Tolkien-Inspired Woodland Walk
a short walk in ancient woodland on cannock chase

Our Tolkien-inspired woodland walk explores part of the ancient woodland on Cannock Chase National Landscape in Staffordshire. It’s here that J.R.R. Tolkien may have found inspiration for the “Ents”—the tree-like giants who roamed Fangorn Forest and helped the Hobbits in The Lord of the Rings.

This short walk is under three miles. It’s perfect for Tolkien fans, but anyone who loves ancient, characterful trees will enjoy it too.

Depending on who you talk to, the star of this walk is the Groot Tree, Tolkien Tree, or Human Tree. Google Maps, and the route planning software we use - komoot.com - call this ancient tree the Groot Tree. I’m not sure where the name comes from, but in Dutch it translates to great, tall, or large, or possibly it could be from a tree-like human-like alien character from Marvel Comics stories. Who knows?






Then the Groot Tree disappeared!

The tree became so popular that it was removed from maps to make it harder to find. We discovered this first-hand when we tried to locate it during a planned 14-mile figure-of-eight walk around Cannock Chase and the Shugborough Estate.

We walked in circles, nearly giving up. Just as we were heading back to the car, a horse rider saw my camera gear and asked if I’d taken good photos. I admitted we hadn’t found what we'd come for. She knew the Groot Tree instantly and gave us directions: “Take the path straight from the stepping stones to a silver manhole cover. Turn up the hill, and the tree is on your right.”


Cannock Chase Ancient Woodland - Do You See Ents in Animated Discussion? © essentially-england.comCannock Chase Ancient Woodland - Do You See Ents in Animated Discussion? © essentially-england.com


It sounded simple. We diverted back to the stepping stones, followed what we thought was the right path, and found no manhole cover. But at the top of the hill, we met a dog walker. “Hello Sir, could you please help us find the Groot Tree?” we asked. “Do you mean the Tolkien Tree?” he replied with a quizzical look.

We had taken the wrong path. We descended, tried another smaller path uphill, and finally—there it was. The Groot Tree. Oh joy!


The Groot Tree at Cannock Chase © essentially-england.comThe Groot Tree at Cannock Chase © essentially-england.com


By the time we returned to the car, we had walked nearly seven hours, covering over 38,000 steps (about 15 miles). We were too tired and short on daylight for the second loop around Shugborough Estate. That will have to wait.

And the cruel twist? The next morning, I opened komoot.com to create a route for our Tolkien-inspired woodland walk, and the Groot Tree was back on the map. A month ago, when I planned our full walk, it wasn’t there.


More Limb Waving Ents in Discussion Around Point 2 of our Tolkien Tree Walk © essentially-england.comMore Limb Waving Ents in Discussion Around Point 2 of our Tolkien Tree Walk © essentially-england.com


Route Map for the Tolkien-Inspired Woodland Walk

Our Tolkien-inspired woodland walk starts from the free Punchbowl Car Park just off the A513 road. Take care when driving in the car park as the ground is rough and pot-holed in places.

Komoot users can follow our route using voice navigation on a mobile device, or download the GPX file for a GPS device.



The Best Time of Year to See the Groot Tree?

Late autumn to early spring, when the trees have fewer leaves. We went on a sunny, calm day in late March—a stark contrast to the gale-force winds and sleet the day before. If bluebells are important to you (see point 4 on the map), visit from mid-April to early May.


The Stepping Stones at Point 3 on the Tolkien Tree Walk Map © essentially-england.comThe Stepping Stones at Point 3 on the Tolkien Tree Walk Map © essentially-england.com


Did these trees inspire Tolkien’s Ents?

Tolkien trained as a soldier on Cannock Chase before WWI. He also spent time nearby in Great Haywood, where his wife Edith lived, while he recovered from trench fever.

I’d always heard the inspiration was a black pine tree in Oxford University's Botanic Garden, called “Tolkien’s Tree.” Sadly, it was felled in 2014 after becoming unsafe. In 2021, Prince Charles (now King Charles III) planted a new sapling grown from a seed of the original. We’ll have to wait a hundred years or so to see if it looks Entish.


More Characterful Trees in the Ancient Woodland at Cannock Chase © essentially-england.comMore Characterful Trees in the Ancient Woodland at Cannock Chase © essentially-england.com


We hope this Tolkien-inspired woodland walk inspires you to explore the beautiful ancient woodland on Cannock Chase and imagine yourself among the Ents of Fangorn Forest. These old trees are very special—please treat them with the utmost respect.

If you’d like to discover more, try our longer Cannock Chase Walk, which covers much of this route and explores other fascinating places.


Need to Stay in the Area?


Use the map below to find accommodation while along our Tolkien-inspired woodland Walk, the longer Cannock Chase Walk, or visiting the National Trust’s Shugborough Estate.





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