50,000 go the extra mile for art
It was an idea that sprang out of a sponsored walk - now a one-mile route through Cannock Chase has seen visitor numbers boosted from 5,000 to 50,000 a year.
The Routes To Health walk appeared on the landscape at Birches Valley Forest Centre five years ago.
The winding path created by community groups and featuring a range of sculptures costing between £150 and £3,000 has been held up as an example of best practice.
Temporary items of art are regularly added, with different themes each year. This year's theme is natural play.
Among the imposing items already lining the path are a man doing a handstand intricately carved from a log using a chainsaw which was created by artist Tom Harvey.
There is also a wooden bench shaped like a toothbrush and toothpaste, created by John Whitehead, and there are two deer set back from the path called First Impressions which were made by artist Adam Wilkinson.
The idea was born when the British Heart Foundation wanted to organise a sponsored walk and it was suggested local children tie hearts around trees to mark the route.
But groups turned up having gone one further and different items were put in place directing people around.
Lisa Shephard, Cannock Chase District Council's arts development officer, said: "It has had fantastic feedback from both visitors and officials around the country.
"It started as a simple idea and has just grown. It is so popular because it really gets messages across, gets people out and about but doesn't swallow up vast amounts of money."
Her father Keith Shephard, a retired builder who lives in Stafford, has created items for the route including a wooden fish that took just a few days to carve from an oak tree that fell at Spring Slade Lodge, on Cannock Chase, during bad weather.
James Woolley, education and recreation ranger for the Forestry Commission, said: "It's a fantastic thing to have here and it's great to watch people's reactions as they walk around.
"Schoolchildren love it and they can often interpret the artwork in completely different ways."
Cannock Chase District Council's arts development team, the Forestry Commission and Cannock Chase Primary Care Trust's health promotions staff teamed up to help the walk become a success over the years. The route was visited by the Duke of Gloucester in 2004.
How to reach the trail -
From Rugeley:
Head towards Penkridge along Hagley Road. The road changes into Penkridge Bank Road as it enters Cannock Chase. The forest centre is signposted on your left.
From Stafford:
Head towards Cannock on the A34. Follow signs for Pye Green or Rugeley. On Cannock Chase continue to head for Rugeley until signs for forest centre appear on your right.
