Heart of England Way

The Heart of England Way in Cannock Chase

The Heart of England Way is a long-distance walk of 101 miles through the Midlands. North to south, the walk starts from Milford Common on Cannock Chase and ends at Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire, in the Cotswolds. On its route the Way passes through three counties; Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Gloucestershire.

The route explores the countryside of the Midlands rather than its industrial towns. From the midst of Staffordshire it runs generally towards the southeast, passing north of the Black Country and Birmingham, and turning south between the latter city and Coventry, and continuing southwards through the western side of Warwickshire into the north of Gloucestershire to the Cotswolds.

The walk provides links to a number of other long distance walks: the Beacon Way, the Staffordshire Way, the Two Saints Way, the Arden Way, the Cotswold Way, the Oxfordshire Way, and the Thames Path. It is maintained by the Heart of England Way Association.

Records

On 20 July 2013, Ultra Runner David Hollyoak set a solo course record of completing the entire length of the Heart of England Way (south to north) non-stop in 25 hours 11 minutes. The run is corroborated by having a relay of runners to run sections with him all the way. GPS statistics showed the route to be 105 miles.

Places on the way

On the way, the route passes, north to south, through the following places amongst others:

Staffordshire: Milford Cannock Chase Castle Ring Lichfield

Warwickshire: Drayton Bassett Shustoke Meriden Berkswell Balsall Common Rowington Henley-in-Arden Alcester Bidford-on-Avon

Gloucestershire: Upper Quinton Mickleton Chipping Campden Longborough Bourton-on-the-Water

Pictures

• 
  Katyn Memorial on Cannock Chase
• 
  Cannock Chase
• 
  Castle Ring
• 
  Lichfield Cathedral
• 
  Kingsbury Water Park
• 
  Bourton on the Water

Outside links

• The Heart of England Way
• The Heart of England Way - The Long-Distance Walkers' Association
• The Rambler's Association info on the Heart of England Way
• Photos taken along the Heart of England Way on geograph.org.uk