Harvesting operations at Cannock Chase Forest

Latest Status

Updated 8th November 2024

Forestry England has a broad and varied remit when it comes to managing the nation's forests which includes supplying England’s largest amount of sustainably-sourced timber. The timber that is harvested from our sustainably managed woodlands across England goes on to be used for things like building materials, furniture, pallets, chipboard, paper, wood fuel and chippings for gardens and playgrounds. The nation’s forests that we manage are independently certified, meeting both national and international standards of sustainable forestry.  By providing homegrown timber to the nation, we can reduce demand on the resources of other countries where forests may not be managed responsibly. Growing and using sustainable wood also helps tackle the climate crisis. For a sustainable future we need to use more wood to replace fossil fuel intensive products, like plastic, and to lock up carbon from the atmosphere. When you shop for wood and paper products, always look for the FSC® or PEFC logos. This means the wood comes from well-managed forests, like ours. 

Click here to find out more about our forest management lifecycle, from the initial planning stages to getting our sustainable homegrown timber to the sawmill. 

At Cannock Chase Forest we are carrying out significant timber harvesting operations throughout 2024, so there are going to be some temporary closures and diversions that we need visitors to follow. There will be instructions on site so that you can see where you can and can't go, this can change on a day to day basis depending on what work is taking place, but to get an overview before you visit you can check the table below as we will be keeping this up to date as much as possible. 

Thank you for your patience and please note that closures and diversions still apply on weekends even if you think the machines aren't running.

Current status:

Facility nameStatus
Disc GolfOpen (but holes 4-7 are very wet, muddy and uneven)
Dog Activity TrailOpen
Gruffalo Party TrailOpen
Gruffalo OrienteeringOpen
Gruffalo sculpturesOpen
Pedal and PlayOpen
OrienteeringOpen
Running TrailsOpen
Wellbeing TrailOpen
Children's play areaOpen
All cycling trailsOpen, but with closures in place on Follow the Dog: Time for a Brew, Evil Slab, Snow White, Seven Dwarfs, Pain in the Hardtail, Let Loose (Headbanger and Werewolf Drop), Are We There Yet?, Snakes N Adders. 
Concert fieldOpen (apart from a small area which is clearly signed and fenced off for your safety)