Relay runners take on the Staffordshire Way

Well done to our brilliant team of relay runners! Braving the dark, mud, rain and wobbly stiles, they covered the whole 96 miles of the Staffordshire Way – from Mow Cop to Kinver – in just under 18.5 hours.

The team, organised by CPRE Staffordshire and local running clubs, took on the Staffordshire Way long-distance footpath as part of the celebrations for this year’s Staffordshire Day.

The Staffordshire Way runs from Mow Cop Castle on the edge of the Peak District in the north of the county to Kinver Edge in the south. It traverses Congleton Edge to The Cloud near the Peak District boundary before joining the towpath of the Caldon Canal, the Churnet Valley and the River Dove towards Uttoxeter. From there it follows the Trent and Mersey Canal towards Shugborough Hall. Cannock Chase and Highgate Common are both visited before finally reaching the sandstone escarpment of Kinver Edge.

Sadly, in recent years the route has been somewhat forgotten, and the only published guide has been out of print for 25 years. There is little online material to help plan a walk, while in places the waymarking has sadly become lost and the path overgrown. As a result, in 2021, we launched a project to breathe new life into Staffordshire Way. An enthusiastic team health-checked the route, logging problems such as stiles in need of repair, and logged information on public transport, accommodation and places to eat and drink.

As far as we know, this relay running event is the first of its kind and we hope it inspires lots more interest in the Staffordshire Way.