Staffordshire is large, varied and curiously under-rated. It’s a mystery that, for so many, it means little more than Alton Towers, the Potteries and the M6. Yet, Staffordshire accounts for no less than one-sixth of the Peak, including some of the loveliest parts of the national park, ranging from popular Dovedale to the quiet, remote-seeming country round Hollinsclough. The county’s share of the Peak is part of the administrative district of Staffordshire Moorlands, which also includes the gorgeous countryside east of Stoke, where the beauty of the steep, wooded valley of the River Churnet comes as a big surprise to those unfamiliar with Staffordshire.
Further south, Cannock Chase is sandwiched between Stafford and the Black Country. That might sound unpromising, but the Chase is a huge and captivating outdoor playground of woodland, wetland, parkland, plantation and heath, offering something for everybody.
In between the Moorlands and the Chase there is an abundance of gentle, pleasant countryside, some pretty villages and the charming cathedral city of Lichfield.
In the south-west, a long, narrow finger of Staffordshire is squeezed between neighbouring counties, culminating in Kinver Edge, a relatively low-rise escarpment which nevertheless offers fine views. It is partially wooded but more important for its remnant heathland, though better known for the cave dwellings carved out of the soft sandstone.
Staffordshire’s landscape is further enhanced by an extensive canal system, and rivers feature strongly too, though the largely footpath-free Trent is elusive. Others, such as Dane, Manifold, Hamps, Dove and Churnet, are more accessible, and rate among the loveliest of English rivers.
