This weekend took us on another of our short weekends away. On this occasion we were taking advantage of a Ramada special offer and staying at Sutton Coldfield. We decided a walk around Shugborough Estate on the way would break up the journey nicely.
The walk started at Seven Springs car park just off the A513.

It then followed a gravel path along the side of Cannock Chase.

Over a ford.

A little further along we picked up the Staffordshire Way.

We then entered the Shugborough Estate.

National Trust members are able to look around the house and gardens for free so we took the opportunity to do so.

 

We had lunch and visited the café before looking around the mansion.

The Shugborough Estate is the ancestral seat of the Earls of Lichfield. Perhaps most famously of Patrick Lichfield, the photographer, until his death in 2005.

Inside you are guided through a series of rooms with numerous ornate furnishings.

The house was developed primarily by Admiral Anson and his brother following a series of important naval victories and expeditions in the eighteenth century.

Outside the grandeur of the grounds is equally impressive.

After leaving Shugborough mansion and gardens we crossed Essex Bridge and followed the Trent & Mersey Canal.

 

Finally we turned off the canal and after crossing Weetmans Bridge we returned to the car park.

Weetmans Bridge

We had completed nearly six miles and enjoyed a walk where the scenery had been ever changing. It was however now time to move on to Sutton Coldfield.