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ON-LINE GUIDE TO STAFFORDSHIRE
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This brief guide provides
summary information on towns, villages and places to visit
in Staffordshire as well as some interesting facts and
anecdotes on the local area. To find a specific place either
scroll down the page or use the find facility on your
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Southern Staffordshire encompasses many changing landscapes, from the busy
industrial towns of Stafford and Burton upon Trent to
the peace and quiet of Cannock Chase. Along with the Hednesford Hills, the Chase provides
a wonderful open area of woodland and moorland that is one of the county's great
recreational areas. One legacy of the Industrial
Revolution and a feature throughout the whole of Staffordshire is the canal network.
The motorways of their day, the network linked not only the industrial centres of the county
with each other but also with the rest of the country.
The northeast of the county, some of which lies in the Peak District National Park, is an area
of undulating moorland that makes ideal walking and cycling country. However, the
Industrial Revolution has left its mark here in the form
of two great reservoirs - Rudyard and Tittesworth.
Staffordshire is, of course, home to the
Potteries, the area around Stoke-on-Trent that is
world famous for its pottery industry. The
natural resources of coal and clay found here and
the foresight of such men as Wedgwood and Minton
saw what began as a cottage industry explode into one of the great factory systems of the
18th century.
Lichfield
Lichfield Cathedral is particularly renowned for the three
magnificent spires that dominate the city's skyline. Inside there are
many treasures, including the beautiful 8th century illuminated
manuscript The Lichfield Gospels and Sir
Francis Chantrey's famous sculpture The Sleeping
Children. The surrounding Cathedral Close is regarded
by many as the most original and unspoilt in the country, and,
being separated from the rest of the city by Stowe and Minster
Pools, it is also a peaceful haven of calm.
Lichfield's most famous son is Dr Samuel Johnson, the
poet, novelist and author of the first comprehensive English dictionary.
The son of a bookseller, Johnson was born in 1709 in
Breadmarket Street, and the house is now the Samuel Johnson
Birthplace Museum. Another famous son is Erasmus Darwin, the
doctor, philosopher, inventor, botanist and poet, and the
grandfather of Charles Darwin. Erasmus Darwin's House
has touch-screen computers to access Darwin's writings and inventions, and
a garden with herbs and shrubs that would have been familiar to
the good doctor.
The Wall Roman Site, Letocetum, has the remains of
a bath house and mansion, the most substantial in the country.
Around Lichfield
Alrewas
5 miles NE of Lichfield off the A38
The National Memorial Arboretum, to the east of
this pretty village, is the first large arboretum and wildlife reserve
to be created in Britain for 200 years. A substantial grant from
the Millennium Commission has transformed this 150-acre
former gravel quarry into a sylvan temple whose themes are
remembrance and reconciliation. The central feature is the Millennium
Avenue, created from cuttings from a 2,000-year-old lime tree.
Burton upon Trent
11 miles NE of Lichfield on the A38
Burton has long been famous for its brewing industry that
began many centuries ago - even the monks of the Benedictine
Abbey, founded here in 1100, were not the first to realise that Burton
well water was specially suited to brewing. William Bass
began brewing at Burton in 1777 and by 1863 the brewery produced half
a
million barrels of beer each year. Now the biggest brewery site in
the UK, it brews 5.5 million barrels a year. The brewery is open
for tours, and the entry fee includes a tour of the
Coors Visitor Centre in Horninglow Street.
Tutbury
13 miles NE of Lichfield on the A511
This historic small town is dominated by the imposing
remains of Tutbury Castle, where Mary, Queen of Scots, was
imprisoned for a while. During the Civil War, Tutbury Castle remained loyal
to the Crown while the town was under the control of Parliament.
After a three-week siege, the castle surrendered and in the
following year, 1647, Parliament ordered its destruction.
Tamworth
7 miles SE of Lichfield on the A51
Dominating Tamworth is the fine Norman motte and bailey
Castle that originally dates from the
1180s. The Town Hall, built in 1701, was paid for by Thomas Guy, the
local Member of Parliament, who was the founder of the London
hospital that bears his name.
To the south of Tamworth lies Drayton Manor Family
Theme Park, and further on stands Middleton
Hall, the former home of Francis Willoughby, a
17th century naturalist and a founder member of the Royal Society.
To the northwest of Tamworth is the village of
Whittington that is home to the Museum of
the Staffordshire Regiment (The
Prince of Wales's) at the Victorian Whittington Barracks.
Burntwood
4 miles W of Lichfield on the A5190
The 700 acres of land and water known as Chasewater
Heaths are an unexpected find in this otherwise urban setting.
Criss-crossed by paths and bridleways, it supports many and varied
plants and animals, some so rare that a large area has been designated
a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The volunteer-run
Chasewater Railway, a former colliery railway, operates passenger services
behind tank engines between Brownhills West and Norton Lakeside stations.
Stafford
The county town of Staffordshire is Saxon in origin, though little
of its early history is visible except for the extensive earthworks close
to the castle and the foundations of a tiny Saxon chapel in the grounds
of St Mary's Church. The grounds of the impressive Norman
fortress, Stafford Castle, are used for historical re-enactments and
also include a medieval herb garden.
One of the most interesting of the many old buildings in
Stafford is The Ancient High House, a beautiful Elizabethan house built
in 1595 that is the largest timber-framed town house in England.
It now houses the Museum of the Staffordshire Yeomanry.
Close to the High House is the Collegiate Church of St
Mary, an unusual building that dates in part
from the late 12th century and was added to in the early
English, Gothic and Victorian styles. Sir Izaak Walton was baptised here
on 21st September 1593 and his bust can be seen on the north wall
of the nave. Each year, at a civic service, a wreath is placed
around the bust to commemorate his probable birthday (9th August).
To the north of Stafford lies the ancestral home of the Earl
of Harrowby, Sandon Hall, which was rebuilt in 1850 after the
earlier house had been damaged by fire.
Around Stafford
Stone
7 miles N of Stafford on the A51
The Trent and Mersey Canal played a large part in Stone's
early economic development and, today, it still brings work to the
town through the building of holiday canal cruisers and a growing
tourist trade.
Uttoxeter
12 miles NE of Stafford on the A518
Today, the town is perhaps best known for its
Racecourse, a popular National Hunt track
with 20 days of racing including the stamina-sapping Midlands
Grand National held in the spring. Uttoxeter is a traditional,
rural market town, with a busy livestock and street market
on Wednesdays.
Great Haywood
5 miles E of Stafford on the A51
This ancient village has the longest
packhorse bridge in England. Built in the 16th century, the
Essex Bridge still has 14 of its original 40 arches spanning the River Trent.
To the southwest lies one of the most impressive attractions
in the county, Shugborough Hall, the 17th century seat of the
Earls of Lichfield. The wonderful staterooms and former
servants' quarters have been beautifully restored, and the magnificent
900-acre estate includes Shugborough Park Farm, home to rare
breed animals and host to demonstrations of traditional farming.
Abbots Bromley
10 miles E of Stafford on the B5234
This delightful 13th century village in the Vale of Trent is best
known for its annual Horn Dance, the origins of which are lost in
the mists of time. In early September each year six male dancers carry
the ancient reindeer horns around the village with six others and a fool,
a hobby horse, a bowman and Maid Marian, the last being a man
in drag.
Rugeley
7½ miles SE of Stafford on the A51
To the west of Rugeley lies Cannock
Chase, a surprisingly wild place of heath and
woodland that has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Covering some 20,000 acres, the Chase was once the hunting
ground of Norman kings and, later, the Bishops of Lichfield. In the
unique military cemeteries near Broadhurst
Green, some 5,000
German soldiers from World War I lie buried. Cannock Chase
was used as a training ground during that war and was the last billet
for many thousands of soldiers before they left for France. The
Museum of Cannock Chase at the Valley Heritage Centre illustrates the
social and industrial heritage of the area, and there are special exhibits in
the Toys Gallery and the Coal Face Gallery.
Cannock
9 miles S of Stafford on the A34
To the southwest of Cannock is the Elizabethan
Moseley Old Hall, which retains much of the
original panelling and timber framing. The Hall sheltered King Charles II for
a short time following his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651.
Weston-under-Lizard
10 miles SW of Stafford on the A5
Situated on the site of a medieval manor
house, Weston Park has been the home of the Earls
of Bradford for 300 years. Disraeli was a frequent visitor here
and on one visit presented the house with a grotesque stuffed
parrot, which still enjoys the hospitality of Weston Park. Fallow deer
and rare breeds of sheep roam the vast grounds that also
include nature trails, a miniature railway and a
Museum of Country Bygones.
Eccleshall
6½ miles NW of Stafford on the A5013
For over 1,000 years Eccleshall Castle was the palace of
the
bishops of Lichfield before becoming a family home when
the Carter family moved from Yorkshire. The present
simple sandstone house is typical of the best architecture of the William
and Mary period and incorporates part of the 14th century castle.
A little way north of Eccleshall is Mill Meece Pumping
Station, where two magnificent steam engines are kept in
pristine condition. An exhibition tells the story of water and the history
of the station.
Set in beautiful grounds in the tiny hamlet of
Shallowford, to the northeast of Eccleshall, is
Izaak Walton's Cottage, a pretty
17th century half-timbered cottage that was once owned by the
famous biographer and author of The Compleat Angler
and is now a museum.
Leek
William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement, lived
and worked in Leek for many months between 1875 and 1878 and
much of his time here was spent investigating new techniques
of dyeing while also reviving the use of traditional dyes.
Leek Art Gallery has displays on the intricate work
of the famous Leek School of Embroidery that was founded
by Lady Wardle in the 1870s.
Leek was the home of James Brindley, the 18th century
engineer who built much of the early canal network. A water-powered
corn mill built by him in 1752 in Mill
Street has been restored and now houses the Brindley
Water Museum, which is devoted to his life and work.
To the northwest of Leek is the village of
Rudyard, the name chosen for their son by Mr and
Mrs Kipling in fond memory of the place where they first met in 1863.
The nearby two-mile long Rudyard Lake was built in 1831 by
John Rennie to feed the Caldon Canal. The west shore of the reservoir
is also a section of the Staffordshire Way, the long distance footpath
that runs from Mow Cop to Kinver Edge, near Stourbridge.
Around Leek
Longnor
8½ miles NE of Leek on the B5053
Found on a gentle slope between the River Manifold and the
River Dove, Longnor was the meeting point of several packhorse
routes. The Market Square is one of the oldest in England, dating back
to medieval times. The village also has some fascinating
narrow flagged passages that seem to go nowhere but suddenly emerge
into the most beautiful scenery.
Froghall
6½ miles SE of Leek on the A52
Froghall Wharf was built along the banks of the Caldon Canal
to act as a trans-shipment area for limestone as it came down a
railway incline from the quarries to the south of Waterhouses. Here,
the limestone was tipped into narrow boats and later into railway
wagons
to be carried to Stoke-on-Trent. The once-busy Wharf
declined after 1920 following the construction of the Manifold
Valley Light Railway, which directly linked the quarries with Leek and
the national railway network.
To the southeast lies Hawksmoor Nature
Reserve and bird sanctuary that covers some 300 acres of the Churnet
Valley and includes glorious landscapes, abundant natural history
and industrial architecture.
Croxden
12 miles SE of Leek off the B5032
Tucked away in this secluded hamlet are the romantic ruins of
Croxden Abbey, founded by the Cistercians in 1176. Although only the
west front, south transept wall and a few of the eastern cloisters remain,
the Abbey is well worth a visit.
Cheddleton
3 miles S of Leek on the A520
As well as being home to the Churnet Valley Railway
and Museum, this village is also home to the restored Cheddleton
Flint Mill, which lies in the rural surroundings of the Churnet valley.
The water-powered machinery was used to crush flint that had
been brought in by canal and then transported, again by water,
to Stoke, where it was used in the hardening of pottery. The
small museum includes a rare 18th century `haystack' boiler and
a Robey steam engine, and there are also exhibits that relate to
the preparation of raw materials for the
pottery industry
To the south, Consall Nature Park is an
RSPB reserve, a quiet and peaceful haven with much to
delight the avid birdwatcher.
Stoke-on-Trent
It was the presence of the essential raw materials for the
manufacture and decoration of ceramics, in particular marl clay, coal and
water, that led to the concentration of pottery manufacturers in this
area. Though production started in the 17th century, it was
the entrepreneurial skills of Josiah Wedgwood and Thomas
Minton, who brought the individual potters together in factory-style
workplaces, that caused the massive leap forward in production in the 18th
century. The Wedgwood and Minton factories were large, but there
were also hundreds of small establishments producing a
whole range of more utilitarian chinaware; production in The Potteries
reached its height towards the end of the 19th century.
Among the many centres and museums telling the story of
Stoke and pottery are the Spode Museum and Visitor Centre;
the Royal Doulton Visitor Centre, and
the Wedgwood Visitor Centre and
Museum. The Potteries Museum and Art
Gallery houses the world's finest collection of
Staffordshire ceramics.
Etruria, to the west of the city centre, was created by
Josiah Wedgwood in 1769 as a village for the workers at the pottery factory.
Though the factory has gone (it moved to Barlaston in the
1940s), Etruria Hall, Wedgwood's home, is still standing in what is now
the National Garden Festival site.
Stoke has a famous football team, Stoke City, and a
local footballing hero, the late Sir Stanley Matthews. The city has two
other famous sons - Arnold Bennett, who immortalised the five pottery
towns of Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Longton and Stoke in his
novels, and John Smith, captain of the ill-fated
Titanic.
To the south of Stoke-on-Trent are Trentham
Gardens that were landscaped by Capability Brown
and given a more formal style by Sir Charles Barry, whose work can
be seen in the lovely Italian gardens. Although the Hall was
demolished in 1911, this style can still be recognised in such buildings as
the orangery and sculpture gallery.
Around Stoke-on-Trent
Newcastle-under-Lyme
2 miles W of Stoke-on-Trent on the A53
One of Newcastle-under-Lyme's oldest buildings is
the Guildhall, built in 1713 to replace an
earlier
timber building, which stands beside the base of a medieval cross.
The Borough Museum and Art Gallery, set in eight acres
of parkland, houses a wonderful collection of assorted items
from clocks to teapots and paintings to clay pipes. A mile from the
town centre, the New Victoria Theatre was Europe's first
purpose-built `theatre-in-the-round'.
To the southwest, on an ancient packhorse route from
Newcastle-under-Lyme, is the village of
Madeley, much of which has been designated a conservation area.
Its charming focal point is The Pool, formed by damming the River
Lea to provide waterpower for the corn mill, and now a haven for birds.
Further southwest again is the Dorothy Clive
Garden that was designed in the 1930s by
Colonel Harry Clive in memory of his wife. The original garden was
a woodland garden created from a gravel pit that had
become overgrown with all kinds of trees.
Kidsgrove
5 miles N of Stoke-on-Trent on the A50
Now chiefly a residential town, Kidsgrove is home to the
two Harecastle Tunnels, major engineering feats of their
time, which carry the Trent and Mersey Canal from Cheshire into
The Potteries. It was Josiah Wedgwood who first dreamt of building a
canal to link the area with the major Trent and Mersey navigation and
thus create a waterway link right across the country from Liverpool to Hull.
He fought long and hard to get the
necessary Bill passed through Parliament, undaunted by the
fact that a 3,000-yard long tunnel would be needed to go through
Harecastle Hill. The Bill was passed and, though many scoffed at his
plans, Wedgwood's canal and tunnel were built by James Brindley over an
11-year period.
Biddulph
5 miles N of Stoke-on-Trent on the A527
The gardens at Biddulph Grange are among the most unusual
and remarkable in the whole country. The numerous high points
include the Egyptian garden with a pyramid and clipped yew obelisks, and
the Chinese garden features a joss house, a dragon parterre, a
temple and a watch tower. The parterres and the Shelter House and
Dahlia Walk have been restored to the way they were in the middle of the
19th century.
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