ue habitats and sp AONB – uniq ecies Lowland heathland only occurs in north and west Forest and woodlands cover around 40% Agricultural land is another important and Europe. Historically it developed on sandy, of Cannock Chase AONB. Tree species are often forgotten habitat within and surrounding nutrient poor, acidic soil mainly as a predominantly Corsican pine, Scots pine, silver Cannock Chase AONB. Positive farming result of man clearing woodland birch and beech. The woodlands include management methods encourage the for animal grazing. Subsequent habitats such as open clearings, grass rides, maintenance, restoration and creation of increases in agriculture, scrub, woodland edges and wet woods. flower-rich grasslands and field margins, as commercial tree planting and These all provide important shelter and food well as woodlands, wildlife ponds, ditches urban development have reduced sources for a wide range of birds, mammals, and hedgerows. Improving these vital links the amount of lowland heathland. insects and reptiles including and ‘corridors’ between different habitat areas It is now a rare and threatened eight different birds of will increase the range habitat, yet supports a rich and prey, three types of of species they support. diverse variety of wildlife. woodpecker and six species Skylark - mainly feeds on agricultural of bat. Appropriate woodland land. It is a rare, ground nesting bird Here on the Chase, the heathland management ensures a range of tree includes a mosaic of heather, bell heather, with nests located amongst the Chase species, ages and structures are maintained grasslands from April to July. Nesting crowberry, cowberry and the rare “Cannock Chase berry” as well as to increase the opportunities for wildlife. grasses, scrub, such as gorse and bracken, and scattered silver birch skylarks are difficult to see and can trees. Our heathland habitat supports birds like the Woodlark - a rare bird which needs a be easily disturbed by the dogs of unaware owners. Such disturbance can endangered nightjar and skylark as well as four of mosaic of bare ground or short vegetation cause the birds to abandon their nests. the six British reptiles - slow worm, grass snake, for feeding and areas Adult skylarks have a distinctive song and adder and common lizard. of taller vegetation or woodland edges can be seen hovering high in Cannock Chase berry - a rare hybrid for nesting sites. the sky. between bilberry and cowberry. Leaves are Wetlands are wide in variety on the finely toothed, they are more ‘waxy’ Lowland wood-pasture and Chase, although few and far between and slightly thicker parkland developed when animals because of the mainly free-draining than bilberry, were grazed in medieval forests but less so than and, later, parks and commons. soils. The wetlands range from rivers, cowberry. In wood-pastures, trees were canals and streams to lakes, ponds, ‘pollarded’ or cut for timber at flushes (where nutrients accumulate Nightjar - visits Europe in summer a suitable height above ground due to water in-flow) and mires (areas from Africa to breed. Only becomes level to prevent browsing animals of permanently wet peat). As well as active at dusk, hunts insects on the eating the re-growth. This prolonged supporting a large range of plants, wing catching them with its open the tree’s life and gave it a very wetlands act as beak. Has a “churring” song which drinking points sounds like a motorbike! distinctive shape, producing characteristic old or ‘veteran’ trees. Such veteran trees provide and breeding important habitats for roosting bats and birds and grounds for a Semi-natural ancient woodlands are often have a lot of dead and decaying wood variety of birds and old woods with mainly British species which have not obviously providing homes for a large number of insects. The AONB has some wetland been felled or planted. Within Cannock Chase AONB, they are fungi, lichens and insects. species which are nationally rare, like the water vole and otter. generally oak, birch and holly woodland with Brocton Coppice - former a ground cover dominated by brambles, woodpasture, now 85 hectares Otter - member of the weasel family bracken and bluebells or, on the most of oak and birch woodland with which includes badger, polecat, acidic and nutrient poor soils, around 600 veteran sessile oak stoat and mink. It’s a secretive and heather and bilberry. This is trees, between 200 to 600 years nocturnal animal, rarely seen. an important habitat which old. would have covered most of Britain before man’s intervention. Photo credits: Chris Blackburn, Graham Walker and Steve Welch Cannock Chase AONB How You Can Help Nature Conservation Information C ha - Act as the eyes and ears of the AONB a k C se Cannock Chase Council - Consider ways of conserving and enhancing nnoc Countryside Service, Deavalls Farm, Hawks Green Lane, Cannock, WS11 2LP. the AONB Tel: 01543 450018. Fax: 01543 459946. - Act in environmentally friendly and socially Area of Outstanding Website: www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk responsible ways when visiting the countryside Natural Beauty Forestry Commission If you want advice or feel you can help, please contact: Birches Valley, , , WS15 2UQ. Nature Tel: 01889 586593. Fax: 01889 574217. Cannock Chase AONB Unit, Conservation Website: www.forestry.gov.uk/england Shugbrough Park Farm, Lichfield District Council Milford, Countryside Officer or Biodiversity Officer, Lichfield Stafford, ST17 0XB. District House, Frog Lane, Lichfield, WS13 6YZ. Tel: 01543 308000. Fax: 01543 308200. Tel: 01889 882613. Fax: 01889 883912. Website: www.lichfielddc.gov.uk Website: www.cannockchaseaonb.org.uk South Staffordshire Council Email: [email protected] Architectural & Landscape Services, Council Offices, Freda’s Footsteps or Codsall, South Staffordshire, WV8 1PX. Cannock Chase AONB Tel: 01902 696408. Fax: 01902 846553. Website: www.sstaffs.gov.uk Follow CannockAONB Stafford Borough Council on Twitter Sustainable Development/Local Agenda 21 Team, Environmental and Health Services, Civic Centre, Blog: http://aonb-blog.co.uk/ Riverside, Stafford, ST16 3AQ. Should you or someone you know require it, this Tel: 01785 619000. Fax: 01785 619219. leaflet can also be produced, on request, in large print. Website: www.staffordbc.gov.uk Please telephone 01889 882613 or fax 01889 883912. Staffordshire County Council CANNOCK Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is supported by: Defra, CH ASE Principal Ecologist, Development Services, Riverway, Staffordshire County Council, Cannock Chase Council, Stafford Borough Council, Area of Outstanding Stafford, ST16 3TJ. Lichfield District Council, South Staffordshire Council, AONB Parish and Town Natural Beauty Tel: 01785 277254. Fax: 01785 277364. Councils, British Horse Society, Cemex UK Operations Ltd, Country Land and Business Association, Forestry Commission, Friends of Cannock Chase, Hanson Website: www.staffordshire.gov.uk Aggregates, National Farmers Union, Natural , Ramblers, CASS Young Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Carers, Staffordshire Parish Councils’ Association, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, Wolseley Bridge, Stafford, ST17 0WT. Swinnerton Cycles Forest Centre Ltd, Walton Chasers, West Midland Bird Club. Tel: 01889 880100. Fax: 01889 880101. Website: www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk

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Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Nature Consevation Designations Natural Beauty (AONB) Rawbones Meadow SSSI Nature Conservation Designations A51 to In England and Wales, there is a huge variety of Stone Cannock Chase Area of OutstandingAONB Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) – of scenery and landscapes and those considered interantional importance, designated here Great because of the exrtent and type of lowland most valuable are protected as National Parks or Tixall Haywood heathland.

AONBs. Cannock Chase AONB (6,800 hectares) Sites of Special Scientific interest (SSSI) – of national importance, designated here because was designated in 1958 because of its beautiful Little of the exrtent and type of lowland heathland and Haywood associated woodland. landscape, its wildlife and its history. Today, as Stafford Local Nature Reserve (LNR) – where it is A513 possible to live next to nature and conserve the well as being a living and working environment, Milford reserve both for its own sake and for the interest the area is of vital importance from a nature and enjoyment it gives. conservation point of view. There are a wide Wolseley Centre Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Sites Heathland variety of nature conservation designations in such Ancient woodand Brocton a small area. This leaflet gives a flavour of some of Coppice Forest and woodand Stafford Abrahams A Brocton Brook 51 the key habitats and species which help to make Valley SSSI Parkland Cannock Chase AONB special. Farmland Etching Hill Water Brocton Sherbrook Valley, Local Minerals working and restoration Nature Cannock Chase Reserve Built areas Sherbrook RUGELEY Special Area of Valley Roads Conservation Information

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Every effort has been made to ensure A460 that the information within this leaflet is as up to date and accurate as possible at the time of publication. Cannock Chase AONB does not accept liability for any inaccuracy in the material published. Penkridge

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Site of Special Hazelslade Local Gentleshaw Nature Reserve N Scientific Interest Hednesford Shoal Hill Hill Local Common Hednesford Nature Local Nature Reserve W E Reserve CANNOCK S

Shoal Hill Local SSSI This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey Nature Reserve on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Staffordshire County Council. Licence Nº. 100019422. 2005