Rugeley

Rugeley makes a practical, well-connected base for exploring Cannock Chase and the Trent Valley without paying city prices. The town's hotels and guesthouses tend towards straightforward, comfortable stays rather than boutique extras, which suits visitors who plan to spend their days out on the Chase's trails or the canal towpath and just need a reliable bed at the end of it. A handful of pubs in and around the town offer rooms above the bar, giving you food and a night's sleep in one place, while budget chain hotels on the approach roads are a dependable option for a short stopover or a family trip on a tighter budget.

For a quieter or more scenic stay, look to the villages around Cannock Chase and along the Trent Valley, where bed and breakfasts and small guesthouses put you closer to the forest gates at Birches Valley and the deer-spotting trails, at the cost of a short drive back into town for shops and the market. Self-catering cottages in the area suit longer stays or groups, particularly those built around walking, cycling or the war cemetery and heritage sites nearby. Wherever you choose to stay, Rugeley's position just off the A51 and A460, with two railway stations of its own, means you're rarely more than a few minutes from the motorway network or a direct train into Birmingham, making it an easy base whether you're driving in for a weekend or arriving by rail.

Rugeley's biggest draw is on its doorstep, but the town and surrounding villages have their own points of interest too.

• Cannock Chase AONB — heather moorland, forest and steep valleys covering around 26 square miles, with waymarked walking and cycling trails, red and fallow deer, and some of the best stargazing spots in the Midlands thanks to its Dark Sky Discovery status.
• Birches Valley Forest Centre — the main visitor hub for the Chase, with a café, cycle hire and trailheads for routes ranging from gentle family loops to technical mountain-bike singletrack.
• Go Ape Cannock Chase — a treetop adventure course of zip wires, rope bridges and Tarzan swings set in the forest, popular with families and thrill-seekers alike.
• Trent and Mersey Canal towpath — a flat, easy walking and cycling route through Rugeley that follows James Brindley's 18th-century canal past locks, moored narrowboats and quiet stretches of water.
• Cannock Chase War Cemetery — a large and moving Commonwealth and German war cemetery on the edge of the Chase, one of the most significant military burial grounds in the country.
• Elmore Park and Hagley Fields — Rugeley's main town park, with a play area, skate park and a small pets' corner, useful for breaking up a day out with younger children.
• Rugeley Market — a long-running open-air market held in the town centre, a good spot to pick up local produce and get a feel for the town beyond the tourist trail.

The town has a solid spread of traditional pubs alongside a growing choice of independent restaurants. The Red Lion is a popular spot for generous, homemade pub food at fair prices, while the Vine Inn draws a loyal local crowd for its relaxed atmosphere, home-brewed drinks and casual menu of burgers and sandwiches. Ye Olde Windmill has a reputation for a hearty carvery with generous portions, and Ye Olde Dun Cow is another long-standing local favourite. For something different, La Terrazza Ristorante Italiano serves Italian dishes in the town centre, and Daisy's Kitchen is a well-regarded café for breakfasts and lunches. A short drive out towards the Chase, the Redmore Inn combines a bar of local ales with a seasonal, scratch-cooked menu, making it a good stop after a day on the trails.

Cannock Chase's heather moorland and forest make it one of the more distinctive camping backdrops in the Midlands, but as with anywhere in England, wild camping without the landowner's permission is against the law here, including across the Chase itself, which is managed common land with byelaws covering overnight stays. Anyone wanting to sleep out under the Chase's notably dark skies needs to book into one of the licensed campsites in and around Rugeley and the wider Cannock Chase district, several of which sit within easy reach of the forest trailheads at Birches Valley and the deer park at Bagot's Wood.

The terrain across the Chase is a mix of open heathland, steep-sided valleys and dense birch, pine and beech forest, cut through with a network of bridleways and waymarked trails, so pitches tend to be sheltered by trees rather than exposed on open moor. That makes for reasonably comfortable camping conditions even when the weather turns, though the sandy, well-drained soil across much of the Chase means trails and pitches shed rain better than you might expect from a Midlands site. Facilities-wise, expect a straightforward mix of touring pitches, tent camping and, increasingly, glamping options such as pods, yurts and safari tents for visitors who want the setting without the full kit list.

Late spring through to early autumn is the easiest camping season here, with drier ground underfoot and long evenings to make the most of the forest and heathland walks; August is a particular highlight, when the heather across the open Chase turns a deep purple. Autumn brings cooler nights but good conditions for spotting the Chase's red and fallow deer, especially during the rutting season, while the site's Dark Sky Discovery status means clear nights at any time of year can reward campers with genuinely dark, star-filled skies once you're away from Rugeley's own lights. Whatever time of year you visit, booking ahead is worthwhile, since sites near the most popular trailheads fill up quickly on good-weather weekends.