Cannock Chase

Reported / claimed activity

• The Pig Man The creature is commonly described as a tall, hairy, humanoid figure with an animal-like face. Some accounts describe a pig-like snout, while others compare it to a large wolf or dog standing upright. The 1993 Pig-Man encounter One of the more distinctive stories concerns a couple identified as John and Anne, who reportedly encountered a strange figure near Castle Ring. They described a roughly seven-foot-tall, human-shaped creature with an enlarged head and an elongated snout. After they reached their car, they reportedly heard a high-pitched squeal. This account is especially interesting because the creature was described as having distinctly pig-like features, which helped give rise to the name Pig-Man. The 2012 Encounter Another account describes two friends parked in a lay-by when they noticed movement in the bushes. When they switched on their headlights, they reportedly saw a huge humanoid figure standing upright. According to the story, it charged towards their vehicle, and they quickly drove away.

• The Black-Eyed Children of Cannock Chase The Story Dating Back to 1982 The Cannock Chase Black-Eyed Child became one of Britain's best-known modern paranormal legends after reports resurfaced in 2014. Paranormal investigator Lee Brickley linked the modern reports to an earlier account from 1982, attributed to his aunt. The story described a frightening encounter with a childlike figure in the Chase area. The 2014 Encounter The story that attracted national attention involved a woman walking through Birches Valley with her daughter. They reportedly heard a young child screaming and hurried towards the sound, expecting to find someone in distress. They could not locate the child at first. According to the witness account published by Brickley, when the woman turned around, a girl who appeared to be around ten years old was standing behind them, covering her eyes with her hands. The woman reportedly asked whether the girl was all right and whether she had been screaming. The child then lowered her hands, revealing eyes described as completely black, without visible whites or irises. The witness said she grabbed her daughter in fright. When she looked again, the girl had disappeared. ITV News Central covered the renewed reports on 30 September 2014.

• The Dudley Dorito UFO The November 2007 Sightings In late November 2007, reports began circulating about an enormous triangular object seen over parts of the West Midlands. Its distinctive shape earned it the nickname the Dudley Dorito, because witnesses thought it resembled a giant triangular tortilla chip. The reports described a dark, triangular object with bright lights underneath. Witnesses said it moved silently across the sky. Reports came from several locations across the Black Country, including Dudley, Wednesfield, Halesowen and Stourbridge. What did witnesses see? Descriptions varied between accounts, but recurring details included: - A large, dark triangular shape. - Bright orange or red lights underneath the object. - Little or no audible engine noise. - Slow or apparently controlled movement across the sky. - Witnesses who believed the object was too unusual to identify as an ordinary aircraft. A report in the Express & Star on 1 December 2007 described readers contacting the newspaper after seeing an object over the Black Country. One witness, 13-year-old Katherine Hemmings, said she and two friends saw a large, silent object near Wednesfield High School. Other reports described sightings later in the day across different parts of the region.

Background and folklore, separate from member eyewitness experiences.