The region escaped much enclosure because the soil is gravelly and was considered too poor for agriculture. It did, however, support a type of grey-faced sheep peculiar to the Chase and Cannock was once a thriving market town.
There are layers of coal under the surface. A few years ago, many mine sites could be seen from the high land, the loftiest point being 800 feet (244 metres) above sea level. With the decline of the industry, mining has all but finished in the region.
With so much industrial despoliation around Cannock Chase, it is surprising that the area retains so much unspoilt grandeur. Today, many of the acres are administered by the Forestry Commission, which has managed plantations of Scots and Corsican pines since the 1920s.
Near Seven Springs, at the start of the walk, are small pools where herds of fallow deer come off the Chase to drink. The species came from Asia Minor and the Mediterranean area and is thought to have been brought to these shores by the Romans.
Further on the route goes over the River Trent by a cobblestone bridge. The plaque on the bridge reads 'erected by public subscription', but mainly by the liberality of Joseph Weetman in the years 1887–88.
A straight lane leads to the Trent and Mersey Canal. This canal was designed by James Brindley and completed in 1777. Much of the trade in coal carried by canal came from Midlands mines. Now this is a favourite place for colourful holiday craft and the waterway provides a good spot for anglers and a pleasant tranquil towpath for walkers.
After leaving the canal, the River Trent is crossed again, this time over Essex Bridge, a narrow 14-arch bridge, designed for packhorses in the 17th century. There were originally 40 arches to take the route over the once marshy ground, but even in its truncated state, it is still the longest packhorse bridge in England.
The attractive parkland of Shugborough is just over the river, with Shugborough Hall and Museum (housed in the former stables away to the right). The gardens have interesting Victorian terraces and rose beds are a special feature. The drive leads past the Georgian park farm with its collection of rare animals and classical and rather bizarre monuments, many erected by the English architect James 'Athenian' Stuart.
Permission was given for the mainline railway to go through the parkland in the last century, but it goes through a tunnel to minimise its intrusion. The tunnel entrances were embellished by Egyptian and medieval designs.
In the Chase proper, the route joins the pretty Sherbrook Valley at an idyllic spot called Stepping Stones, where children love to splash and chase across the water. There is a picnic site here with benches, tables, and a grassed area. Alongside the brook on the hillside to the left is Dick Slee's Cave. An 18th-century hermit, he lived here with only a tame hare as a companion. Some say he left home because of his debts; others because of his raucous and nagging wife.
The track gradually climbs up the valley. The stones underfoot are round and smooth. It is estimated that the pebble beds which formed Cannock Chase were laid down some 180 million years ago.
There is a wide assortment of natural features to be seen on the walk. In the lowland valley of the River Trent and the canal, water birds such as ducks, Canada geese, coots, and scurrying moorhens can be seen. Swifts and martins swoop low over the still canal waters to catch insects and the elusive kingfisher may be spotted.
In the animal kingdom, the terrain suits water voles. The canal is lined with willows, which help to consolidate the banks, rushes, reeds, and purple loosestrife. Fishermen hunt the coarse fish — pike, perch, and roach. A herd of deer may be spotted at dawn or dusk when it emerges to feed on grasses, leaves, shoots, and berries.
Other animals on the Chase include rabbits, foxes, badgers, stoats, snakes (both adders and grass snakes), and squirrels. The rare red squirrel breeds in some of the woodlands. Although most trees are softwood pines grown commercially, there are many remnants of the ancient forests, including old oaks, alders, and birches that favour the damper lands near the brooks.
There are vast areas of bracken and bilberries can be gathered in the autumn. The heathers are a pretty sight in the late summer months. On the marshy lands, sedges and reeds thrive in the damp conditions.
