Cannock guidebook

  pic: Market Hall Street
Cannock is an old coal mining town steeped in industrial history.  It is on the doorstep of the majestic woodlands of one of Britain's smallest, yet utterly delightful, areas of natural beauty - namely Cannock Chase.

The town centre has a friendly and 'down to earth' atmosphere, encompassing all the shops you'll ever need, with a host of eateries, bars and entertainment.

Here is a place for the young and the old: there is no pretention, and what you see is generally what you'll get. There is a strong community spirit and you'll find good, interesting conversation if you go in search of it.

Cannock is most definitely a place with character (and characters), and although it still has an old-fashioned facade, things are about to change. There are exciting future redevelopment plans on the horizon for the town and the whole of the district.

Vast improvements in shopping, leisure and housing are in the pipeline and are set to create a prosperous new era for the town.

Despite being named as one of the UK's worst boroughs to live on a national television programme, locals have hit back in defence, with one resident declaring:

"The area itself is beautiful with picturesque villages, a well-equipped town centre, countryside woodland and heath.

"There’s nothing missing. You can live here and have it all. Why would you want to live anywhere else?"

Property and Population

Locals are passionate in their belief that the town is a safe, green, clean and friendly place to live. It has one of the highest recycling rates in the country and incidents of crime are said to be in decline.

Similarly to the national trend, Cannock's housing is increasingly of a post-Fordist era style, although various other periods of architecture are sited around the town.

Many homes are still owned by the council, but there is now an active policy of replacing old, unattractive, post-war housing estates with newer, more energy efficient - and more affordable - homes.

Cannock's population currently stands at around 60,000 inhabitants, which is growing all the time due to its proximity to Birmingham and its excellent travel links; it lies off the A5 Watling Street, and is close to the M6 and brand new M6 Toll.

It all means that, combined with redevelopment plans, the area offers great potential for business and a great future for residents. Why would you want to live anywhere else?

Areas Around Cannock

  pic: North Canes
Cannock is surrounded by the towns and villages of Hednesford, Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley, Noton Canes, Heath Hayes, Huntington, Pye Green, Hatherton and Bridgtown.

Here's a brief look at each:

Hednesford: The majority of properties around Hednesford town centre are older terraced homes.
 
Cheslyn Hay: There is a range of fairly large houses, predominantly detached properties, meaning buying a home in Cheslyn Hay can be expensive. There is also a range of smaller terraced homes throughout the village.
 
Great Wyrley: This area mainly offers standard semi-detached properties. However, a number of more modern, and large, detached homes have recently been built there.

Norton Canes: This district features many semi-detached homes on the older estates, but in the past 10 years Norton Canes has seen new detached properties being built.

  pic: Hatherton
Heath Hayes: There is a good property mix, and there has been a lot of building work in the area over the past three years.

Semi-detached and detached homes are common to the area, but new builds have even included larger three-storey houses with four bedrooms.
 
Huntington / Pye Green: This area still features many old terraced properties dating back to the mining era, but there is a general mixture of every style of property throughout. A lot of detached properties were built here in the 1980s.
 
Hatherton: A more rural area of Cannock, with most properties being detached.
 
Bridgtown: The majority of homes in Bridgtown are old terraced houses.

Living Here

Transport:

Road: Cannock lies off the A5 and A34 trunk roads, providing east-west and north-south routes.

It is close to the M6 Toll and junctions 11 and 12 of the M6, providing excellent road links with the rest of the country.

Trains: Cannock has a railway station and is typically served by one train per hour in each direction between Birmingham New Street and Stafford.

At peak times there are also trains to Hednesford and Rugeley.

Buses: The district is well served by local bus and express coach companies operating from Cannock bus station.

Air: Birmingham International airport is only 30-40 minutes way by motorway. Manchester Airport is 75 minutes away via M6/M56 and East Midlands Airport is also easily accessible.

Shopping:

There are plenty of shops in Cannock, both national and local, but there are some criticisms that some of the big names are missing.

Town centre shops are situated in a large pedestrianised square, with others located in Cannock Shopping Centre.

There are also plenty of bargains to be found at Cannock Market on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Eating and drinking:

There is no shortage of places to eat and drink in Cannock with the town centre offering a host of traditional and more modern establishments.

There is a large choice of restaurants and takeaways - and a plethora of chippies - to cater for every taste.

Leisure and Entertainment:

  pic: Bowling green, Market Hall Street
Cannock's Prince of Wales Centre provides a host of shows for all the family, and for all ages, throughout the year - featuring popular tribute acts, local amateur dramatic society shows and stars from bygone eras.

Cannock Leisure Centre offers a host of facilities for sporty residents, and the town recently saw the opening of its first ice skating rink.

Cannock Park Golf Course is a municipal course and therefore open to everyone, although memberships are also available.
 
There are also many local clubs, hobby groups and societies to suit all tastes.

Parks and Open Spaces:

Cannock Park is located adjacent to the town centre, providing an easily accessible retreat for locals.

Magnificent Cannock Chase is right on the town's doorstep – this is the smallest mainland Area of Natural Beauty (AONB) in England and Wales, covering approx. 26 square miles.

Cannock Chase has a wide variety of wildlife, a good range of outdoor activities, plenty of scenic walks, and several visitor centres.  It is also home to German and Commonwealth war cemeteries.