Staffordshire

Staffordshire is one of the largest Counties in England. Despite this it seems to be known only to the cognocenti. It has been described as “England’s best kept secret.” It is a county of contrasts and, whilst there are large towns, it is predominantly rural. There are also over 2,500 miles of footpaths and bridleways. There are also three long-distance footpaths entirely within the County. 1. The Staffordshire Way takes a broadly north-south route from Mow Cop to Kinver Edge, passing through some spectacular beauty around the Cloud and the Churnet Valley. 2. The Staffordshire Millennium Way is very new; it runs east-west from Burton- on-Trent to the Shropshire boundary, near to Newport. The path follows long sections of canal and disused railways, not every Ramblers favourite terrain, but it was intended to promote access for all. There are also three major paths which are partly in the County. 1. The Heart of England Way which starts at Milford Common, which is the north-east corner of Cannock Chase, leaves the County near Tamworth before running through Warwickshire to the Cotswolds. 2. The Two Saints Way is a recently established pilgrimage route between the cathedral cities of Chester and Lichfield.  It is 92 miles in length and is named after St. Chad and St. Werburgh to whom the two cathedrals are dedicated. 3.The National Forest Way opens in 2014.  The National Forest is a long-term initiative to increase the acreage of woodland in the east Staffordshire and adjoining parts of Derbyshire and Leicestershire.  Most of the new woodland is accessible by the public and the new path will run through 75 miles of the best parts. For a full description of the countryside, look at the County Guide You’ll need to look under “Great Outdoors.” Here is an interesting site on rights of way in Staffordshire.