball bearing and some 6.4 miles away.
                                         Turn left here to pass beneath the bridge.

Eventually we come to the first of the planets, this tiny ball on it's pedestal being a scale representation of Mercury.

                           Here is Venus.

                                                  The Earth and the Moon.

And Mars

                                          The route then goes through this housing estate.

And here at The Brunswick Garden Centre is an excellent cafe, unfortunately open only at weekends and on Bank Holidays.

Jupiter is about the size of a beach ball.

At each of the planets these signposts give the distances to the next planets, both the true distance (large numbers) and the scale distance in metres (small numbers) along the path.
Note the QR Code on each post, which, if you have a SmartPhone will link you to the Solar System Cycling web site.

                                                      Saturn complete with it's rings.

As we cross the River Ouse on this old railway bridge we see "The Fisher of Dreams" a skeletal sculpture. He appears to have hooked a railway locomotive, and behind him is his bike, upon which his dog is cocking it's leg.

                                              The Fisherman's View of the River Ouse below the bridge.

Now here is a surprise with a unique venture at the old Naburn Station, where there is a "Trust Hut"  which is un-manned, but you can get hot/cold drinks and all sorts of refreshments.
There is a price list and a collection box and you are trusted to pay the appropriate amounts and put the money in the box.
What a lovely idea.

                                     The Trust Hut is a very popular place for cyclists to stop.

                                     



                                             Now comes Uranus.

                                   Another check on earthly and actual planetary distances.

                                                   Typical view along the path.

Pluto at last. There now seems to be some doubt as to whether it is actually a planet or not.
Bearing in mind it's minuscule size and it's great distance from anything else, it's a wonder that they ever found it in the first place.

                    We have now come 10 miles from York, and Selby is 5 miles further.

The rest of the ride into Selby is all on road, running parallel to the A619 York/Selby road. Not very inspiring but relatively traffic free and flat. Stick with it as Selby Abbey is not to be missed.

          Eventually we arrive at our destination, Selby Abbey, a beautiful building dating from 1069.

          Entry is free, unlike York Minster, (which costs £10), and the inside is just as jaw-dropping as                                                               the exterior.