Yesterday i took the dogs to Sherbrook Valley, they had fun paddeling in the water and Ollie tried catching it. Does anyone know of any other nice places suitable for walking dogs, if there is water its a added bonus as long as its not still water. Now the weather is getting nice once the days cooled off its great taking the dogs out but its boring going to the same old places.

Seven Springs is very nice :)

hi,
   Wheres SHERBROOK VALLEY?We usually go to birches valley and it is a lovely walk their,not alot of water though!!!
I would be interested in having a look at sherbrook.Do you see many dogs on your walk?are they usually off lead?
Thanks,

                            sam

When i went i saw a couple one was off lead but fully under control another was put on a lead once they saw i had dogs. Its on Milford Common, If you get a map of Cannock Chase from the visitor centre its on there. Its lovely and peaceful down there at least till i take mine down there that is lol. Its not to far from penkridge ill go see if i can find a map and ill PM a link

I agree with mollmoo seven springs is lovely, there is some water there but you can avoid it if you want. Its really odd to know that some people on here might be living in the next road and that you might have seen them walking the dog or something. What about do you live bordercollielvr? I live in hammerwich.

sarah xxxxx 

Prospect Village, Rawnsley.
I think at some point in the summer we should all meet up for doggie walkies, even if your dog doesnt like everyones dog, just come along.

Just a message to everyone walking on Cannock Chase at the moment:-

Take great care as alot of my dog walking friends have seen numerous Adders (snakes) there. One of the trainer's from dog club was walking with her husband and the dog along Sherbrook Valley, when the dog went to go into the water. The dog was bitten by the snake and her paw swelled up immediately, good job hubby was with her, as the dog had to be carried back to the car and taken straight to the vets. The bite has now turned into an abcess, which has had to be cut out, needless to say she has been really poorly. Another friend saw 3 adders on one walk, apparently they are sometimes by water as they eat frogs, so I am told.

If you walk far enough along Birches Valley, there are 2 small pools and 2 large pools (Fair Oak Pools) and there are streams and waterfalls. I live on the edge of the Chase in Etchinghill.
Sue & Sasha x

These are two extracts I have found on a website:-
Dogs and adders do not go together.  An adder may possibly (but probably won't) tolerate being sniffed by a dog, but a sudden movement by the dog, for example if it looks up when its person calls, may result in a strike on the nose or face.
Although the defensive bite may use less venom than a hunting bite, the effects are dramatic.  The dog's head will swell up, perhaps right back to the neck and beyond.  The collar will have to be loosened.  The dog will probably be very ill, and it may be temporarily paralysed or blinded.  It may even die.  A dog which has been bitten by an adder needs urgent treatment by a veterinary person.

An Adder bite to humans
A bite will only happen if you put your hand or foot too near the adder.  If you are bitten by an adder, try not to panic, and do not rush around.  You are most probably not going to die.  But you must make sure that medical attention is obtained.  Don't try to drive your car, unless you are sure that you won't endanger someone by fainting.  Nobody should try to suck out the venom, and nobody should cut the wound to let the venom out.  The venom is haemotoxic, and may affect the function of the heart.  In some species the venom contains digestive enzymes: in an animal with no chewing teeth or saliva, this is very useful, as it is in many carnivorous insects.
Get someone to seek medical help.  You may feel quite ill, but death in humans from adders in the UK is extremely rare.  Children, however, are obviously affected more badly than adults.

so far i have never seen a snake, i always think about them though when out with the dogs, what time of the day are they around the most?

I have walked on Cannock Chase for 50+ years, and to be honest I have never seen an Adder. I don't really know when the worst time they are about, but I think it might be when the weather is particularly hot. I've just found the Forestry Commission web site www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/Adder   and apparently they build lagoons for the Adders to bask in the sun, and eat frogs. If you click on the link at the bottom of that page, where to find Adders in England, then scroll down, there is some information about the habitat on Cannock Chase, which you might find interesting. I suppose they would also give info at the office in Marquis Drive or Birches Valley about the Adders.

thanks everyone,
                       We will try sherbrook valley :),like i said we normally go the birches valley and its lovely there.
With it getting abit warmer now,the dogs are starting to head for the water!!!
We went yesterday and storm decided to jump in one of the big pools,i wouldnt mind but she came out green with the algae,so i dont really want to be doing that!!!
A nice paddle in the brooks/streams will do for me!!!
We live in burntwood so not too far away from you all,and thanks hannah for the map:)
I love the summer evenings!!!nothing better than having a relaxing walk with your dogs:)

                                                   sam

I think Fair Oak Pools are a nature reserve? Not sure if dogs are allowed off lead there :-( There are a lot of cyclist around that part of the Chase also, there is a stream a little way further up the track.  If you park at Milford and walk over the hill away from the common there is a small pool there and also if you go to the top of Kingsley Wood road and follow the track past the firing range it leads to a stream on the ege of the moors. If you carried on following the road you would eventually come to Milford, part of the old stagecoach runs I think, you can reach it from penkridge bank road too. There is also a pool on one of the tracks that leads from the visitor centre at Birches valley, if you follow the track from the centre parallel to the main road and it is a away to the right. Severn springs is nice but as has already been mentioned snakes can be a problem on the Chase, mineshafts are another issue, dogs have been trapped when going off the main path and into the undergrowth..... when I was a child it was a regular thing.  It has been a while since I was there but I spent a lot of time there as a child as I grew up not far away, I'm sure if I thought about it I could come up with some others but I am blonde and I doubt that I could think of anything for long ;-)