Travelling from Oxford to Peak District - somewhere fun to break the journey near Cannock please

[Notquitegrownup]

It isn't a huge journey, but we do need a meeting point to meet up with the relatives, who are coming from a different direction. We will all meet near Cannock/ north B'ham and could do with a picnic and some fresh air.

Black Country Museum is great but a bit big for a lunchtime break.

We need fresh air rather than IKEA.

Soooo a farm park or a falconry centre near Cannock would be my ideal. Not too expensive for ten of us, but a memorable first day to our hols, please, oh clever MNetters!

How about birches valley forest centre or shugborough a bit more expensive but has a farm and good picnic facilities

Cannock is a bit of a shit hole isnt it?

If its just a picnic - anywhere on Cannock Chase would be great - kids can run around and get some fresh air

VC - Cannocks not great but it has beautiful countryside around it

i had a colleague who saw a puma there once when he was out running

wow - seen lots of deer but never a puma!

Ooh thanks. Anybody been to Chasewater Park recently? Any good?

Last time i went to Chasewater was a while ago but its nice to have a picnic but i dont recall there being much there to "do" but great for running around and fresh air - i think there is a visitor center and cafe

Chasewater is currently being drained due to a leaking dam - so more of a chasepuddle

I agree that Cannock is a hole, I grew up there, there's bugger all to do besides visit the forest. No farm or falconry centre, it's an ex mining community, hugely underfunded and has gone the same way as alot of mining communities.
There's a visitors centre on Cannock chase. I avoid the place so have not been there for years, there's a huge war cemetary. From what I remember the visitors centre is nice, big chess set, picnic tables.
A little further north is Tamworth castle/tamworth snow dome, Stafford isn't too far, this is nice. Has a castle (what's left of one) aswell.

A little south is Walsall, also as depressing as shite but has a museum at least.

What about Cadbury world in Birmingham?

Chasewater's not too bad.

Don't forget the prozac.

lol at breaking the journey in Walsall!

And thanks for the tip re Chasewater! The wonders of MNet!

(Bearing in mind we are looking for a playground, fresh air and a picnic, does it still look OK or is it something of a building site?)

I would do birches valley over chasewater but I don't know chasewater very well and spend half my life at Birches valley! I would think that the mudflats won't be that attractive this summer.

At birches valley there is a lovely walk through the chase with statues to interest the dc. The cafe does good cake.

There's a leisure centre in Cannock itself, just outside the town centre, it has swings etc outside and a bit of a garden. The pool inside is quite nice, fab silde IIRC! (I was about 10 though). It's on Avon way (???)