Dogging in Staffordshire: area guide

The lie of the land in Staffordshire

Staffordshire is a long county with two distinct halves. The north has Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme, the old Potteries towns, and then rises to the moorland of the Staffordshire Moorlands around Leek. Part of the Peak District National Park falls inside the county here.

The middle and south are gentler. Stafford is the county town, with Lichfield, Cannock, Tamworth and Burton upon Trent spread around it. The Trent runs through the heart of the county, and Cannock Chase is a protected stretch of heath and forest, a National Landscape, just north of the West Midlands.

Because the south borders Birmingham and the Black Country, many drivers come in from the city for a night. Others cross from Cheshire and Derbyshire. A rural road here can be busy at odd hours for no reason you can see from the map.

Getting about safely

The M6 runs north to south through Stafford and Stoke, and the M6 Toll takes a parallel line past Cannock and Lichfield. The A50 links Stoke to Uttoxeter and Derbyshire, the A38 runs past Lichfield and Burton, and the A34 and A500 serve the Potteries. Roadworks on the M6 are common, so check before you set off.

The West Coast Main Line calls at Stafford, and Stoke-on-Trent has its own station on the line between Crewe and Derby. Smaller towns such as Leek have no rail link at all. Buses after dark are patchy. If you are not driving, book a taxi back before you go.

The moorland roads north of Leek climb quickly. Snow and ice can close them from late autumn, and fog sits on the tops when the valleys are clear. On Cannock Chase and the lanes around it, deer cross at dusk and dawn, so slow down. Phone signal drops in the deeper valleys and under the trees, so download a map and tell a friend where you are heading before you leave home. Carry a torch and a warm layer, because help can be a long way off on the high roads.