34-497: Pye Green is an English village on Cannock Chase in the south of Staffordshire standing nearly 800 feet above sea-level, literally overlooking Hednesford , Cannock , Walsall and much of the Black Country . Birmingham city centre can be clearly seen when the weather is good. Pye Green is served by roads running from Hednesford to Stafford and from Chadsmoor to Slitting Mill and Etchinghill . The closest trunk roads are
68-521: A camp on nearby Cannock Chase and guarded by soldiers of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade . The model was of the village and surrounding area of Messines in Belgium, which included replica trenches and dugouts, railway lines, roads, and accurate contours of the surrounding terrain. In September 2013 Staffordshire County Council allowed a team of local archaeologists and volunteers to excavate
102-588: A community centre, several shops (butcher's, takeaways, general dealers and convenience stores), a funeral director's, a pub and social club, a pavilion and sports ground, and an equestrian centre. The nearest secondary schools are Staffordshire University Academy and Kingsmead School, Hednesford . The pub is named after a former local farmer, his Pye Green Farm predating the first housing estate comprising Clarkes Avenue and Cotton Grove, erected before WWII . Just after WWII, prefabs were erected west of this estate. They were replaced with more permanent dwellings in
136-648: A motor engineer from Walsall , was found guilty at Stafford assizes of one of the murders in 1968 and was sentenced to life imprisonment . He died in prison in March 2014, aged 84, after serving 45 years. Since the 1970s, sightings of Black Eyed Kids , Black Dogs , Werewolves , British big cats , UFOs , and even Bigfoot have been reported in the local press. However no conclusive evidence has ever been produced verifying these claims, and they may best be thought of as forming part of local folklore . The 1972 Labi Siffre album Crying Laughing Loving Lying features
170-580: A pub) overlooked a quarry which was subsequently used for landfill and is now a green space. The nearest working quarry now is to the west, above Pottal Pool , the latter having once been a lido . Oldest artefact of all is the Wishing Stone on or near the (possible) route of Blake Street (or Blake Road) . Before the coming of canals and railways, this provided one of a few alternative routes for stage-coach travel between London and Chester or Birmingham and Manchester, via Hednesford through to Stafford. As for
204-810: A track, written on Cannock Chase, and named after it. Cannock Chase (UK Parliament constituency) Cannock Chase is a constituency in Staffordshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Josh Newbury of the Labour Party . 1997–2010 : The District of Cannock Chase, and the District of South Staffordshire ward of Huntington. 2010–present : The District of Cannock Chase. The constituency contains three towns, Cannock , Rugeley , and Hednesford , with several pit villages, and
238-528: Is a mixed area of countryside in the county of Staffordshire , England. The area has been designated as the Cannock Chase National Landscape , an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , and much of it is managed by Forestry England for its important ecology and for recreational use. The Chase gives its name to the Cannock Chase local government district . It is a former Royal forest . With
272-500: Is a more technical trail that splits from 'Follow the Dog' at about the halfway point, then rejoins slightly further on. There are several features mountain bikers can look out for when riding on the chase, such as Kitbag Hill, Rabbit Hill, Quagmire Bridge, Roots Hall and Brocton Shorts. Increasing popularity of the MTB trails led Network Rail to install a cycle bridge in 2013 at Moors Gorse to replace
306-533: Is popular with cross-country mountain bike users. The purpose-built XC 'Follow the Dog' trail is an 11 km (6.8 mi) technically challenging route, opened in 2005, starting and finishing at the Birches Valley Visitors/Cycle Centre. It is open to all; however, it is not recommended for beginners. A new section of XC trail was opened in April 2010. The 'Monkey Trail' (11.2 km (7.0 mi))
340-448: Is the smallest area so designated in mainland Britain, covering 68 km (26 sq mi). Much of the area is also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Despite being relatively small in area, the chase provides a remarkable range of landscape and wildlife, including a herd of around 800 fallow deer and a number of rare and endangered birds, including migrant nightjars . Efforts are underway to increase
374-549: The A34 from Cannock to Stafford and the A460 from Cannock to Rugeley . Bus services are provided by Chaserider PyeGreen--Hednesford--Cannock--Pye Green and vice-versa, circular services 25/26 with a 15-or 30-minute frequency, Mon-Sat. The closest railway station is at Hednesford, which is on the Chase Line running from Rugeley Trent Valley to Birmingham New Street . In the past 100 years,
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#1733086272801408-599: The next election , subsequently held the seat and increased the Conservative majority in both 2015 and 2017. In 2019 , the Conservative majority increased to nearly 20,000 votes. However, the seat was regained by Labour in their landslide victory in the 2024 general election , taking the seat from the Conservatives after 14 years on a 25% swing; it became the largest majority in percentage terms (42.9%) to be overturned in that election. The vote share change in 2010 comes from
442-741: The 1970s and 1980s. In the meantime, council housing was developed east of this estate in conjunction with the coal board, bringing in an influx of mining families from Ayrshire, Northumberland and Durham , and South Wales in the 1960s to work in various pits in the Cannock Chase Coalfield . The land in the Pye Green Valley was developed in the 1980s onwards. This development has removed any green space gaps between Pye Green and Hednesford or Pye Green and Chadsmoor, and so it may not always be clear who lives in Pye Green and who doesn't. Land to
476-660: The Bromsgrove Sandstone. Older literature will often refer to the bunter sandstone, a name which geologists no longer apply to the New Red Sandstone of Britain. Southeast of Rugeley Road the bedrock is provided by the mudstones , siltstones and sandstones of the Pennine Middle Coal Measures Formation, a succession dating from the end of the Carboniferous period, and which is separated from
510-558: The Chase itself situated between Hednesford and Rugeley . Since 2010 the seat has broadly the same boundaries as did the 1974-1983 seat of Cannock . Prior to 1997, Cannock and Hednesford were part of the Cannock and Burntwood constituency, while Rugeley was part of the Mid Staffordshire constituency. Between 1997 and 2010 the village of Huntington was part of the constituency though it
544-434: The Chase over the years, as at Wolseley today. The Chase is located between Hednesford , Huntington , Lichfield , Rugeley , Brocton , Milford and Stafford . It comprises a mixture of natural deciduous woodland, coniferous plantations, open heathland, small lakes and the remains of early industry, such as coal mining . The Chase was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) on 16 September 1958 and
578-403: The amount of heathland on the chase, reintroducing shrubs such as heather in some areas where bracken and birch forest have crowded out most other plants. The local flora also includes several species of Vaccinium , including the eponymous Cannock Chase berry ( Vaccinium × intermedium Ruthe). In January 2009, an outbreak of the plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum was discovered on
612-560: The area, and 3.2 million people live within a one hour drive of the area. It received an estimated 2.3 million visitors in 2010-11. There are a number of visitor centres, museums and waymarked paths, including the Heart of England Way and the Staffordshire Way . There are also accessible trails to enable people to experience the health benefits of the Chase, such as The Route to Health. Additionally, there are many unmarked public paths. On
646-461: The chase, at Brocton Coppice. Various restrictions were put in place in an attempt to prevent its spread. The chase is an important local amenity for recreation, with 58% of the National Landscape area publicly accessible, and several visitor attractions lie within it. While only around 10,000 people live within the National Landscape area itself, 135,000 people live within a 30 minute walk of
680-507: The early land management of the Chase, and aspects of the landscape's use in the First World War . 565 archaeological sites were mapped, with 436 of these sites new to the record. The area gained notoriety in the late 1960s when the Cannock Chase murders made national headlines. The remains of three young girls were found on the Chase after going missing from areas along the A34 road between there and Birmingham . Raymond Leslie Morris,
714-781: The exception of the southeastern area, the Chase is almost wholly underlain by sandstones and conglomerates of the Chester Formation dating from the Triassic period. Formerly known as the Cannock Chase Formation, these form a part of the Sherwood Sandstone Group . Overlying these rocks in the Rugeley area are the, often pebbly, sandstones of the Helsby Sandstone Formation, formerly referred to in this area as
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#1733086272801748-579: The mining, and the canals, railways and other infrastructure which went with it, the closest pits were sunk down the Pye Green Valley, fringing the Green Heath, Blake Street (Belt Road) and the railway to Cannock. This was the site of West Cannock pits nos. 1, 3 and 4 . Pye Green is the administrative headquarters of Hednesford Town Council , which meets in the Pye Green Community Centre (opened 1974. and renovated about 2012). Pye Green lies in
782-718: The nearby M6 motorway and the West Coast Main Line ). The tower relays line-of-sight microwave communication links between equivalent towers at Sutton Common in Cheshire and in the centre of Birmingham , eventually down to London BT Tower . Near to the BT Tower is an older structure, the Pye Green Pumping Station and Water Tower , which has operated since 1934. Other pieces of history, now barely visible, included gallops for thoroughbreds dating from when Hednesford
816-537: The north-eastern edge of the Chase can be found Shugborough Hall , ancestral home of the Earls of Lichfield . At its southern edge are the remains of Castle Ring , an Iron Age hill fort , which at 242 metres (794 ft) is the highest point on the Chase. Several glacial erratic boulders are also found on the Chase, remnants of glaciation . One is mounted on a plinth. The Chase has several war memorials , including German and Commonwealth war cemeteries. A memorial to
850-475: The overlying New Red Sandstone rocks by an unconformity . The Hednesford Hills are formed by the Chester Formation sandstones. A 'humped profile' dry valley running west–east, and followed by the bridleway between Brocton and Beggar's Hill is interpreted as a glacial overflow channel , operative during the ice age . An expanse of glacial till underlies Haywood Warren with smaller patches mapped elsewhere. Sand and gravel have been quarried in different parts of
884-481: The population of village has grown from possibly less than 150 people to perhaps as many as 6,000. This is mainly though council and coal board housing, and latterly through private housing, mainly down the Pye Green Valley. Today, therefore, the housing is mainly owner-occupied, with some private rentals and some council housing, being the remnants of the council housing which was not privately purchased by former tenants . The area also boasts nursery and primary schools,
918-499: The previous pedestrian level crossing where multiple near misses indicated a high risk to cyclists. Since 2006, the forest has been used as an open-air music venue as part of the Forestry England nationwide Forest Live , with acts such as The Zutons , The Feeling , Status Quo and Jools Holland playing in a forest clearing. A model World War I battlefield was constructed near Brocton by German prisoners of war held in
952-460: The territories administered by Cannock Chase District Council and Staffordshire County Council . It is also in the Cannock Chase (UK Parliament constituency) . 52°43′01″N 2°00′58″W / 52.717°N 2.016°W / 52.717; -2.016 This Staffordshire location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Cannock Chase Cannock Chase , often referred to locally as The Chase ,
986-522: The victims of the Katyn massacre was unveiled by Stefan Staniszewski, whose father Hillary, Zygmunt Staniszewski, died in the massacre. Preserved below the memorial are phials of soil from both Warsaw and the Katyn forest . Freda, the Harlequin Great Dane mascot of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (Earl of Liverpool's Own) is also buried on the chase marked with a memorial marble headstone. The Chase
1020-433: The well-preserved battlefield, revealing many new details. Staffordshire County Council used laser-scanning technology to recreate the site as a 3D interactive model that can be explored online. The model was open to public view for a few weeks before being buried again to ensure its preservation. The Chase Through Time project (2016–18) explored two thousand years of the history of the landscape of Cannock Chase AONB. It
1054-536: The west and north of the built area comprises what remains of The Chase , or Cannock Forest . Close by are the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery and German Military Cemetery , and the ruined remains of Brindley Village and of RAF Hednesford . The road out of Pye Green to the north-west towards Stafford climbs to the highest point for miles around. Because of this height, it hosts the local BT communications tower landmark (which can be seen from
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1088-565: Was a partnership between Staffordshire County Council , Historic England and the Heritage Lottery Fund . An archaeological survey using lidar which enabled researchers to see beneath trees coverage, and map usually unseen archaeological features in combination with historic aerial photographs, which illustrated changes to the landscape over the last 70 years. The project mapped archaeology from prehistoric burnt mounds, medieval and later coal mining, post medieval land division showing
1122-421: Was a significant training centre, before and during the advent of coal mining. They included a mission church (St. Marks) and a chapel (top of Bradbury Lane) which were part of the extension of christian buildings into the area in the 1890s. They included three working men's clubs which went with mining - only one still operates. The chapel (which was later part of one of the clubs and turf accountant's and then of
1156-470: Was part of South Staffordshire local government district. Created for the 1997 election, the seat has since become a bellwether . The Labour Party held the seat for 13 years until Aidan Burley of the Conservative Party was elected at the 2010 general election with a large 14% swing, which was the second largest Labour to Conservative swing at that election. Amanda Milling , who was elected in
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