An oddly dull walk from Walsall brought me to Cannock, a previously unexplored town. If you ask AI what there is to see and do in Cannock, it tells you to look for a dogs grave, Freda, on Cannock Chase.
Which is probably not bad advice.
The Wetherspoons, Linford Arms, is where all the life is. A twin gabled town house, where nearly every single table was occupied. Thank God for their ruthlessly efficient app. An all day breakfast and a pint of Moorhouse Pendle Witches brew, whilst I guarded the last available single seater table.
Stand further back to get both gable ends in
The New Hall Arms is just a short walk away, opposite a shabby looking shopping centre. It's a bigger than usual micro, concentrating on cask rather than more esoteric international offerings. Bass was on, but in a move that showed a lack of care and attention, it was stuffed into a craft Vocation pint pot. Covered in art. Give my boring brown beer in a boring nonic.
New Hall Arms
On the way back to the station is the final part of the trilogy, The Arcade. A quirky little micro pub, which appears to share its space with a music shop. People enter carrying guitars. An interesting collection of keg and cask on, I went for a previously untried Feld Helles lager from Ampersand Brewery.
Walk Midlands is such an excellent resource. Subscribe to their mail list and as regular as clockwork on the 1st of the month your inbox will be filled with wonderful ramblers inspiration. I had my eye on today's walk as it ended in the never explored before Cannock. As usual, I ask AI what there is to do there. Let's just say ChatGPT is not going to get employed by the Cannock Tourist Board.
If you're expecting a picturesque market town full of historic buildings, Cannock itself can feel a bit underwhelming.
As surprising as that sounds, it's quite a fair assessment. Who says we need to worry about the veracity of AI?
Still, its probably better than Walsall. In the rain. I look to make my escape as soon as possible and pick up the McClean Way. A former railway line, its arrow straight, offers no views and makes canals seem exciting.
It's like this for miles
Until you escape at Pelsall
Cadman's Lane offers little to lift the boredom - a green lane dividing cow pastures. There's an oddly placed blue plaque in a thicket and even this is a memorial to something that no longer exists. John Wesley, founder of the Methodists, preached from a large sandstone boulder near Fishey. The boulder no longer exists. Kind of fitting for the walk, somehow.
Unexpected Plague
Impossible to say where Great Wyrley ends and Cannock begins but the last couple of miles are along the A34. At least there are three pubs for needed refreshment. I picked well at the first - The Star Inn. A community pub trying to be all things to all people. Food, entertainment and sometimes both. The upcoming England World Cup games can be enjoyed with a half time chip butty.
Well kept beer - HPA, Butty Bach or Timothy Taylor
Over two horrible roundabouts - and then I am in Cannock. A town where the planners really don't want the pedestrian to make it into.
With this walk, I have more or less completed the South Staffordshire Railway. A previous outing conquered the northern half. A very similar walk today completes the southern half.
Starting at a car park where Himley Station used to live, it's obvious the all-terrain path has had some recent work. There are less pot-holes here than on the roads driven to get here.
Easy walking, easy routefinding
For future reference - the café and another car park are at Bratch Lane, where I leave the railway to pick up the Staffordshire-Worcestershire canal. Towpath walking to Awbridge - which may or may not have been designed by James Brindley.
Awbridge
Whilst on a historical bent, this is my first walk testing out the Hiiker App. It has a function to show your position on a C19th OS map. Today's route passing through the grounds of both a hospital for infectious diseases and a Victorian Workhouse.
Another feature? - an overlay of "live pubs!"
A Trysull revisit - too early for The Bell, but the church is "doors open". Despite it's age - parts of it 1000 years old - there's not too much of interest. The relatively modern stained glass windows and a C13th font compete with human activity for things to investigate. It is the last day of Easter, moving into Pentecost and the altar vestments were being changed from white to red. The things you learn when the pubs are shut.
Dropping down to Trysull
All Saints, Trysull
Countryside providing access to the Canal at the Round Oak, exiting it Botterham Lane, for a return to the car park.
Walk Details
Distance - 7.5 miles
Geocaches - 4
Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine, March 2025, Walk 13
I am well off-piste on the West Midlands Way. For some reason, known only to 1970s walk planners, they manoeuvred around Lichfield without actually visiting it. I couldn't resist the triple spires and the easy public transport.
I now need to get myself to Kingsbury - a distance that is too far for a day's walking and again, with limited public transport options. Instead, I set my target slightly North. To Tamworth. For reasons that anyone with an interest in pubs will know.
But there are many hazards to overcome. This is HS2 Country - a thing I thought I had left behind, not expecting there to be any works north of Birmingham. But no - Komoot shows a shaded red danger area right across my planned route.
Then there is Whittington Heath Rifle Range. A MOD facility that hosts live firing several times a week.
Finally, I intend to enter Tamworth along the River Tame. A river that has been in flood for the last few weeks.
How to mitigate disaster? Ask the hive mind of the Internet. Walk 1000 Miles contributors provide the answers needed - I should be OK to progress unhindered. Provided I go on the first Tuesday of the month and when there is a Wolf Moon.
Low risk of fire - would you progress on Yellow or Orange?
What they are shooting at
Hopwas Hays Wood - pretty walking for those brave enough to face bullets
Easy navigation on the Birmingham and Fazeley
After the unflooded river Tame plains - the prize - Tamworth Castle and Queens Bridge
Onto the pubs. Not as easy as you would think. The Old Bank House was recommended - but not open on a Tuesday. The Tamworth Tap - which has to be visited - doesn't open until 4pm.
Sir Timbo can save the day for the traveller prepared to wait around a little. I am one day too early for the latest beer festival but the landlord tells me what I could have won and even gives me a leaflet to read at my pleasure. The usual great value can still be found - £2.35 a pint, but the guest ales choice completely limited to IPAs. If you are going to have an IPA, have one from the Indian Brewery.
Hard to tell what this building used to be
Still need to wait. I poked my head in the door of the Sheriff of Tamworth. Google reviews pointed to a fine Belgian Beer Range at good prices. I saw nothing of interest and an unmanned bar allowed me to make a quick escape to the Joules House, the Market Vaults. The house beer - an Aurora Golden - was in poor nick.
Functional and opposite the ultimate destination
Finally, the clock strikes four and it's over to the Tamworth Tap.
And why was I prepared to wait? It's been CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2022, 20223 and 2025. The only venue to win three times.
This suggests very good promotion or a very active local CAMRA. Personally, I think open hours should have been used in the selection criteria.
That said, it's exactly my kind of pub. Multiple levels, brew paraphernalia on the walls, wingback Chesterfields and an exceptional beer range. How often (excluding my own garage) am I forced to choose between a Bathams and a Straffe Hendrik, in the presentation chalice?
There is no denying it is gorgeous
All in all, a very successful day.
Now to try and plan the next leg. I am getting closer to the end, with Meriden almost in striking distance.
Lichfield is a fine place to start/end a walk. Plenty of historical interest, a pleasant town centre and a smattering of decent pubs - most of which are within spitting distance of each other.
Lichfield's Crown Jewell
It's just the countryside around it is a bit dull. If it wasn't for the mud, there would be little to remember this walk by.
The route is from my 1951 Guide book, 50 weekend walks around Birmingham. Understanding the hand drawn map is tricky at the best of times. Let's look at what it hints at;
Elmhurst - nothing there at all.
Kings Bromley - just before arrival, the route heads west to Handsacre. The text provides no indication as to whether it is worth the detour.
Handsacre - The pub, the Crown, is still going strong. Alas, I arrive at 11:30am and its not open. The text also discusses Handsacre Hall. This has been knocked down for a very dull housing estate. The guide text states that of the Hall "you may hear some surprising stories from local residents". And that is it. Such a tease. There are no locals to ask - as as it was knocked down in the early 1970s, they might not remember. The internet suggest it may be referring to the ghost story of the Grey Lady.
Trent and Mersey Canal delivers me to the Crown at Handsacre
One of the few photos of the Handsacre Hall before demolition
Longdon - again, the guide book is vague. Described as a delightful village but the route seems to be taking me east and away from whatever charms it may possess. It does appear to be in a bit of a dip, as only the top of the church tower is visible from my paths.
I am keen to track down the location of the Hanging Tree of Hatch Hall. A chestnut tree, that marked the parish boundary and according to folklore, has a ghost dog and was used as the place of execution. It took a little hunting for the exact location but in case this blog comes up on future google searches for wannbe ghost hunters - it's at grid ref SK 100 140.
Looking it's age now.... 300 years old.
And grid ref's are important to this blog. The route guide suggests returning to Lichfield along what is now the A515. Obviously a lot less traffic in 1951 and kust a grass verge that makes this totally unsafe.
Instead there is one footpath running parallel and south. But it looks like the farm has removed footpath signs, installed CCTV and super high gates and padlocked the PROW shut. Staffordshire Council have been informed. It makes you wonder what they need to protect so badly.
A handy bus-stop and only 10 minutes for the on-time hourly bus stops the monotony of more agricultural fields to cross.
And where to go in Lichfield? Today, it is the turn of Beerbohm - a lovely beer cafe, run by enthusiasts and specialising in Belgian and German brews. Oh, and the man was fixing a Bass sign to the handpull.
A fitting reward
Walk Details
Distance - 10 Miles
Walk Inspiration - 50 Weekend Walks near Birmingham, Walk 3
I cannot think of Bloxwich without being reminded of a local comedian, Johnny Sorrow. I saw him twice in the early 2010's and was amazed by the man's comic timing. He never went on to any success and AI cannot find any information about him since 2019.
The Internet doesn't totally forget.... Don't talk to me about mirthless big blokes from Bloxwich.
After the longest mile per minute railway journey in the world, I am in Bloxwich. Primarily to complete the next walk in my possibly 30 year old "Best Pub Walks in the Black Country book. Yet, its another book that has piqued my interest. A month ago, I plotted all the Camra Heritage Pubs in the Midlands onto my Google Maps. Handily over adjoining pages, there are three in Bloxwich.
Of course I have ticked the Bull and Bladder
The walk, as anticipated, was a disaster. It looks like the only stretch of the Wyrley and Essington that has been abandoned is in Bloxwich. The book suggests crossing at a bit where the canal bed is dry. On arrival, the stepping stones that provided access have fallen into complete ruin. A high bank of scrub has been built on the opposite side. This is to hide the nefarious activities of scrap metal merchants who seemingly never want the outside world to see what they are up to.
Somehow, I am meant to get over to the dry land in the top left corner
Somehow, I managed to cross. You don't have to. This led to water soaked fields - a main road that even the guide book described as "awful" and the Why Not Inn.
More bad news - I had checked it was open but rearranged my walking day to a Tuesday. When it opens mid afternoon.
I'll tell you "Why Not" - different opening hours on different days of the week
Quieter lane walking and then a maintained section of the aforementioned canal - with a Towpath.
Plain sailing, from here on in
Several hours to my meeting about the importance of buildings within local communities (it was free, it was at the 1000 Trades), so lets check out the Bloxwich drinking scene, Heritage or otherwise.
The Spring Cottage has the lights on and the door unlocked. I am 15 minutes early for a 2pm opener but they show that customer service is alive and well and serve me. To be fair, three more people come in before the official opening hours, so they may need to reconsider. No cask, and despite the bar surround, no matured whiskies.
Mappiman declares it open. Other follow
Cruzcampo - ceremonial chalice
A fine community local - where I was included in conversations and the jokes shared my one gentlemen who was no Johnny Sorrow.
All hail Sir Timbo. In a few years, we will talk about how we could buy perfect cask Christmas Ale in an impressive building and have change from a coin.
Orkney Brewery Clootie Dumpling for £1.89
The former cinema was named the "Electric Palace". The Showman, a reference to Pat Collins, a member of the local carny.
Onto the Heritage Pubs - The Bell and The Turf Tavern - well dead. Optimistically, the shabbiest of the two - the Turf - has a hand written note in the window saying "temporarily closed". A look through the window and two spider plants on a table are in remarkably good condition. Someone is watering them.
The Bell - possibly salvageable
"the last truly unspoiled terrace pub left in the country". Folkestone's East Cliff Tavern would like a word
Suggests it was a short term closure
Had been in the Hiscott-Wilkes family since 1871
Closure happened at the start of Covid and despite its listed status, I doubt any of us will see the outside gents, former brewery or pig-sties.
Which leaves us with Romping Cat - a corner local maintaining its original three room layout.
A heraldic lion was on the original sign for the Sandbank Tavern - hence the nickname
I found two of the rooms, and the second lounge bar even had another punter in it. A quiet pub, with no sound from TVs or jukeboxes. The bar person was wearing earphones. All that was needed was a ticking grand-father clock.
And what beer would you expect to find in a West Midlands Heritage pub?...
A excellent pint of Tetleys was probably not the answer you expected.
TV Off. Both punters in the lounge
A strange day - ending where I sign up for the fight to resurrect Birmingham's The Crown from evil Japanese car park owners.
Explorations will continue at haste. There is little time left for pub explorers.
Walk Details
Distance - 7 Miles
Geocaches - 2
Walk Inspiration - Best Walks in the Black Country, Walk 4
This walk will not be troubling the 2026 "Best of" awards ceremony. Let me count the things that are missing: Geocaches. Pubs. Open Churches. Places of interest.
Even getting out of Rugeley station is a ball-ache. New-build estates, with no means of escape, force double-backs and rerouting. The countryside, when picked up at Chetwynd's coppice, is reasonable, as it winds its way through Upper Longford (pub opens in 6 hours), Farewell (church all locked up) and Elmhurst (no visible evidence of the manor house).
I swear, the entire route was uphill
Dark Lane, closed to traffic around 2010 and reclaimed by nature
Coming into Farewell
Farewell Church - Doors Locked
The guide book, rather foolishly, suggests ending the walk at Whittington, bypassing Lichfield completely. This is stupid. Public transport is needed to return home. And grim mysteries are hiding in plain sight.
City Shield on the Railway Bridge, showing the 3 Slain Kings, Borrow, Cope and Hill
According to local legend, Lichfield takes its name from a grisly episode in early Mercian history — the slaying of three Christian kings named Borrow, Cope, and Hill. The story tells that they were martyred near the site of the present city during the conversion of Mercia, their blood consecrating the ground that became known as Lyccidfelth — the “field of the dead.”
Ooooh... mystery and death! I use YouTube for inspiration on which sites to visit during my couple of hours. They hooked me with "haunted pub".
A walk through the Market—scene of the last burning at the stake in England—on the way to Bird Street and its ghouls.
Dodgy photo, dodging market stalls
The King's Head is the oldest coaching house in Lichfield, dating back to 1408. It is proud of its military history, having acted as a recruiting post during the English Civil War and later as the home of the Staffordshire Regiment. Military memorials and paraphernalia adorn the walls.
The Kings Head, Bird Street
My YouTube video discusses three ghosts - George, who lives in the cellar. A young girl killed in a fire, seen at the window, along with flickering flames and the laughing Cavalier. Hacked to bits by Roundheads outside the pub. I was too scared to go in. It is a Marstons house and only sells Hobgoblin.
Instead, I celebrated the end of another stage of the West Midlands way in the ever reliable Horse and Jockey. A Good Beer Guide Regular. I could have lost my Bathams Mild virginity, but had no complaints. The Holdens Golden Glow was in exceptional condition.
Lets not mention the Elephant on the room
Liquid Bliss
There’s a whole world left to explore in Lichfield—not least Borrowcop Hill to the south, supposedly the burial place of the slain kings: Borrow, Cope, and Hill.
Stage 9 of the West Midlands Way. I wouldn't be surprised if this is classed as "the best section", once complete. A nice bit of symmetry at the start and end. The ancient towns of Penkridge and Rugeley. Canals, divided by a long section of the Staffordshire Way through Cannock Chase and into the Shugborough Estate. The Staffordshire and Worcester Canal to begin, the Trent and Mersey to end.
Let's show the walk through photographs;
Penkridge Church - with an inscription of 1578 carved into the sandstone wall
Autumn begins on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal
Deer in Teddesley Park
Hadrian's Arch - one of the many follys in Shugborough
Shugborough House
Having completed my research, I was keen to discover the mystery of The Shepherd's Monument, another of the Shugborough follies.
Shugborough Hall, near Stafford, is an 18th-century stately home built for the Anson family, whose naval hero Admiral George Anson brought back great wealth from his circumnavigation of the globe. The estate is famed not only for its elegant Palladian mansion and landscaped grounds but also for the enigmatic Shepherd’s Monument, erected in the mid-18th century. Beneath a carved relief of Nicolas Poussin’s painting The Shepherds of Arcadia, an inscription of seemingly random letters—“OUOSVAVV” framed by “D M”—has baffled historians, cryptographers, and codebreakers for over 250 years. Theories range from Masonic secrets and religious messages to hidden references to the Holy Grail, but despite numerous attempts, including by wartime codebreakers at Bletchley Park, the true meaning remains unresolved.
The National Trust gatehouse was unguarded and the blog needs more dodgy photos to bring the mystery to life.
Risk Taking in Shugborough
Must mean something to someone
Onwards with the (lengthy) walk;
Over Essex Birdge, a C16th Pack Horse Bridge with 14 arches...
... to pick up the Trent and Mersey Canal all the way to Rugeley
Another story awaits in Rugeley. A place detailed in the Domesday Book and most notable as an Industrial Revolution mining town. Its most infamous resident - William Palmer, the Prince of Poisoners.
William Palmer, known as the “Prince of Poisoners” was a Victorian doctor infamous for one of the most notorious criminal cases of the 19th century. Born in 1824 in Rugeley, Staffordshire, he qualified as a physician but quickly gained a reputation for greed, gambling, and mounting debts. Between the early 1850s and his arrest in 1855, a series of mysterious deaths surrounded him, including his wife, brother, and several associates, though he was only ever tried for the murder of his friend John Parsons Cook. Cook died after falling ill at the Talbot Inn (now the Shrew) in Rugeley, where Palmer was suspected of administering strychnine. His trial at the Old Bailey in 1856 drew national attention, and after being found guilty, he was hanged outside Stafford Prison that same year, cementing his reputation as one of England’s most infamous poisoners.
I spent a little time plotting the locations of his dastardly deeds before finding out that an Adventure Lab Cache had done all the work for me;
The Palmer Family Home
Grave of John Parsons Cook - Gambler, bon vivant, Palmer victim
Formerly the Talbot, where Palmer administered poison to Cook
Palmer's final home - where he may or may not have poisoned his own children
A first - the blog turns "true crime". Let's get back to its original purpose. Pubs.
I had every intention of investigating the Talbot/Shrew but thankfully I was saved from myself.... this, a subset of an online review.
At the rear is a dance floor, karaoke with loud music and disco lights...
Best to stick with the Good Beer Guide recommendations, of which there are two and only the Vine open on a Monday. Although, I have never seen a pub look less open. Nearest door to the street closed and barely a light on inside to show proof of life.
A mobility scooter further down the street gave hope
There is am eponymous brewery attached. If they sell any of their beers elsewhere, I haven't stumbled across them. A choice of at least 4, with the grapefruit IPA turned down in favour of the stout.
The pressure on with the Untappd checkin.... once I start my typing, I am told the head brewer is sat next to me. At least he is on the stout as well.
