TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED
Helen Werin admits just how wrong her first impressions of Staffordshire were as she shares its landscapes and legends with you. | |||
‘Strange when you consider that, up here on the Morridge next to the Mermaid Inn, we are about as far away from the sea as it is possible for us to be in Britain. Of course, it’s become a bit of a game in our family to ‘spot the mermaid’ – not that I ever have or, indeed, want to if she is as vile and vicious as legend has it. I would much rather catch sight of one of the wallabies which were released on The Roaches – across from this ridge – from a private zoo in the 1930s. Although the wallabies are said to have died out in the 1980s, to this day visitors and locals swear they still spot the odd one or two bounding around. ‘Bounding around’ is the perfect description of why we love The Roaches so much. When our children were of the ‘we don’t do walks’ persuasion, we could always encourage them here, whatever the weather. There are plentiful rocks perfect for scampering over and rock climbers to watch and the heather is of the bounciest variety. At nearby Ramshaw Rocks we have pet names for the dramatic formations that shoot up above the lonely A53 Leek to Buxton Road; the ‘Monkey’ stone, the ‘Finger’ stone and the Winking Man. Now, as age and sciatica set in, the abundant rocks afford somewhere to sit in contemplative peace with the most magnificent views over Tittesworth Reservoir. On the ‘outer’ road which winds its’ away around to Roach End, past the landmark Hen Cloud, is Rockhall Cottage, built into the gritstone, which looks like it has burst out of the pages of a slightly sinister fairy tale. To one side of it, steep steps lead up through the shelter of the trees to the windy top of The Roaches, from where you can see way across into Cheshire. There’s an even bigger pool up here called the Doxey pool, around which even more legends abound, from more ‘nasty’ mermaids, to Loch Ness-type monsters to the ghost of a beautiful young local woman who mysteriously disappeared.
Without a doubt though, the place I find the eeriest of all in these parts is Lud’s Church, in the dankest of narrow gorges. The fact that the sun never reaches its depths and that the only sound is the steady drip of water down the moss and fern-draped walls enhances the atmosphere. Steep and slippery steps take you about 50 feet down into the gorge, where, six centuries ago, the Lollards – persecuted by the Catholic Church – are said to have held their secret religious services. It is always with relief that I emerge at the other end onto the wooded path which gently winds up again to the ridge west of The Roaches with its fabulous views across to Shutlingsloe hill. It is easy to pick out Jodrell Bank and the outskirts of Manchester beyond. Away from warm weekends, when The Roaches can get busy, it is sublimely peaceful. Peace is not a word I would previously have associated with Staffordshire. My first impression of the county, formed on a school trip to the Potteries, was one of utter drabness. When some years later I accompanied my husband for a job interview in Wolverhampton (now in the West Midlands) I begged him not to take the position because of the dreary atmosphere the city had bestowed upon me.
But I was never more wrong; it is only because of my guilt at my serious misjudgement that I reluctantly share the county’s joys with you. Staffordshire is the beautiful heart of the Midlands. Whilst thousands of visitors trail off to neighbouring Derbyshire, the Staffordshire part of the Peak District is almost deserted by comparison. Yet, whisper it, I think it is better.
Both the Camping and Caravanning Club and Caravan Club sites lie close to The Roaches and Tittesworth Reservoir. The former’s site at Cannock Chase, about 28 miles to the south, is also one of my favourites. It’s only a 45 minute drive but may as well be a million miles away for the contrast in scenery that it offers. Along the way Sophie, our youngest daughter, likes to stop and watch her namesake steam train puff past along the Churnet Valley Railway. It’s also worth walking along the Caldon Canal, off the A520 three miles south of Leek, to take a look at the historic Cheddleton Flint Mill. The site features two water mills, a small museum and a period cottage.
Another slight detour I’d recommend you take is to Rudyard Lake. It’s hard to believe that a little over 100 years ago it was a weekend mecca for as many as 20,000 day trippers, mostly from Manchester and the Potteries, who would enjoy a funfair, brass band concerts, a whole fleet of rowing boats and dozens of tea rooms. Almost the only sound nowadays to disturb its’ tranquillity is the soothing chuff-chuff of the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway. Such was Rudyard Lake’s impression upon a courting couple back in the 1860s – John Lockwood Kipling and Alice Macdonald – that they named their first child after the lake.
Yet another Staffordshire ‘claim to fame’ is evident at Shugborough Hall, the former ancestral home of the late society photographer Patrick Lichfield, on the northern edge of the Chase. One of the oldest yew trees in England – said to ward off evil spirits – grows in the vast grounds here. The hall may now be a popular visitor attraction, with a farm worked by ‘servants’ who, in a quaint and amusing twist, think they are in the early 19th century, but behind the scenes lies the rather disturbing origin of its' name. It is said to derive from Shug – meaning a devil or evil spirit – and barrow, a burial mound. Not surprisingly, I give a wide berth, even in daylight, to the Tower of the Wind, where strange flickering candles have been glimpsed after dark. Just as unnerving, the Shepherd’s Monument bears an inscription, the very meaning of which remains a mystery to this day.
As if that isn’t enough to spook you, let us return to the legend of the Mermaid pool. It is said that a lovely young woman was chased by a local man who, for unfathomable reasons, trussed her up and threw her into the 'bottomless’ pool. As she sank into the dark waters she screamed her vengeance. Just days later her persecutor was found drowned in the same pool, the skin on his face shredded as if by talons. I am told – though I have never braved the chill winds up there long enough to find out – that no bird or animal will drink at the pool and that it has never changed its level, even during droughts.
‘Sounds suspiciously to me like a tale someone has dreamed up so that they can keep the glorious ‘secrets’ of Staffordshire all to themselves.
CANNOCK CHASE The best way to discover the Chase is by cycling; it is one of the most popular locations for mountain biking in the region with trails to suit all abilities. We hired bikes from Swinnertons Cycles at the Birches Valley Forest Centre (01889 575170) and rode past a sculpture trail featuring carved giant animals, and, oddly, drums and pipes, as well as a rather incongruous giant shoe. A gentle track took us into pretty Fairoak Valley, past fishing pools. There are plentiful benches and picnic spots and the chance to spot deer and other wildlife. www.cannock-chase.co.uk
AT A GLANCE
WHERE TO FIND OUT MORE www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk
WHAT ELSE TO SEE AND DO *The huge entrance of Thors cave looms over the picturesque Manifold valley (a short drive west of Leek ) which offers an easy and traffic-free walking and cycling route. Scramble inside this cave where remains of long-extinct animals have been found. Use the pay and display car park at Wetton. Alternatively cycle or walk along the Manifold Track (formerly the Manifold Light Railway) – there is a car park and cycle hire centre at Waterhouses, and also car parks at Weags Bridge, Wettonmill and Hulme End. *At the Museum of Cannock Chase, Valley Road, Hednesford, you can don a miner’s helmet and visit the coal mining gallery and see how local families lived in Victorian times. The museum was once home to the training pit, Valley Colliery. 01543 877666. http://www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/museum *Tittesworth Reservoir is a great spot for fishing and birdwatching. Take the A53 Leek-Buxton road and turn off beside the Three Horseshoes Inn on Blackshaw Moor. *Rudyard Lake Steam Railway starts from the car park just south of the damhead. It runs most weekends and weekdays during the summer months. www.rlsr.org
TIPS *You can’t miss Ramshaw Rocks above the A53. Take a sharp left turn in front of a small cottage just before the rocks (from the south). For The Roaches (from the south) take the left turn signposted Upper Hulme, past a disused factory and you’ll find parking spaces below the hill, Hen Cloud. Continue on to Roach End, from where the path leads through Gradbach Forest to Lud’s Church. For information and walking routes http://www.roaches.org.uk *At weekends and holidays it is better to leave your vehicle at the camp sites on Blackshaw Moor when visiting the Roaches and either walk or use the regular shuttle bus from Meerbrook. I would not recommend cycling. Bus information available at the sites. *Pick up a Cannock Chase Six Visitor Centres purple leaflet from TICs or camp sites and you’ll find 2 for 1 vouchers for Shugborough and other discounts. *.Stock up at the large Co-Op supermarket or Morrison’s in Leek, both of which have plentiful parking, otherwise you won’t find another shop on the main road before Buxton. * The remote but “very friendly” Winking Man pub, on the A53 just north of Ramshaw Rocks, is billed as Britain’s highest nightclub, but offers live music in the bar on Fridays and karaoke on Saturdays. 01538 300361.
WHERE TO STAY *Glencote Caravan Park, in Station Road, Cheddleton, is situated near Leek in the lovely Churnet Valley with the steam railway running alongside. 01538 360745. www.glencote.co.uk *Blackshaw Moor Caravan Club Site, Leek. 01538 300203 is open nine months of the year. Leek Camping and Caravanning Club Site, Blackshaw Grange, Leek, is open all year. 01538 300285 *Cannock Chase Camping and Caravanning Club Site, Old Youth Hostel, Wandon, Rugeley. 01889 582166. It is usually open April-November. *At Tackeroo Caravan Site, on the Penkridge Bank Road four miles south west of Rugeley in the heart of Cannock Chase, you can watch the fallow deer from your window. Usually open April-December. 01889 586593or e-mail: andy.coggins@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
WHERE TO EAT *For a real treat, The Moat House, in Acton Trussell, close to Cannock Chase, offers a good value early doors menu from 6.30-7.30pm (not Saturdays) in the canopied 2AA rosette conservatory restaurant, where we dined like kings. We also ate the biggest and most delicious beef and ale pies we have ever tasted from the bar menu. There are also gourmet and tasting menus. The Moat House, Lower Penkridge Road, Acton Trussell, near Stafford. 01785 712217 www.moathouse.co.uk * The Mermaid Inn, on the Morridge at Thorncliffe, is one of the highest restaurants in England and has panoramic views. 01538 300253 *The Roaches Tea Rooms, in Roach Road, Upper Hulme, have wonderful views from the conservatory and patio and a log burning stove in winter. 01538 300345 * The Greengate Deli, in Greengate Street, in Stafford, offers fine foods from local producers, imaginative salads, soups and hot specials such as Hommity Pie. 01785 258142.
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High up in the loneliest of spots on the Staffordshire Moorlands is a small pool, which, legend has it, is home to a mermaid who will drag you in to its murky depths if you venture too close. 
