# Cannock Chase.. I Hear Banjos!



## spartacus (May 21, 2009)

What started as a day metal detecting ended up as an explore...

I don't know the Chase that well, but I do know it has a bit of a grisly history. Quite a few bodies have turned up there over the years.

Looks like someone had been playing War Games on the part I was walking. The arrow sort of disturbed me a bit, wonder if someone was after the deer?

The little makeshift memorial was quaint, I thought. Guess it was put there by some guy who walked the Chase with his late wife.

The remnants of a big wartime military base remain, and I'll try to do a thorough explore of that sometime soon.




































































*
For some odd reason, couldn't get this scene out my head all the time I was there....*

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gLN3QoN-q8[/ame]


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## Urban Mole (May 21, 2009)

Very odd site there matey, but I can see your connection to Deliverance, or Wrong Turn even


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## Seahorse (May 21, 2009)

Good grief! I hope you are still able to sit down?


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## spartacus (May 21, 2009)

Seahorse said:


> Good grief! I hope you are still able to sit down?



They'd probably prefer a real pig to me anyhow...


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## Krypton (May 22, 2009)

What a strange place!


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## borntobemild (May 22, 2009)

It was once the site of an RAF base. I think the recruits went there for their basic training, before being assigned to a squadron.

http://www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=169&pageNumber=2

I'm sure there's loads of stuff to explore round there. There's also a few capped mine shafts in the area. Difficult to find though because of the vegetation.


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## krela (May 22, 2009)

The arrow looks like a cheap beginners arrow and is missing it's pile. It's also very short suggesting it belonged to a child.

I very much doubt it has been used for hunting... if it was whoever was hunting was wasting their time! That kind of arrow would most likely shatter if it hit anything hard.

I would imagine someone got their kid a cheap beginners set and was using the chase to teach them or something.


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## spartacus (May 22, 2009)

borntobemild said:


> It was once the site of an RAF base. I think the recruits went there for their basic training, before being assigned to a squadron.
> 
> http://www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=169&pageNumber=2
> 
> I'm sure there's loads of stuff to explore round there. There's also a few capped mine shafts in the area. Difficult to find though because of the vegetation.



I believe the now defunct Staffordhire Regiment did their training on there too, as I've found a few bits and pices of theirs on the other side of the site when I trudged it with the metal detector...


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## spartacus (May 22, 2009)

krela said:


> The arrow looks like a cheap beginners arrow and is missing it's pile. It's also very short suggesting it belonged to a child.
> 
> I very much doubt it has been used for hunting... if it was whoever was hunting was wasting their time! That kind of arrow would most likely shatter if it hit anything hard.
> 
> I would imagine someone got their kid a cheap beginners set and was using the chase to teach them or something.



The arrow was broke in two... I found the other half nearby. It's no kids arrow, the tip was sharp and weighted...and had the owner's name tagged to it!


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## krela (May 22, 2009)

spartacus said:


> The arrow was broke in two... I found the other half nearby. It's no kids arrow, the tip was sharp and weighted...and had the owner's name tagged to it!



All arrows piles are sharp and weighted, they wont stick into the target otherwise, even foam/straw ones! The only difference between childrens and adults arrows is length and sometimes diameter, otherwise they are the same. I stand corrected on the length though, I can only go on what I see!

Also most arrows have the owners name on them, it's generally a requirement of being in an archery club. Anyone in my club isn't allowed to shoot with plain arrows, and you certainly aren't allowed to shoot in competitions or club shoots without marked arrows.

The other option is that it was stolen equipment, you often find that turning up in odd places, and particularly public parks/spaces.

Either way it's not a hunting arrow, it would shatter on contact with bone.


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## spartacus (May 22, 2009)

krela said:


> All arrows piles are sharp and weighted, they wont stick into the target otherwise, even foam/straw ones! The only difference between childrens and adults arrows is length and sometimes diameter, otherwise they are the same. I stand corrected on the length though, I can only go on what I see!
> 
> Also most arrows have the owners name on them, it's generally a requirement of being in an archery club. Anyone in my club isn't allowed to shoot with plain arrows, and you certainly aren't allowed to shoot in competitions or club shoots without marked arrows.
> 
> ...



Still wouldn't want it poking me in the eye!!


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## krela (May 22, 2009)

Having said that, someone could have stolen it and tried to use it to hunt deer. That would have been comical to watch unless they really knew what they were doing, which I doubt somehow 

BTW hunting with bows is illegal in this country, in case anyone is wondering.


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## spartacus (May 22, 2009)

krela said:


> Having said that, someone could have stolen it and tried to use it to hunt deer. That would have been comical to watch unless they really knew what they were doing, which I doubt somehow
> 
> BTW hunting with bows is illegal in this country, in case anyone is wondering.



Just make you wonder though, how many jerks there are out there with bows, crossbows, spearguns etc, who would gladly fire them indiscriminately in an area like that.. beware, dog walkers!! :arghh:


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## krela (May 22, 2009)

It is quite scary. I've seen a good few near misses at clubs in a controlled environment. I dread to think what might happen when kiddies start playing in parks.


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## spartacus (May 22, 2009)

I kid you not, I've seen stuff like that offered on car boot sales. They ought to bend the sellers over, and insert one of those arrows right up their...


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## krela (May 22, 2009)

spartacus said:


> I kid you not, I've seen stuff like that offered on car boot sales. They ought to bend the sellers over, and insert one of those arrows right up their...



The even more worrying thing about that is that the kinda stuff sold at car boots isn't safe to shoot anyway. It's probably too old to shoot and has weaknesses that could seriously end up in the shooter getting injured, let alone whoever else may be around.

Anyway I'll stop de-railing your thread now


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## fezzyben (May 22, 2009)

Interesting stuff. In the metal that you found were the casings the right blanks?

Is the main military area the part where the trenches are?


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## Trudger (May 22, 2009)

borntobemild said:


> I'm sure there's loads of stuff to explore round there. There's also a few capped mine shafts in the area. Difficult to find though because of the vegetation.



Watch out, there are apparently some uncapped air shafts too. (might explain the odd dog vanishing a few years back) 

T


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## thompski (May 23, 2009)

Wow some nice finds


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## Rubberstamp (May 29, 2009)

*Cannock Chase*

Hi, i can explaie the spent / blank rounds and cap badge, some of the Chase is still used for Army Cadet training, also used to be a full bore live range, this close many years back but i can recall shooting their as a youn cadet in the 80`s.


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