Directions

Birches Valley Forest Centre

The leisure cycling routes and cross country trails all start at Birches Valley Forest Centre.

Sat Nav Postcode: WS15 2UQ.

The car park closes at dusk every day – for more information on car park fees and opening hours, please visit the Forestry England website (car park times can be found under ‘Visitor Information’).

Forestry England (who are in charge of the day to day running of the forest and trails) can also be contacted via phone or email:

Phone number: 0300 067 4340
Email: [email protected]

Visit often? A Discovery Pass gives you unlimited visits to Birches Valley for an entire year, with free parking and other great discounts, for just £60 per year.

By Train

You can also get to Birches Valley by train. The easiest way is from Rugeley Trent Valley, as you can follow the “Heritage Trail” from the station to the trail head. However, please note that the route is not well marked in places and does include some sections on busy roads, so be sure to look at the map at Rugeley Trent Valley station – it’s just to the left of the ticket machine in the station car park.

The distance from Rugeley Trent Valley to Birches Valley is 3 miles, and the route along the Heritage Trail toward Birches Valley is slightly uphill.

The station is served by West Midlands Trains – London Northwestern on the West Coast Main Line and West Midlands Railway on the Chase Line. They do not require a booking for bikes, however space is sometimes limited especially at peak times.

Downhill Trails (Stile Cop Bike Park)

The Downhill trails are at Stile Cop in Rugeley – Sat Nav Postcode: WS15 1ND (not a precise location but will get you to the correct road).

• From the A460 turn onto Stile Cop Road following the sign to the Cemetery.
• Pass the Cemetery on the left and head up the road.
• As you reach the top of the hill there is a layby to the right which accesses a fire road, this fire road leads to the courses.
• To park carry on up the road and look for the gravel car park on the left. Park here and ride back down to the fire road.
• Please do not block the barrier in the first layby.

Further details can be found on the Stile Cop website.