Rugbur two

Verified Slow Way

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A most enjoyable walk, aided by the first warm sunny day I'd managed to bag for walking. Two reviews and a detailed overview so little more to say. I started at Chase Terrace and climbed the common stoping to take in the excellent and far reaching view to the south. A mast and reservoir confirm we have reached the top and The Park Gate Inn opposite the Castle Ring car park may be of use.

The fort is impressive with no trees or bushes to hide the massive enclosed compound. The winter mud had almost gone and where it survived there was usually an avoiding path. I spotted a campsite at the road then there is a cycle path that avoids the short road section with warning signs suggesting it's not advised as a walking path.

The car park at Stile Cop was a series of huge potholes that even walkers need to avoid if they are full of water. I had no issue with the plotting and path finding especially here as the route is used by cables strung between a line of ploes. Although vigilance is needed where our route bears off.

Sadly the edge of Rugeley comes all too soon and those cooling towers that offered height perspective in 2021 have now gone. I gave Wetherspoons a miss but admired the retention of the Plaza facade before turning into the pedestrian high street to the meeting place.

Walked from Burntwood to Rugeley. A very enjoyable walk but quite hard work at times, and quite wet and muddy in places. The descent from Stile Cop is a little tricky to navigate because of the profusion of paths, and the official bridleway line does not help much. Still a fine route.

From the Burntwood meeting point outside the shopping centre, we head north up the very straight Rugeley Road for some distance, then right onto Chorley Road, which soon reaches the edge of the built up area. We follow it round to the entrance to Gentleshaw Common opposite Ogley Hay Road. The path is wide, and forms several parallel channels in an interesting example of footpath erosion. The gradient soon relents, and the upper part of the common is almost flat.

We emerge on Common Side opposite the church and head straight on, then take the path that starts on Buds Road by the junction. From here we follow the Heart of England way. At a T junction we turn left and follow residential streets west towards Castle Ring. There is a short section without a pavement.

We head right into Castle Ring car park and take the path which heads downhill to the left of the hill fort. At the next junction there is a choice - the upper path is more direct but rather muddy, and the surface improves dramatically when we rejoin the forest road. We continue downhill until we reach a small pool, then head straight on up towards Rugeley Road. Just before the road we head right, still on the Heart of England way, then left on a wider track in front of a house. We go a short distance right up Rugeley Road then left onto Stile Cop Road, which is quite narrow with fast traffic, and lacks a continuous verge, so take care here - you should at least be rewarded with views over the steeper ground below. Eventually we leave the road right through the Stile Cop car park, then pass the trig point (which lacks a view because there are high trees in all directions). I chose to follow the path right, which is a little muddy and indirect, and also loses height unnecessarily. Although this does not match the right of way line, it never gets too far away, and the line down through Chetwynd's Coppice eventually becomes obvious. At the bottom we cross a field between fenced (beware nettles) then take the lane right which leads us to the first houses in Rugeley.

From here we head down Cherry Tree Road, then take the path straight on at the junction with Gorse Lane, which heads into an open space from which there is a choice of ways down to Coulthwaite Way, one of which is surfaced throughout. At the end of the road a surfaced path takes us straight on to Hilltop, which we follow left then around the bend to the right to reach the A460. Here we stay on the left side, going through a little tunnel under the railway then using a pelican crossing just before the Globe Island roundabout, where we take the pedestrianised street right to the meeting point in the shopping centre, which has benches.

Direct, scenic, straightforward but quite a tough 11km. Starting in Rugeley the route passes a roundabout with statues dedicated to former industries (1) and joins the pavement of the A51 as if heading to Lichfield. Having passed numerous shops and pubs and underneath the railway arch, you turn off to the right (2) and follow a series of pavements and then footpaths through a quiet residential area (3). If you look over to your left you get an idea of how fast you are climbing by how high you are compared to the cooling towers (4). Eventually the footpath meets the countryside on the edge of the Brereton and Ravenhill Way. To ease navigation, you follow a bridleway to the right as far as some stables and then cut up a track up the side. This track starts an ascent through woods which are popular with dog walkers and ring to birdsong. Keep going and if you look back (6) you get an idea of how you much you've climbed. I should warn you that the path marked by Ordnance Survey in this section does not always match the exact track but it never strays far enough to lose you. When you reach a triangulation pillar you realise that you've climbed from the starting point of Rugeley at 75m above sea level to 207m in just 3km! You cross a car park (popular with mountain bikers) and turn left into Stile Cop Road. There is a short section of road walking here but the stretch is straight and has verges. The views northeast are spectacular! At the end of the road you cross over onto Startley Hill where the Way picks up the Heart of England Way. It had rained a lot over the weeks prior to my walk and the path through the woods was quite boggy (9). As the path turned left into a track, rainwater had created streams through the path, although this actually served to keep the gravel track firm and dry. It was during this section that I heard two cuckoos call and answer across the woods. At the foot of the descent a small, shallow, easily passable ford had formed (10). The next section takes you out of the woods and into countryside on the edge of the woods (11). This is quite a deceptive ascent, taking you from 165m to 230m in just over a kilometre. At the top is the pre Roman hillfort, Castle Ring (12). Having visited a few times I followed the route past the circular embankment rather than taking the chance to take in the views which are worth the climb! Even if you don't divert to walk around the monument, the road at the front beyond the car park has great views south across the Black Country and into Worcestershire. You are now in Cannock Wood and have your first opportunities for pubs since leaving Rugeley. You continue with the Heart of England Way around a covered reservoir (with great views across Staffordshire and into Derbyshire (13)) and south into the village of Gentleshaw where you have another pub option. The route goes back offroad and takes you down Gentleshaw Hill from which you get your first views of Burntwood ahead (14). The route folows the track and ends up on Chorley Road where you turn right and the pavement follows the road up the hill past a couple of pubs and small supermarkets before turning left into Rugeley Road. This very straight road (15) delivers you to the meeting spot near Sankeys Corner in Burntwood. In summary, I'd say this route is challenging from a climbing point of view, but very rewarding in terms of peace, nature and views. It's direct, safe and has been designed to be easy to follow.

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