Woodland track on Kinver Edge, Staffordshire

Where to go · Staffordshire

Forest bathing at Kinver Edge

A wooded sandstone ridge near Stourbridge, with heath on top, short woodland trails and old rock houses below.

Kinver Edge is a sandstone ridge on the south-west edge of Staffordshire, near Stourbridge, with a hill fort on top. The National Trust looks after a mix of woodland and rare heathland along it, and below the Edge are the Rock Houses, historic homes cut into the red sandstone. It is close to the West Midlands conurbation but feels a long way from it once you are among the trees.

There are three waymarked trails: a 1.1-mile woodland trail, a 1.5-mile heathland trail and the 4-mile Centenary trail. The woodland trail is the natural choice for slow walking. Parking is free, in lay-bys on Compton Road for the Rock Houses or Comber Road for the countryside. Paths are steep and uneven in places, with steep steps up to the Rock Houses and tea room. Dogs can be off lead on the Edge outside the seasonal on-lead areas.

Practical

Managed by
National Trust
Parking
Free lay-by parking on Compton Road and Comber Road
Terrain
Steep inclines, uneven paths and steps
Nearest station
Stourbridge, about 5 miles
Facilities
Tea room and accessible toilet at the Rock Houses (top level, via steep steps); second-hand bookshop
Opening and entry
Countryside open access, free; Rock Houses open on set days
Official page
nationaltrust.org.uk

Last updated 4 November 2026. Paths, parking and access can change, so check before you visit. Spotted something out of date? Please let us know.

Guides nearby

A guide within 15 miles of Kinver Edge

More woodlands in Staffordshire

All venues in Staffordshire
Trail through trees at Birches Valley, Cannock Chase Forest, StaffordshireCannock Chase Forest, Birches ValleyForestry England woodland on Cannock Chase, with walks around pools and an easy access trailPath through woodland on the Coombes Valley RSPB reserve, StaffordshireCoombes ValleyRSPB oak woodland in a steep valley near Leek, with benches along the trailsBridleway through woodland at Downs Banks near Stone, StaffordshireDowns BanksWoodland and heath near Stone, with a brook and benches along a short trail

Photos: Cannock Chase Forest, Birches Valley, Christine Johnstone (CC BY-SA 2.0); Coombes Valley, Jonathan Hutchins (CC BY-SA 2.0); Downs Banks, Tim Heaton (CC BY-SA 2.0).