Cannock in Staffordshire is home to nearly 30,000 people - it’s probably best known for Cannock Chase, which is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest too.

The countryside surrounding Cannock is popular with walkers and mountain bikers alike.  Many visitors head up to Castle Ring - the remains of an Iron Age hill fort which is the highest point on Cannock Chase.

Cannock was a small rural town until the 19th Century when coal was discovered in the area - a valuable resource much in demand in the neighbouring Black Country.  The coming of the railway in 1858 hastened the town’s growth.

The town has good leisure facilities - including a swimming pool, ice rink and leisure centre.

If you want to find out more about the history of the area - the Museum of Cannock Chase has many excellent displays covering coal mining, and everyday life in this area.

Visitors wanting to journey further back in time will enjoy a visit to Moseley Old Hall - an Elizabethan farmhouse once used by King Charles II to hide from Oliver Cromwell’s army in 1651.