Stafford

Stafford makes a sensible, well-connected base for exploring the middle of England, and its hotels reflect that practicality as much as its heritage. In the town centre, a handful of independent guesthouses and small hotels sit within walking distance of the Ancient High House, the castle and the railway station, ideal if you would rather leave the car behind and explore on foot. Around the M6 junctions on the edge of town, branded chain hotels cater well to business travellers and families breaking a longer journey, usually with straightforward parking and easy access back onto the motorway.

Further out, the villages fringing Cannock Chase and the Staffordshire countryside offer a quieter alternative, with country inns and converted farmhouses that suit visitors planning to spend their days walking, cycling or visiting Shugborough Estate rather than shopping in town. These tend to have more character than the motorway-side options, often with their own restaurants or gardens, and put you closer to the Chase's trails first thing in the morning before the day-trip crowds arrive.

Wherever you base yourself, Stafford's size works in your favour: nowhere in the town centre is more than a short walk from anywhere else, and even the out-of-town options are rarely more than a fifteen-minute drive from the castle or the station. Booking ahead is sensible during the summer months and around any town centre events in Victoria Park, but outside those peaks Stafford rarely feels overrun, making it a relaxed option for a short break or a stopover on a longer Midlands tour.

Stafford's compact centre packs in a surprising amount of history, and the surrounding countryside adds walking, wildlife and grand estates to the mix.

• Stafford Castle — a Norman motte first raised by William the Conqueror's allies to keep the local population in check, rebuilt in stone in the 19th century and now a striking ruin with a visitor centre and sweeping views over the county from its hilltop site.
• Ancient High House — reputedly the largest timber-framed town house still standing in England, built in 1595 and once host to King Charles I during the Civil War; it now holds period rooms and changing exhibitions on the town's past.
• Izaak Walton's Cottage — a thatched cottage near Shallowford linked to the Stafford-born author of The Compleat Angler, one of the most reprinted books in the English language, set in quiet gardens that reward anglers and readers alike.
• Shugborough Estate — a National Trust mansion and working farm a few miles east of town, with formal gardens, parkland walks along the Trent and Mersey Canal, and the curious Shepherd's Monument in its grounds.
• Cannock Chase — heathland, ancient oak woods and a resident herd of fallow deer just south of Stafford, criss-crossed by way-marked walking and mountain-biking trails and home to a moving First World War German war cemetery.
• Stafford town centre and Market Square — a browse round the covered market, independent shops and the parish church of St Mary's, whose unusual octagonal tower is a local landmark.
• Victoria Park — a well-kept riverside park beside the Sow, with formal flower beds, a bandstand and pleasant walks that make a good bookend to a day of sightseeing.

The town centre has a solid mix of independent cafes and pubs alongside the usual high street names, with Market Square and Greengate Street a good starting point for a browse. The Sun Inn and The Radford Bank are among the town's longer-standing pubs for a pint after a day at the castle, while the indoor market on Market Street is worth a visit for local produce and a quick, unfussy lunch. For something more rural, the pubs scattered through the villages around Cannock Chase and along the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal make a good stop after a walk, often with beer gardens overlooking the water or the heath.

Stafford itself is a town rather than a camping destination, but it sits within easy striking distance of some genuinely good camping country, particularly the heathland and pine forests of Cannock Chase a few miles to the south. As with anywhere in England, wild camping without the landowner's permission is against the law, so pitching up on the Chase or in the surrounding farmland requires a proper campsite or a farmer's explicit consent rather than finding a quiet clearing for the night. Fortunately there is no shortage of legitimate options: small family-run campsites and caravan parks dot the villages around Cannock Chase and along the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, many offering grass pitches for tents alongside hookups for tourers and motorhomes.

The terrain here suits campers who like their outdoors gentle rather than dramatic, think ancient oak woodland, open heath and canal towpaths rather than mountains, which makes it a good match for families and those newer to camping. Cannock Chase's way-marked trails are ideal for a day's walk or mountain bike ride straight from a nearby pitch, and the resident fallow deer are often spotted at dawn and dusk near the woodland edges. The Chase's sandy, free-draining soil also means paths stay walkable even after wet weather, a genuine advantage in an English summer.

Late spring to early autumn is the best window for camping around Stafford, when the bracken and heather are at their best and the longer evenings suit a fire pit and a barbecue after a day exploring Shugborough Estate or the castle. For anyone who prefers a roof over their head without giving up the outdoor feel, several sites in the area have added glamping options, from safari tents to shepherd's huts, which extend the season into spring and autumn when a canvas tent might feel a bit exposed. Whichever way you choose to stay, Cannock Chase's combination of accessible walking, wildlife and proximity to Stafford's historic centre makes it one of the more underrated bases for a short camping trip in the Midlands.