Guide To Rural England - Staffordshire

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F stories and anecdotes G famous people H art and craft I entertainment and sport J walks
A historic building B museum and heritage C historic site D scenic attraction E flora and fauna
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STAFFORDSHIRE
Woore
Oakengates
Kingstanding
Norton
Abbots
Bromley
Weston
Ellastone
Rocester
King's
Bromley
Ironbridge
Fradley
Alton
Hartington Biggin
Youlgreave
Rowsley
Longnor
Cheadle
Whitston
Harlaston
Kingsbury
Lea
Marston
Rudyard
Chelmorton
Fazeley
Alrewas
Brailsford
Burnaston
T
Woodcote
Whitgreave
Sandon
Bramshall
Forsbrook
Checkley
Audley
Madeley
Loggerheads Ashley
Heath
Tissington
Alstonefield
Clifton
Butterton
Winkhill
Upper
Hulme
Tittensor
Beech
Chetwynd Norbury
Great
Cubley
Fenny
Bentley
Penkridge
Codsall
Polesworth
Dorden
Highley
Albrighton
Shifnal
Kinver
Hagley
Gnosall
Barton-under-
Needwood
Tutbury
Eccleshall
Wirksworth
Market
Drayton
Bakewell
Middlewich
Holmes
Chapel
Alsager
Hednesford
Burntwood
Wombourne
Leek
Biddulph
Congleton
Kidsgrove
Matlock
Bridgnorth
Newport
Brownhills
Aldridge
Lichfield
Rugeley
Uttoxeter
Stone
Sandbach
Ashbourne
Willenhall
Halesowen
Telford
W Bromwich
Walsall
Dudley
Sutton
Coldfield
Cannock
Stourbridge
Newcastle-
under-Lyme
Stafford
Crewe
Burton upon
Trent
Tamworth
STOKE
-ON-TRENT
WOLVERHAMPTON
BIRMINGHAM
LOCATOR MAP
Towns and Villages
Abbots Bromley pg 13
Alrewas pg 17
Alstonefield pg 28
Alton pg 27
Armitage pg 16
Barlaston pg 34
Biddulph pg 23
Burntwood pg 16
Burton-on-Trent pg 12
Cannock pg 8
Cannock Chase pg 9
Cauldon pg 27
Cheadle pg 33
Cheddleton pg 25
Consall pg 25
Eccleshall pg 36
Edingale pg 18
Endon pg 24
Fazeley pg 19
Featherstone pg 7
Fradley pg 18
Froghall pg 26
Gnosall pg 6
Great Haywood pg 10
Hanchurch pg 34
Harriseahead pg 24
Hednesford pg 8
Hoar Cross pg 13
Ilam pg 28
Ingestre pg 11
Kidsgrove pg 33
Leek pg 20
Lichfield pg 13
Longnor pg 22
Longton pg 33
Madeley pg 35
Newcastle-under-
Lyme pg 34
Oakamoor pg 27
Rudyard pg 23
Rugeley pg 10
Rushton Spencer pg 23
Sandon pg 39
Shallowford pg 39
Stafford pg 4
Stoke-on-Trent pg 31
Stone pg 36
Stowe-by-Chartley pg 11
Swinfen pg 19
Tamworth pg 18
Tutbury pg 12
Uttoxeter pg 28
Waterhouses pg 27
Weston-under-Lizard pg 6
Wetton pg 31
Whittington pg 18
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The southwest of Staffordshire encompasses
many changing landscapes, from the busy
industrial towns of Stafford and Burton-on-
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
countys great recreational centres. Well-
supported by an interesting and informative
visitors centre, the Chase is a must for anyone
visiting this part of Staffordshire. The
southeast of the county, although lying close
to the Black Country the depressing product
of the heavy industrialisation of the 18th and
19th centuries has managed to escape in the
main. One legacy of the era and a feature
throughout the whole of Staffordshire,
however, is the canal network. Built to link
Birmingham with the Trent & Mersey Canal,
the less well-known Coventry Canal and the
Birmingham & Fazeley Canal pass through
tiny villages and hamlets and the towpaths
provide the opportunity to walk in some
unexpectedly scenic countryside.
Extending along the southern edge of the
Peak District, the Staffordshire moorlands
certainly rival their neighbour in terms of
scenic attraction. The undulating pastures of
the moorlands, along with the fresh air and
ancient weather-worn crags, make this the ideal
place to walk, cycle or trek. It is also an area full
of character, with charming scattered villages,
historic market towns and a wealth of history.
The Industrial Revolution also left its mark on
Staffordshire
the landscape, though the two great reservoirs
of Rudyard and Tittesworth, built to provide a
water supply to the growing industry and
population of the Midlands, now offer peaceful
havens for a wide variety of plants, animals and
birds, as well as recreational facilities such as
fishing and boating.
The area around Stoke-on-Trent is famous
the world over for its pottery industry.
Originally centred on the five towns of Stoke,
Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley and Longton, the
Potteries were at the heart of the Industrial
Revolution. Both coal and clay were found
locally, which gave rise to the start of the
industry, though imported clay from Cornwall
was later used - but it was the foresight and
ingenuity of men such as Wedgwood and
Minton that really turned the cottage industry
into production on a much larger scale. To
support the industry in and around the centre,
a network of canals and, later, railways was
begun. The Trent & Mersey Canal, built by
James Brindley with the support of
Wedgwood and his friend the Duke of
Bridgewater, was finally completed in 1777
and made possible navigation from coast to
coast, between the busy ports of Liverpool
and Hull. Together, the Trent & Mersey Canal,
the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal, begun in
the same year, the Shropshire Union Canal to
the west and the Middlewich branch of the
Llangollen Canal, form a wonderful four
counties ring that can be undertaken wholly or
partly by boat.
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Stafford
A Castle A The Ancient High House
G Izaak Walton J Victoria Park
A Church of St Mary A St Marys Mews
The county town of Staffordshire has its
origins in Saxon times, but the most
impressive site is Norman. At Stafford Castle
visitors can follow the castle trail, wander
around the medieval herb garden and explore
the visitor centre built in the style of a
Norman Guardhouse. The Castle grounds are
often used for historical re-enactments by such
groups as the Napoleonic Society, and are the
site for Sealed Knot battles as well as other
outdoor entertainment. Stafford originally had
a medieval town wall, which evidence of can
still be seen today in the names of the towns
main streets. However, only the East Gate
remains of the structure. Stafford lies on the
banks of the River Sow, and Green Bridge
marks the site of the ancient ford across the
river. There has been a bridge on this spot
since the late 1200s, but the gate in the towns
medieval walls that was also at this point was
demolished in 1777. Just to the east of the
Bridge is Victoria Park, opened in 1908 and
later extended to incorporate land reclaimed
from the River Sow. There are many pleasant
walks through the Park, which includes a mill
pond and a weir, in particular to the Windmill
at Broad Eye. Built in 1796 by John Wright,
the mill moved over to steam power in 1847
and continued to be used until 1880. Like
many towns today, Stafford has its busy
shopping streets and also an impressive
shopping centre. However, many picturesque
cobbled lanes still remain and provide the
visitor with a quiet and relaxing contrast to the
hurly-burly of the 21st century. Of particular
note are Church Lane, with its timbered
buildings, and Mill Street, with a varied array
of shops, restaurants and pubs.
A place well worth visiting during any stay
in Stafford is The Ancient High House, a
beautiful Elizabethan house built in 1595 and
now the largest surviving timber-framed town
house in England. Through painstaking efforts
over several years, Stafford Borough Council
has restored this breathtaking piece of
architecture to its former glory. Today the
building houses the Museum of the
Staffordshire Yeomanry. The Ancient High
Houses varied history can be followed
through the permanent displays in the period
room settings taking the visitor through the
17th, 18th and 19th centuries and telling the
stories of people who came to know this
House so intimately. Not surprisingly, the Ancient High House, Stafford
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house has royal connections: both King
Charles I and Prince Rupert stayed here in
1642. The House also has a small heritage
shop selling a variety of interesting and locally
crafted gifts. The Shire Hall Gallery (1798) on
the market square was the assize court and still
retains the original panelled courtrooms. It is
now a venue for contemporary exhibitions and
childrens workshops, and has a teashop and a
workshop.
Close to the High House is the Collegiate
Church of St Mary, an unusual building that
dates in part from the late 1100s, but has
received additions in the early English,
Gothic and Victorian styles. The huge tower
arches in the nave seem to divide the building
into two, which is, in fact, exactly what they
were intended to do, as St Marys is two
churches under one roof. The nave was the
parish church of Stafford with its own altar
while the chancel beyond was used by the
Deans of the College of St Mary whose duty
it was to pray for deceased members of the
royal family. Although the College was
abolished in 1548, the screens that divided
the Church remained until 1841 and today
the Church is still referred to as the
Collegiate. Izaak Walton was baptised here on
21 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 (9
August). Those interested in ecclesiastical
architecture should also find time to visit the
little Norman and medieval Church of St Chad.
Best-known today for his work The
Compleat Angler, Izaak Walton was famous
throughout his lifetime as a writer of
biographies. However, the story of his own
life is somewhat obscure, though it is certain
that he was born in Stafford in 1593. From
humble origins, Walton became accepted into
the intellectual and ecclesiastical circles of
the day and, during the Civil War, he
remained a staunch Royalist and stayed in the
Shire Hall Gallery
Market Square, Stafford ST16 2LD
Tel: 01785 278345 Fax: 01785 27832
e-mail: [email protected]
website:www.staffordshire.go.uk/sams
The Shire Hall Gallery is a Grade II listed building situated in
the town centre of Stafford. Exhibitions of contemporary
work include fine art, sculpture and photography
throughout the year. The Craft Shop is listed on the Craft Counsel of selected
Galleries, showing work by nationally renowned artists. There is also a coffee bar
selling specialist tea, coffee & home made cakes. Open Monday to Saturday 9.30am-
5pm. Closed for Bank Holidays and exhibition changes.
Stafford Castle
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Stafford area.
St Marys Mews dates back to the mid
19th century and is a Grade II listed building.
The architect was the renowned Gilbert
Scott, the famous church restorer of the
1850s. Other notable buildings include The
Infirmary, designed by Benjamin Wyatt and
completed in 1772, the Noell Almshouses
dating back to 1680, and Chetwynd House,
the 17th-century town house of the
Chetwynd family and now used as the towns
main Post Office.
Around Stafford
GNOSALL
6 miles W of Stafford on A518
B Canal
Some beautiful ash and sycamore trees form a
delightful shaded arch over the road through
this village (the name is pronounced No Sull)
and it also has its very own ghost! On the
night of 21 January 1879, a man was attacked
at Gnosall canal bridge by an alarming black
monster with enormous white eyes. The police
were quite sure it was the ghost of a man
monkey who had haunted the bridge for years
after a man was drowned in the canal. It is
worth staying a while in the village, ghost
permitting, to have a look around the fine
collegiate Church of St Lawrence. As well as
containing some of the best Norman work to
be seen in the county, the church, most of
which dates from the 13th and 15th centuries,
has a particularly ornate west crossing arch.
Despite its name, a large portion of the
Shropshire Union Canal, some 23 miles, lies
within the county of Staffordshire. Indeed,
much of this southern section passes through
wonderful countryside. Extending from
Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, on the Manchester
Ship Canal to Autherley junction near
Wolverhampton, the Shroppie, as it is
affectionately known, has a long history.
Built by three separate companies, at three
different times, the canal was begun as early as
1772 but not finished until 1835, a few months
after the death of Thomas Telford, who had
worked on its construction. In order to
compete with the new railways, the canal had to
be built as simply and economically as possible
and so, unlike many canals before it, the
Shropshire Unions route was short and straight,
cutting deeply through hills and crossing lower
ground on embankments rather than talking the
longer route on level ground.
The canals Cowley Tunnel, near the village,
was originally intended to be longer than its
actual 81 yards but, as it was being
constructed, the rock towards the southern
end, being softer, gave way. The dramatic fault,
where the more solid sandstone of the
northern end meets the soft marlstones, can
still be seen by taking the towpath through the
tunnel and cutting.
WESTON-UNDER-LIZARD
11 miles SW of Stafford on the A5
A Weston Park
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. The parrot became famous when the
present Earl, after leaving Cambridge,
published a book entitled My Private Parts and
the Stuffed Parrot. The stuffed parrot still enjoys
the hospitality of Weston Park. The parkland
at Weston has matured over several hundred
years into a masterpiece of unspoilt landscape.
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W MAIDEN & SON
30 Stafford Street, Brewood,
Staffordshire ST19 9DX
Tel: 01902 850346
W Maiden & Son has been
a successful family
business since being
established by Bill and Mary
Maiden in 1946.
The family has been in the meat trade for generations,
and the business is now run by their son, also Bill Maiden.
The shop sells as much locally produced meat as possible,
including Longhorn Beef & Lamb from the nearby Chillington
Estate.
Special orders and cuts are always available, along with a
large selection of game, cooked meats, award winning home
cured dry bacon, pies and sausages.
The shop is renowned for home made pies which
customers can watch being made most days. There is also a
large selection of cheeses, fruit, veg, jams and preserves.
Brewood is an historic village north of Wolverhampton, on the Shropshire Union Canal. The detour
from the A5, A449 or M54, to visit this outstanding Butcher, is well worth while.
Many have left their mark, yet each successive
generation has taken note of its predecessors.
Disraeli loved the Park. In one of his letters to
Selina, 3rd Countess of Bradford, he refers to
the stately woods of Weston. There are
some wonderful architectural features in the
Park, including the Roman Bridge and the
Temple of Diana, both designed and built by
James Paine for Sir Henry Bridgeman in about
1760. Fallow deer and rare breeds of sheep
roam the vast parklands and there are plenty
of other interesting attractions for visitors of
all ages including nature trails, a miniature
railway and a Museum of Country Bygones.
FEATHERSTONE
12 miles S of Stafford off the A449
A Moseley Old Hall
Just to the south of the village is Moseley
Old Hall, which visitors can be forgiven for
thinking belongs to the 19th century. In fact,
it dates from the first Elizabethan Age and,
inside, much of the original panelling and
timber framing is still visible. The Hall once
sheltered King Charles II for a short time
following his defeat at the Battle of
Worcester in 1651, and it is for this that the
house is best remembered. Under cover of
darkness the defeated King, disguised as a
woodcutter, was escorted into the house by
Thomas Whitgreave, the owner, and his
chaplain, John Huddlestone. He rested here
for two days - even evaded capture when
Parliamentarians visited the house in search
of the monarch - before leaving, again in
disguise, and fleeing to France. In 1940, the
house was acquired by the Wiggin family and
in 1962 it became the property of the
National Trust. At that time it had no garden
to speak of, but fairly soon two experts re-
created the garden in the style of the century.
The outstanding feature is the knot garden
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with its box hedges and gravel beds. There is
interest everywhere in this wonderful garden,
which is full of rare 17th-century plants and
herbs. In the barn is an exhibition showing
the escape of King Charles.
CANNOCK
9 miles S of Stafford on the A34
Lying on the southern edge of Cannock
Chase, this colliery town goes back to the time
of the Norman Conquest and appears as
Chenet in the Domesday Book. It was an
important market town for centuries (Henry
III granted the charter in 1259), and the
attractive market place still holds busy market
days on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
On the far side of the market place is the
Parish Church of St Luke, which, according to
the records, had a chantry and a grammar
school linked to it as early as 1143. The
battlemented church tower dates from the
1300s and, together with the west end of the
nave, is the oldest surviving part of the
building. The arms of Humphrey de Stafford,
who was killed at the Battle of Northampton
in 1460, are on display.
The ancient bowling green has been there
for many years and, overlooking the green, is
an imposing Georgian house that was once
home to the Council. Nearby is the former
conduit head building of Cannock Conduit
Trust. Founded in 1736 to bring a water
supply to the town, the Trust building, known
as the Tank House, supplied water to the area
until 1942.
HEDNESFORD
8 miles SE of Stafford on the A460
E Hazel Slade Reserve J Cockpit Hill
J Hednesford Hills
This former mining town lies on the edge of
Cannock Chase and its oldest building, The
Cross Keys Inn, dates from about 1746. The
Anglesey Hotel, built in 1831 by Edmund Peel
of Fazeley, was originally designed as a form
of summerhouse in a Tudor style with
stepped gables and this, too, lies at the heart
of Hednesford.
Nearby, the Hazel Slade Reserve shows the
adaptability of nature with an old-fashioned
countryside of small fields, hedges, streams,
marshes and woodland. In the 1960s the old
broadleaf wood was felled for timber; hedges
were planted and cattle grazed the cleared fields.
The Museum of Cannock Chase
Valley Road, Hednesford, Staffordshire WS12 5TD
Tel: 01543 877666 Fax: 01543 428272
website: www.museumcannockchasedc.gov.uk
This museum illustrates the rich social and industrial
heritage of the area, from medieval hunting forest to
coal field community, reflecting the social and
domestic life of times past. The new Toys Gallery
has a collection of toys from the Victorian era right up to present day, including lots to
do for kids of all ages. Enter our Coal Face gallery to discover the harsh working
conditions of a coal miner. Temporary exhibitions and a full events diary ensure that
there is always something new to see or do. Admission free. Open Easter to end
September - daily 11am-5pm; October to Easter - Monday to Friday 11am-4pm.
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However, a small area of the wood managed to
recover and grew from the stumps and seeds
that remained in the ground. Then, five years
later, a pool and marsh started to form as the
land began to subside as a result of the local
mining activity. The Reserve is a popular place
for fishermen as well as those interested in
natural history.
Rising over 700 feet above sea level, the
Hednesford Hills are a prominent local
landmark, which bring the countryside of
Cannock Chase into the heart of Hednesford.
Originally covered in oak and birch, these 300
acres of heathland have been the scene of
varied activities over the years. They have been
quarried for sand and gravel, mined for coal
and used for military training. The land is now a
registered common and the hills are a tract of
wild landscape with a plethora of heathland
plants, abundant wildlife and the opportunity
for recreation for the people who live nearby.
The hills have other sporting connections,
too. Cockfighting once took place at Cockpit
Hill though the exact location of the old
cockpit is unknown. In the 1900s, prize
fighters prepared themselves at the nearby
Cross Keys Inn for boxing bouts on the hills,
and racehorses were trained on the land. Race
meetings were held here regularly until 1840
when the racetrack at Etchinghill, near
Rugeley, became more popular. In particular,
three Grand National winners were stabled
and trained on the Hednesford Hills: Jealousy
won the race in 1861, Eremon in 1907 and
Jenkinstown in 1910.
CANNOCK CHASE
B Museum C Castle Ring C Broadhurst Green
D Coppice Hill D Brereton Spurs
Though close to areas of dense population,
Cannock Chase is 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. Deer are
still plentiful. Conifers now dominate, but it is
still possible to find the remains of the ancient
oak forest and, in the less well-walked marshy
grounds, many rare species survive. A popular
place for leisurely strolls, the Chase is also ideal
for more strenuous walking and other outdoor
recreational activities. Excellent view points can
be found at Coppice Hill and Brereton
Spurs, while Castle Ring, an impressive Iron
Age hill fort, is well worth the effort to find.
Amid all this natural beauty, there are also
reminders of the 20th century and, in
particular, the unique military cemeteries near
Broadhurst Green, where 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 remnants of the training area
can still be seen, as can the prisoner of war
camp. The use of the Chase as a training
ground was not a new idea: in 1873, there
were extensive manoeuvres here with one
army base at Etching Hill and the other at
Hednesford Hills.
The Museum of Cannock Chase (see
panel opposite) illustrates the rich social and
industrial heritage of the area, from medieval
hunting forest to coal field community,
reflecting the social and domestic life of
times past. The site was once the Valley
Colliery; the pit has long since gone, leaving
30 acres of green open space at the Gateway
to the Hednesford Hills Nature Reserve. The
Toys and Games gallery has a collection of
toys from the Victorian era right up to the
present day, including loads of things to do
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for kids of all ages. Temporary exhibitions
and a full events diary ensure that there is
always something new to see or do at the
Museum. Visitors can take a self-guided walk
round the Museum admission is free and
then enjoy a walk over the adjacent Nature
Reserve following the Colliery Trail or using
one of the many other walk leaflets available
in the Museum.
RUGELEY
A Old Chancel H Ridware Arts Centre
E Wolseley Centre
On first arriving in the town, visitors can be
mistaken for thinking that Rugeley is all
modern but, at its heart, there are some fine
17th and 18th-century buildings that have
survived the years of industrialisation.
Between 1860 and 1967, the cattle market was
held behind the inn and a market bell was
rung from the steps of the hostelry to
summon the farmers back from their lunch.
Rugeleys original parish church, the Old
Chancel, was founded in the 1100s though it
is only the tower, chancel and north chapel
that remain from those early days; the rest of
the building dates back to the 13th and 14th
centuries. The nave was demolished in 1823 to
help pay for the building of the imposing new
church, which, too, is well worth a visit.
Next to the Old Chancel is Church Croft,
a fine Georgian house and the birthplace of
William Palmer. Later in life, as Dr William
Palmer, he brought unhappy notoriety to the
town in Victorian times as he poisoned his
hapless victims after insuring them.
Eventually he was caught, put on trial, found
guilty of murder and publicly hanged in
Stafford in 1856. The Tudor house rented by
the evil Dr Palmer still stands.
Ridware Arts Centre, just outside the
town, is within the Tudor walls of the ancient
manorial site of Hamstall Hall. Opened in
2002, it houses vibrant studios and workshops
and hosts a continuous programme of
recreational arts classes (01889 504102). Also
nearby is the Wolseley Centre, a haven of
wildlife and plant life and the headquarters of
the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust.
GREAT HAYWOOD
5 miles E of Stafford on the A51
A Shugborough Hall
This ancient village is famous for having the
longest packhorse bridge in England. Built in
the 16th century, the Essex Bridge (named
after the Elizabethan Earl who lived nearby at
Shugborough Hall when hunting in the area)
still has 14 of its original 40 arches spanning
the River Trent. Here, too, is the interesting
Roman Catholic Church of St John the
Baptist. Built in 1828, the whole church was
moved in 1845 from its original site at Tixall
to Great Haywood by the local Roman
Catholic community. With an ornate west
front and Perpendicular windows, it is the
richness of the west gallery that is the
highlight of the building.
Most visitors to the village however, pass
swiftly through it on their way to one of the
most impressive attractions in the county,
Shugborough Hall, the 17th-century seat of
the Earls of Lichfield. This magnificent 900-
acre estate includes Shugborough Park Farm,
a Georgian farmstead built in 1805 for
Thomas, Viscount Anson, and now home to
rare breed animals and to demonstrations of
traditional farming methods such as hand
milking, butter and cheese making and shire
horses at work. The former servants quarters
have been restored to the days of the 19th
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century and offer an insight into life below
stairs. The mansion itself is a splendid piece
of architecture, altered several times over its
300 years, but always retaining its distinct
grandeur. Exhibitions of the Staffordshire
Arts & Museum Service are held at the Hall.
Outside, in the beautiful parkland, can be
found an outstanding collection of
neoclassical monuments dotted around, and
the Lady Walk leads along the banks of the
River Sow to the delightful terraced lawns
and rose garden.
INGESTRE
4 miles E of Stafford off the A51
A Church of St Mary the Virgin
The beautiful Church of St Mary the Virgin,
in this small estate village, is something of a
surprise. Standing close to the Jacobean
Ingestre Hall, the sophisticated church was
built in 1676 and has been attributed to Sir
Christopher Wren. One of the few churches
that Wren designed outside London, it has an
elegant interior with a rich stucco nave ceiling
and some of the earliest electrical installations
in any church. The chancel, which is barrel
vaulted, is home to a delightful garlanded
reredos and there are many monuments to the
Chetwynds and Talbots, who were Earls of
Shrewsbury from 1856 and had their seat in
the village.
STOWE-BY-CHARTLEY
5 miles E of Stafford on the A518
On the A518 Stafford-Uttoxeter road, a mile
east of Weston, Amerton Farm and Craft
Centre (see below) has something for everyone.
AMERTON POTTERY
Amerton Farm and Craft Centre,
nr Weston, Staffordshire ST18 0LA
Tel: 01889 270821
website: www.amertonpottery.co.uk
Established in 1994, Amerton Pottery is
the creation of James Gauge, who
produces hand-thrown pottery on the
potters wheel in his studio in the Craft Centre at Amerton Farm. He
works in both stoneware and red earthenware to produce a range of
work, from simple terracotta pots to beautiful vases, bowls, candle
holders and indoor water features, all of which can be seen and
bought at the studio.
The pottery also offers a popular paint-a-pot service, enabling
visitors to choose from a wide range of plain pottery little animal
figures, mugs, plates, money boxes to personalise with their own
designs with acrylic or ceramic paint. Babies hand and foot prints
make lovely gifts for parents and grandparents, and pieces can be
tailored to birthdays, weddings and other big occasions. Special one-
off commissions can also be accepted. The studio can accommodate
up to 20 customers round five tables, or takeaway packs can be
bought with instructions on how to paint a pot at home.
The Farm and Craft Centre complex stands on the A518 midway
between Stafford and Uttoxeter.
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Burton-on-Trent
E Washlands
The capital of East Staffordshire, Burton-
on-Trent is famous for its brewing industry.
Started many centuries ago, even the monks
of the Benedictine Abbey, founded here in
1100, were not the first to realise that the
Burton well water was specially suited to
brewing. William Bass began brewing in
Burton in 1777, and by 1863 the brewery had
grown to produce half a million barrels of
beer each year on a 150-acre site. In 1998
Bass acquired the Burton premises of
Carlsberg-Tetley, creating the biggest brewery
site in the UK.
A Benedictine Abbey, founded by a Saxon
earl called Wulfric Spot, was established on the
banks of the River Trent, where the Market
Place now stands. The focus of Burton, it was
from here that the town grew. In the 12th
century, the monks constructed a large stone
bridge of some 36 arches across the River
Trent todays bridge replaced the medieval
structure in 1864. The area along the banks of
the Trent, between Burton Bridge and the
later structure of Ferry Bridge, which opened
in 1889, is known as the Washlands. Rich in
native wildlife, the Washlands is a
haven for all manner of birds, small
mammals, trees and plants. This
ancient area, now a wonderful,
traditionally managed recreational
centre for the town, has a history
dating back beyond that of Burton
itself. It was at Washlands, in the 7th
century, that St Modwen is said to
have built her chapel and settlement
on Andresey Island. No evidence of
the constructions remain and they
are thought to have been destroyed
in a Danish raid in AD874. The site of the
chapel is marked by a cherry orchard and
some yew trees.
Around Burton-on-Trent
TUTBURY
4 miles N of Burton on the A50
A Castle
The historic village of Tutbury is dominated
by the imposing remains of the Castle, which
has stood on a naturally defensive outcrop of
rock for many centuries. From 1086 to 1265,
Tutbury Castle belonged to the Ferrers family,
who had connections here and in Derbyshire,
and for a time it belonged to the Duchy of
Lancaster. Today, the Castle is in ruins but it
remains an attraction particularly for those
interested in Mary, Queen of Scots, who was
imprisoned here 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. In
the shadow of the castle stands the Priory
Church of St Mary the Virgin, one of the
finest of all Norman churches. The town
Tutbury Castle
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itself is both charming and full of character
with many Georgian-fronted shops and a wide
variety of antiques showrooms in the Tutbury
Mill Mews, which was originally an
ironmongery and wheelwright.
HOAR CROSS
7 miles W of Burton off the B5234
A Church of the Holy Angels
The magnificent Roman Catholic Church of
the Holy Angels is by the Victorian architect
GF Bodley and it so impressed Sir John
Betjeman that he called it Bodleys
masterpiece. It was commissioned by the
widow of Hugo Francis Meynell Ingram, in
his memory, and much of its beauty it due to
this remarkable lady.
ABBOTS BROMLEY
10 miles W of Burton on the B5234
A Hurst Chapel
This delightful 13th-century village in the Vale
of Trent has some notable timber-framed
buildings, among which are the Goats Head
Inn and the village school. The butter cross in
the centre of the village is where the local
farmers used to sell their produce. Abbots
Bromley is known chiefly for its annual Horn
Dance, and the ancient reindeer horns used in
the ceremony are kept in the Hurst Chapel
of the Church of St Nicholas. The origins of
this dance are lost in the mists of time, but it
is thought that it was first performed at the
three-day Bartelmy Fair, granted to the Abbots
of Burton by Henry III in 1226 to celebrate St
Bartholomews Day. In early September each
year, six male dancers carry the horns around
the village with six others and a fool, a hobby
horse, a bowman and Maid Marian, the last
being a man dressed up as a woman. Theres
dancing and even mock battles with deer
heads and reindeer antlers. The procession
starts at about 8am and passes by some local
farms before arriving at Blithfield Hall around
midday. After lunch, the procession wends its
way back to the village, where the horns are
returned to the church.
Lichfield
A St Johns Hospital & Chapel A Cathedral
J Stone and Minster Pools B Heritage Centre
C Wall Roman Site H The Curborough Collection
G Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum
G Erasmus Darwin Centre
Despite its 18th century prominence, Lichfield
lagged behind other towns in extensive
rebuilding programmes and consequently it
still retains its medieval grid pattern streets
Lichfield Cathedral
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with elegant Georgian houses and, mixed in
among them, black and white Tudor cottages.
First settled by the Celts, and close to the
crossroads of the two great Roman roadways,
Rykneld Street (now the A38) and Watling
Street (now the A5), Lichfield was one of the
most important towns of ancient days; the
King of Mercia offered St Chad the seat of
Lichfield and, on his death, the town became a
place of pilgrimage and an important
ecclesiastical centre.
The first cathedral was built here in
AD669, but no traces of this building, or the
later Norman structure, remain. The
Lichfield Cathedral seen today dates from
the 12th century and is particularly famous
for the three magnificent spires that
dominate the City skyline. Inside there are
many treasures, including the beautiful 8th-
century illuminated manuscript The Lichfield
Gospels and Sir Francis Chantreys famous
sculpture The Sleeping Children.
The surrounding Cathedral Close is
regarded by many as the most original and
unspoilt in the country. Since it is separated
from the rest of the city by Stowe and Minster
Pools, it is also a peaceful haven of calm.
These two wonderful pools, Stowe and
Minster, are used for fishing, while Beacon
Park is the venue for the Festival fireworks
display each July. The Minster Pool is
particularly beautiful it was landscaped in the
late 1700s by Anna Seward and is now a haven
for wildfowl.
At the very heart of Lichfield is the
Lichfield Heritage Centre, part of St Marys
Centre in the Market Place. The Staffordshire
Millennium Embroideries are on display here.
A church has stood on this site since the 12th
century and the present building, the third,
dates from 1868. As with many ecclesiastical
buildings, the decline in the church-going
population made St Marys redundant and, to
save it from being demolished altogether, the
Centre was formed. A stroll round here is a
fascinating experience and, for the energetic,
there are spectacular views across the city
from the viewing platform on the spire. There
are exhibitions on the history and everyday life
of the city as seen through the eyes of its
inhabitants over the centuries, including the
story of the siege of Lichfield Cathedral
during the Civil War and displays of the citys
silver, ancient charter and archives.
The City has been a place of pilgrims and
travellers for centuries and, in 1135, St Johns
Hospital was founded to offer shelter to those
passing through Lichfield. One of the finest
Tudor brick buildings in the country, the
Hospital is now a home for the elderly. The
Hospital Chapel, with its
magnificent stained-glass window
by the designer of the celebrated
east window at Coventry Cathedral,
John Piper, is open daily. A statue
of Noah and the Dove by Simon
Manby was installed here in 2006.
The Guildhall, the meeting
place of the city governors for over
600 years, has, at various times been
a courthouse, police station and
Watling Street Wall Roman Site, Lichfield
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prison. Behind its Victorian faade, lie the
remains of the city jail, complete with stocks
and cells - the City Dungeons can be visited
on Saturdays throughout the summer.
Lichfields 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
home to the Samuel Johnson Birthplace
Museum. Open every day, with free entry, the
Museum, as well as exhibiting artefacts relating
to his life and works, also has a series of
tableaux showing how the house looked in the
early 1700s. Dr Johnson was justly proud of
his city:
I lately took my friend Boswell (a Londoner) and
showed him genuine civilised life in an English
provincial town. I turned him loose in Lichfield, that
he might see for once real civility.
Here are a few more Johnson gems:
A tavern chair is the throne of human felicity.
Depend on it sir, when a man knows
he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates
the mind wonderfully.
When two Englishman meet their first talk
is of the weather.
2009 sees the 300th anniversary of the birth
of Dr Johnson, and the event is being
celebrated with a number of special events,
culminating in a light and sound show in the
Market Square. Memorials to Dr Johnsons
stepdaughter, Lucy Porter, can be seen in the
medieval St Chads Church, which has a
Norman tower. In the churchyard is a well in
the place where St Chad used to baptise
people in the 7th century. The ancient practice
of well-dressing was revived at St Chads in
1995 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of
THE SPELLBOUND BEAD COMPANY
47 Tamworth Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6JW
Tel: 01543 417650
website: www.spellboundbead.co.uk
Founded in 1984, the Spellbound Bead Company has been
based in Lichfield since 1996, moving to its present
premises a short walk from the centre in 2006. One of the
largest specialist bead outlets in the UK, the shop is filled
with a range of over 8,000 items, from loose beads in all
shapes and sizes in glass, metal, wood and semi-precious
stones to mixed packs, books, tools, wires, threads and
bead storage boxes. The shop also stocks a unique range
of bead kits, and with more than 200 designs theres
something for everyone. They contain all the beads and
threads required, along with full instructions for making
the pictured design; with the starter packs all the kit is
included but with no set picture the final look is left to the
purchaser. All the staff here make jewellery in some form,
and with three experienced tutors on the staff as well there is always someone on hand to set you
in the right direction. Workshops are held throughout the year pre-booking is essential and dates
can be found on the excellent website. Spellbound Beads has a thriving mail order business, and
most of the lines available in the shop can be ordered online. The company also displays at a
number of shows around the UK. The shop is open Monday to Saturday (half-day Wednesday).
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Christian Aid and is now an annual event.
Apart from the historic pleasure that
Lichfield gives, there is also plenty of
parkland to enjoy and, in particular, the
Beacon Park and Museum Gardens. The 75-
acre park encloses playing fields and a small
boating lake and, in the Museum Gardens,
there is a statue of Commander John Smith,
captain of the ill-fated Titanic, sculpted by
Lady Katherine Scott, widow of Scott of
the Antarctic.
Anna Seward, the landscaper of Minster
Pool, is another of Lichfields famous sons
and daughters. She lived in the Bishops Palace
and was a poet and letter writer as well as
being at the centre of a Lichfield-based literary
circle in the late 1700s. Erasmus Darwin, the
doctor, philosopher, inventor, botanist and
poet, and the closest friend of Josiah
Wedgwood, lived in a house in Beacon Street
on the corner of The Close. The Erasmus
Darwin Centre (see panel opposite), just
three minutes from the Cathedral, is a
fascinating place to visit, with touch-screen
computers to access Darwins writings and
inventions, and a garden where herbs and
shrubs that would have been familiar to the
doctor are grown. Erasmus was the
grandfather of Charles Darwin, and had his
own theories about evolution. David Garrick,
probably the greatest actor-manager of the
18th century, had a home here opposite the
west gate of the Cathedral. The new Lichfield
Garrick Theatre opened in 2003. Lichfield is a
festival city, the premier event being the
Lichfield International Arts Festival held in
July.
Just north of Lichfield, The Curborough
Collection is a traditional craft centre with
an amazing array of crafts and antiques,
found in 24 separate units. To the south of
the town can be found the impressive Wall
Roman Site. Known to the Romans as
Letocetum, is has the remains of a bath
house and mansion, the most substantial to
be found in the country.
Around Lichfield
BURNTWOOD
4 miles W of Lichfield on the A5190
E Chasewater Heaths B Chasewater Railway
The 700 acres of land and water known as
Chasewater Heaths are an unexpected find
in this otherwise urban setting. On the fringes
of the village, Chasewater offers a true
wilderness experience with a combination of
heath and woodland environments. Criss-
crossed by paths and bridleways, the collection
of plants and animals found here is so rare
that a large area has been designated a Site of
Special Scientific Interest. The volunteer-run
Chasewater Railway, a former colliery
railway in what is now Chasewater Country
Park, operates passenger services behind tank
engines between Brownhills West and Norton
Lakeside stations. The two-mile trip takes
about 25 minutes and trains run every 45
minutes on Sundays and Bank Holiday
Mondays from March to October. Old
buildings from the industrial days of coal
mining can still be seen, as can reminders of
the time when this was an inland waterside
resort (01534 412121).
ARMITAGE
5 miles NW of Lichfield on the A513
Situated on the banks of the Trent and Mersey
Canal, the village is synonymous with sanitary
ware the manufacturer Armitage Shanks is
still located on the canalside. Less well-known
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is the splendid Norman font in the church.
Close to the village is the only tunnel along the
Trent & Mersey Canal with a towpath. Cut
through red sandstone rock, it withstood the
test of time and the vibrations of the traffic
crossing over it, until, finally, the heavy lorries
of the late-20th century took their toll. The
tunnel was opened out completely, but the
tunnel effect remains as the widened road still
crosses the cutting.
ALREWAS
5 miles NE of Lichfield on the A38
E National Memorial Arboretum
E Armed Forces Memorial
The main street of this enchanting village is
lined with delightful black and white thatched
cottages, some of which date back to the
1400s. The village Church of All Saints is
equally beautiful. Its doorways are all that
remain of the original Norman church; the
chancel was built in the 13th century.
The National Memorial Arboretum, on
the A513 Alrewas-Tamworth road, 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 a 150-acre former gravel quarry
into a sylvan temple whose theme is
remembrance, essentially for those who have
lost their lives or suffered in the service of
their country. The central feature of the
Arboretum, which is run by the British
Legion, is the Millennium Avenue, created
from cuttings from a 2,000-year-old lime tree.
In the unique Millennium Chapel, the Last
Post, two minutes silence and Reveille are
observed at 11am daily. In October 2007, in
the presence of the Queen and the Duke of
Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and the
Duchess of Cornwall, the Archbishop of
Canterbury conducted a ceremony to dedicate
the Armed Forces Memorial a national
monument that commemorates members of
the UK armed forces (Regular and Reserve)
killed on duty or as a result of terrorist action
since World War II. The Memorial is a striking
and emotive structure designed by Liam
OConnor and inspired by the ancient
landscapes of pre-historic Britain and the
classical forms of ancient Rome. At the top of
Erasmus Darwin Centre
Beacon Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 7AD
Tel: 01543 306260
website: www.erasmus-darwin.org
Visitors to Lichfield can find a covered alley
way in-between the houses and bookshop
opposite the majestic, three spired Cathedral.
Walking up the alley, they are led to the right, discovering a secluded courtyard of
ancient houses, surrounding the herb garden of Erasmus Darwins House. Through an
iron gateway, the visitor then reaches the entrance door to the Doctors former home.
Indoors, an introductory video gives a short biography and audio-guides take the
visitor back in time as they journey through the rooms. Touch screen computers,
working models, and a silhouette booth are some of the interactives that compliment
the historical artefacts on display.
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a six-metre mound is a 43-metre diameter
stone structure with two curved walls and two
straight walls. 200,000 bricks faced with
Portland stone panels contain the names of
those honoured by the Memorial, which will
be maintained by The Armed Forces
Memorial Trust, a separate charitable trust
whose patron is The Prince of Wales.
FRADLEY
4 miles NE of Lichfield off the A38
E Fradley Pool Nature Reserve
Another dimension in the history of the canal
age is revealed in the opening of Fradley Pool
Nature Reserve at Fradley Junction, where the
Coventry Canal joins the Trent & Mersey Canal.
The reservoir site includes a variety of habitats,
a bird hide, tree sculptures, pools, and gateways
and a willow tunnel designed and made by local
school groups. On the other side of the canal
are a caf and a British Waterways Information
Centre and shop.
EDINGALE
5 miles E of Lichfield off the A513
J National Forest
A regional forest, National Forest, has
reshaped the landscape between this
village and Alrewas to the west. The
project, which stretches over the
three counties, blends the new
plantations with ancient woodland
and includes farmland, villages and
open country.
WHITTINGTON
3 miles SE of Lichfield off the A51
B Museum of the Staffordshire Regiment
Whittington is home to the
Museum of the Staffordshire
Regiment (The Prince of Wales),
housed in the Victorian Whittington Barracks.
The regiment incorporates the former South
and North Staffordshire Regiments, which
were amalgamated in 1959. The Regiments
origins go back to 1705 when the 38th Foot
(later the 1st Battalion of the South
Staffordshire Regiment) was raised at
Lichfield. The Museum exhibits over 9,000
items including uniforms, shako and helmet
plates, belt plates and clasps, badges and
buttons, and weapons from pistols to machine
guns. Theres a full-scale World War I trench
system, Anderson shelters and relics from the
Sikh Wars, the Crimean, Indian Mutiny, Zulu
War, Egypt, Sudan, South Africa and both
World Wars. Among the medals on display
there are no fewer than 13 Victoria Crosses.
The Museum also includes archives of other
Regiments (01538 483741).
TAMWORTH
8 miles SE of Lichfield off the A5
A Castle A Town Hall
A modern, busy town, Tamworth is actually
much older than it first appears. Straddling
the famous Roman Watling Street (now the
A5), it has a fascinating and turbulent past.
The first reference to the town dates back to
Tamworth Castle
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the 8th century when it was the capital of the
Kingdom of Mercia. King Offa built a palace
here. Raiding Danes managed to destroy the
town twice, and it was later invaded by other
Scandinavians who left evidence of their visit
in some of the street names such as Gungate.
Alfreds daughter, Ethelfleda, was busy
here, too, and excavations in the town centre
have revealed Saxon fortifications.
Dominating Tamworth today is the fine
Norman motte and bailey Castle set in the
Pleasure Grounds, which have truly
magnificent floral terraces. The sandstone
castle, with its superb herringbone wall, dates
originally from the 1180s, having replaced a
wooden tower on the present artificial
mound constructed shortly after the Norman
Conquest. Behind the ancient fortress walls,
Tudor and Jacobean buildings tower over the
medieval timer-framed Great Hall. Restored
period rooms give a fascinating glimpse into
life above and below stairs down the
centuries. A Saxon nun, Editha, is said to
haunt Tamworth Castle, her ghost appearing
first in 1139. The story goes that when de
Marmion took possession of his lands he
expelled the nuns from a nearby convent.
The order had been founded by Editha in the
9th century, so the expelled nuns summoned
her from her grave. Editha attacked de
Marmion in his bedroom and, as a result of
the severe beating she gave him, he restored
the nuns to their home. The Parish Church
of St Editha, founded in AD963, is vast and
was rebuilt after the Norman Conquest; then,
again, after the Great Fire of Tamworth in
1345. The splendid 15th-century tower at the
west end contains a most remarkable double
staircase. The mixture of Victorian and
modern stained glass found inside is
surprisingly harmonious.
The Town Hall, built in 1701, is charming
with open arches and Tuscan columns below.
The building was paid for by Thomas Guy, the
local Member of Parliament, who is probably
more famous as the founder of the London
hospital that bears his name. Thomas Guy also
gave the town its 14 almshouses in Lower
Gungate, which were rebuilt in 1913.
FAZELEY
9 miles SE of Lichfield on the A4091
B Canal
Drayton Manor Family Theme Park has over a
million visitors a year. Besides the scary rides
and a G-Force rollercoaster, it has a zoo, farm
and garden centre and two museums, one of
which is particularly interesting as it charts the
history of the Peel family, former owners of
Drayton Manor.
The Birmingham & Fazeley Canal, which
joins up with the Trent & Mersey Canal to the
west of Alrewas, made this small town one of
the key centres of the English canal system for
over 200 years, and in the 18th century it had
one of the most complete cotton mill
complexes in the country. Not only did the
Peel family set up their cotton factory here to
take full advantage of the canal network, but
also other cotton manufacturers also saw the
potential for business at Fazeley. The old
factory buildings and mills are being restored
to their former glory and a wander along the
towpath provides interesting glimpses into the
industrial history of the area.
SWINFEN
3 miles S of Lichfield on the A38
E Heart of the Country Village
On the A38 between Swinfen Island and
Weeford Island stands the Heart of the
Country Village, a country centre set around
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attractive courtyards in converted farm
buildings with a range of shopping outlets and
two restaurants.
Leek
A Butter Cross A Nicholson Institute
B Brindley Water Museum J River Churnet
J Tittesworth Reservoir A War Memorial
Leek is an attractive textile centre on the banks
of the River Churnet, noted for its range and
variety of antiques shops. It was here that
French Huguenots settled, after fleeing from
religious oppression, and established the silk
industry that thrived due to the abundance of
soft water coming off the nearby moorland.
Until the 19th century, this was a domestic
industry with the workshops on the top storey
of the houses; many examples of these top
shops have survived to this day. Leek also
became an important dyeing town, particularly
after the death of Prince Albert, when Raven
Black was popularised by Queen Victoria, who
remained in mourning for her beloved
husband for many years.
William Morris, founder of the Arts &
Crafts movement, lived and worked in Leek
for long periods between 1875 and 1878.
Much of his time here was spent investigating
new techniques of dyeing with Thomas
Wardle, but he also revived the use of
traditional dyes. Thomas Wardles wife,
Elizabeth, founded the Leek School of
Embroidery, with much encouragement from
William Morris.
Leek is by no means a recent town that
grew up in the shadow of the Industrial
Revolution. An ancient borough, granted its
charter in 1207, Leek was a thriving market
centre rivalling Macclesfield and Congleton.
The Butter Cross, which now stands in the
Market Place, was originally erected near the
junction of Sheep Market and Stanley Street
by the Joliffe family in 1671.
Every road coming into the town seems to
converge on the old cobbled Market Place and
the road to the west leads down to the Parish
Church. Dedicated to Edward the Confessor,
the original Church was burnt down in 1297
and rebuilt some 20 years later, though the
building is now largely 17th century. The
timber roof of the nave is well worth a second
look and is the churchs pride and joy it is
said that each of the cross beams was hewn
from a separate oak tree. In the west part of
the nave, an enormous 18th-century gallery
rises up, tier on tier, giving the impression of a
theatres dress circle.
Although much has been altered inside the
church, most notably in 1865 when GE Street
rebuilt the chancel, reredos, sanctuary, pulpit
and stalls, the rose window designed by
William Morris remains. The church also
contains work by the Leek School of
Embroidery. Outside, in the churchyard, can
be found a rather curious inscription on a
gravestone: James Robinson interred
February the 28th 1788 Aged 438. To the
north side of the Church is an area still known
locally as Petty France, it holds the graves of
many Napoleonic prisoners of war who lived
nearby. An oft-told local story relates that one
day Bonnie Prince Charlie was passing
through the town and knocked on the door of
the vicarage asking for accommodation. The
vicars wife was so surprised that she expired
from shock on the spot.
Another building worthy of a second glance
is the imposing Nicholson Institute, with its
copper dome. Completed in 1884 and funded
by the local industrialist Joshua Nicholson, the
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Compton Mill, Compton, Leek,
Staffordshire ST13 5NJ
Tel: 01538 37284 Fax: 07768 845942
website: www.christophermudd.com
Furniture in the Tradition of
Fine Craftsmanship
Down the years, the market town of leek has
played a prominent role in the worlds of
industry, design and craftsmanship. William
Morris, the founder of the Arts & Crafts
movement, worked in Leek, mainly on new
dyeing processes, during the 1870s, and his
wife founded the Leek School of Embroidery.
The silk industry was also important here, and
the in the 17th century local workers in wood
put their skills to fine use in creating the
superb oak cross beams to be seen in Leeks
parish church, each one said to have been
hewn from a single tree. The legacy lives on in the workmanship of individuals and the number of
antiques shops, and Compton Mill, by the A520 in the Compton district of town, is one of the best
centres for antiques and bespoke furniture in the whole of Staffordshire.
The Mill is the home of Christopher Mudd Designs, a successor to Roberts & Mudd Antiques
founded by Christopher and his father. Christopher has earned an enviable reputation as one of the
finest furniture designers and makers in the region, and he also puts his long experience in the
antiques industry to excellent use, drawing on classical designs and adapting them for the needs of
modern functionality. His furniture includes reproduction and decorative pine, shabby chic and
plain (but by no means simple) country pieces. Everything is made here by Christopher and his
team of ten or so men and women, all vastly experienced in furniture making and antiques
restoration. Each piece is truly bespoke, made to order to fit the customers needs, no matter how
big or small, with many variations in wood, style, colour, finish and details such as hinges and
handles. The portfolio covers the whole spectrum of household furniture and the firm also
specialises in bespoke kitchens, each commission specific to customer space and undertaken from
initial consultation to measurements, design, manufacture, delivery and installation. Every piece of
restored antique wood, every home furnishing and every kitchen that leaves the workshop is
something the craftspeople feel proud to have created and which the customers feel equally proud
to possess. Making furniture to order is the main activity of Christopher Mudd Design, but they still
deal in buying and selling antiques, with an ever-changing stock on display.
The showrooms are open from 10 to 5.30 Tuesday to Saturday and from 1 to 5 on Sunday.
Customers who cant get to Leek can view a wide variety of the firms furniture
on the very comprehensive website.
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Institute offered the people of Leek an
opportunity to learn and to expand their
cultural horizons. Many of the great Victorian
literary giants, including George Bernard Shaw
and Mark Twain, came here to admire the
building. The towns War Memorial, built in
Portland stone and with a clock tower, has a
dedication to the youngest Nicholson son,
who was killed in World War I. 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. Visitors can see corn being ground and
displays of millwrighting skills. Open Saturday,
Sunday and Bank Holiday afternoons from
Easter to the end of September, also Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons from mid-
July to the end of August. Leek has a
traditional outdoor market every Wednesday, a
craft and antiques market on Saturday and an
indoor butter market on Wednesday, Friday
and Saturday.
The River Churnet, though little known
outside Staffordshire, has a wealth of scenery
and industrial archaeology and, being easily
accessible to the walker, its valley deserves
better recognition. The river rises to the west
of Leek in rugged gritstone country, but for
most of its length it flows through softer red
sandstone countryside in a valley that was
carved out during the Ice Age. Though there
are few footpaths directly adjacent to the
riverbank, most of the valley can be walked
close to the river using a combination of canal
towpaths and former railway tracks.
Four miles to the north of Leek on the A53
rise the dark, jagged gritstone outcrops of The
Roaches, Ramshaw Rocks and Hen Cloud.
Roaches is a corruption of the French word
roches or rocks and was reputedly given by
Napoleonic prisoners: cloud is a local word
used for high hills. Just below The Roaches
there is another delightful stretch of water,
Tittesworth Reservoir, which is extremely
popular with trout fishermen. It has some super
trails, a visitor centre with an interactive
exhibition, a restaurant and a gift shop.
Around Leek
LONGNOR
9.5 miles NE of Leek off the B5053
A Market Hall H Craft Centre
F Church of St Bartholomew
Over the county line into Staffordshire yet in
the heart of the Peak District, on a gentle
slope between the River Manifold and the
River Dove, Longnor was once the meeting-
point of several packhorse routes. Its Market
Hall was built in 1873 outside the hall there
is a posting of the market charges of the time.
The towns prosperity declined with the onset
of the agricultural depression, and there was
an accompanying fall in the population.
However, this decline has in recent years been
reversed. Longnor is now a conservation area
and has attracted a good many craftspeople.
Main showroom for the work of local
craftspeople and artisans, Longnor Craft
Centre occupies the beautifully restored
Market Hall in the centre of Longnor village.
The village also has some fascinating narrow
flagged passages that seem to go nowhere,
but suddenly emerge into the most
beautiful scenery.
Though the late 18th-century Church of St
Bartholomew is rather plain, the churchyard
has a most interesting gravestone. The epitaph
tells the tale of the life of William Billinge,
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born in 1679, died in 1791 which made him
112 years old at the time of his death. As a
soldier Billinge served under Rooke at
Gibraltar and Marlborough at Ramillies; after
being sent home wounded, he recovered to
take part in defending the King in the Jacobite
rebellions of 1715 and 1745.
RUDYARD
2 miles NW of Leek off the A523
J Kinver Edge
In fond memory of the place where they first
met in 1863, Mr and Mrs Kipling named their
famous son, born in 1865, after this village. The
nearby two-mile long Rudyard Lake was built in
1831 by John Rennie to feed the Caldon Canal.
With steeply wooded banks, the lake is now a
leisure centre where there are facilities for
picnicking, walking, fishing and sailing. On
summer weekends and Bank Holidays, visitors
can enjoy a magical three-mile return trip
alongside the lake behind the vintage
locomotives of the Rudyard Lake Steam
Railway. 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. This is a
sandstone ridge covered in woodland and
heath, and with several famous rock houses that
were inhabited until the 1950s.
In Victorian times, Rudyard was a popular
lakeside resort in 1877 more than 20,000
people came here to see Captain Matthew
Webb, the first man to swim the English
Channel, swim in the Reservoir.
RUSHTON SPENCER
5 miles NW of Leek on the A523
A Chapel in the Wilderness
Well known for its lonely church, the Chapel
in the Wilderness, this is a pleasant,
moorland village nestling under the Cloud.
Originally built of wood in the 14th century,
the church, which served both Rushton
Spencer and neighbouring Rushton James, has
been almost rebuilt in stone. One of the
graves is that of Thomas Meakin, who died in
1781 but whose grave faces the wrong way. He
was originally buried in Stone, but there was a
suspicion that he was buried alive. When the
grave was opened scratches were found in the
coffin and the body was lying face down.
When he was laid to rest in Rushton Spencer
the grave was positioned the wrong way round
in order to keep the ghost in.
BIDDULPH
10 miles W of Leek on the A527
A Biddulph Grange
John Wesley was a frequent visitor to this
Rudyard Lake
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isolated moorland town but the history of
Biddulph goes back to long before the days of
Methodism. After the Norman Conquest, the
manor of Biddulph was granted by William
the Conqueror to Robert the Forester, an
overlord of what was then the extensively
forested area of Lyme. The Biddulphs, a
staunchly Catholic family, took control of the
area. John Biddulph fought under the Royal
flag during the Civil War and was killed at the
Battle of Hopton Heath. His son entrusted
the defence of Biddulph Hall to Lord
Brereton who withstood a determined siege
until 1644, when he was finally subjected to
heavy artillery. The Hall was then demolished
to prevent its being re-garrisoned.
Biddulph Grange belonged to the
Cistercian monks of the Abbey at Hulton
until the Dissolution and its garden is one of
the most unusual and remarkable in the whole
country. It was created by James Bateman in
the mid 1800s as a series of connected parts
to show specimens from his extensive
collection, which he had harvested from all
parts of the globe. Highlights include an
Egyptian garden with a pyramid and yew
obelisks, a Chinese garden with a joss house,
temple and watch tower, a splendid Scottish
glen, a dahlia walk and a Wellingtonia avenue.
HARRISEAHEAD
6 miles W of Leek off the A527
C Mow Cop Castle A Englesea Brook Chapel
Close to the village and perched on top of a
hill is Mow Cop Castle, which lies exactly on
the boundary of Staffordshire and Cheshire.
However, the Castle is not all that it appears.
The ruined medieval fortress and remains of
the round tower are, in fact, what is left of an
elaborate summerhouse built by Randle
Wilbraham, of nearby Rode Hall, in 1754.
The history of the site goes back much
further and the remains of a prehistoric
camp have been found here. In 1807, this
ancient site gave birth to Primitive
Methodism when Hugh Bourne, a Stoke-on-
Trent man, and William Clowes, a champion
dancer from Burslem, called a meeting on the
hill that lasted almost 14 hours. When Mow
Cop Castle was given to the National Trust in
1937, 10,000 Methodists marked the occasion
with a meeting at the summit.
A small museum of Primitive Methodism
can be visited in the school room of
Englesea Brook Chapel just north of
Balterley. The chapel is one of the oldest
Primitive Methodist chapels to survive. Mow
Cop is at one end of the Newcastle Way that
runs to Market Drayton.
ENDON
4 miles SW of Leek on the A53
This small village is unusual in that it is one of
Mow Cop Castle, Harriseahead
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the few places in Staffordshire that continues
the ancient custom of well-dressing that is so
common in neighbouring Derbyshire.
Probably based on an ancient pagan ritual, the
present ceremony, which was revived in 1845,
takes place during the Spring Bank Holiday
and includes the coronation of a Well-
Dressing Queen.
On the Bank Holiday Monday, a village fete
and fair is held, where there are traditional
Morris dancers and the rural competition of
Tossing the Sheaf takes place. In the days
before combine harvesters, a heavy sheaf of
corn was heaved by pitchfork over a bar that
was gradually raised. Today, the game is similar,
except that a 15lb sack of straw is used.
CHEDDLETON
3 miles S of Leek on the A520
B Flint Mill B Churnet Valley Railway
E Deep Hayes Country Park
The restored Cheddleton Flint Mill, in the
rural surroundings of the Churnet Valley,
makes an interesting visit. 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. There are also
collections of exhibits relating to the
preparation of raw materials for the pottery
industry. Trips by narrow boats along the
Caldon Canal can be taken from the mill.
The village station is home to the Churnet
Valley Railway, which will give great delight
to all railway enthusiasts. The Railway has a
nostalgic collection of beautifully preserved
steam locomotives, diesel multiple units and
other railway memorabilia, and operates an
11km journey through the valley. Leekbrook
Junction (no boarding or alighting) is at the
northern end, which runs through
Cheddleton, Consall and the impressive North
Staffordshire Railway-style station at Kingsley
& Froghall to Oakamoor. The railway is
accessible from Cheddleton or Kingsley &
Froghall (01538 360522).
To the west of Cheddleton is Deep Hayes
Country Park, which lies in a secluded valley
by the Caldon Canal and Staffordshire Way.
From the ridge there are breathtaking views
but, for the less energetic, there is a very
pleasant walk around two pools, which has
many offshoots into lovely countryside.
CONSALL
4 miles S of Leek off the A520
E Nature Park
This is a beautiful spot hidden in a particularly
deep section of the Churnet Valley
downstream from Cheddleton. The little
cottages keep close company with the small
bridges over the Caldon Canal. Originally
known as Consall Forge, the hamlet took its
name from an old iron forge that existed here
Caldon Canal
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in the first Elizabethan Age. As iron making
became uneconomic, the forge altered its
operation and became one of the major lime
making centres after the completion of the
Caldon Canal.
Reached through Consall village is Consall
Nature Park, an RSPB reserve that is a quiet
and peaceful haven with much to delight the
avid birdwatcher. It is accessible only on foot
or by canal. The village itself is very popular
with walkers and boaters and has a pub to
provide the necessary refreshment. Consall
Forge Pottery produces hand-thrown
stoneware ceramics teapots are a speciality.
The splendid Consall Hall Landscape
Gardens cover 70 acres and are a true delight
to visit. An assortment of lakes, follies,
packhorse bridges and summer houses amidst
the spectacular planting, provide a surprise at
every turn. Light lunches and afternoon teas
are also available in the Halcyon Room.
FROGHALL
7 miles S of Leek on the A52
C Froghall Wharf B Caldon Canal
B Manifold Valley Light Railway
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, from the mid-1800s,
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. From then on the
Canal and Wharf fell into a state of disrepair
and it was only due to the efforts of the
Caldon Canal Society that the navigation has
survived. The Canal, once again open to
NEWFIELDS GALLERY
Foxt, nr Froghall, Staffordshire Moorlands ST10 2HS
Tel: 01538 266334
website: www.peakdistrictproducts.co.uk/newfieldsgallery
In a lovely rural setting on a south-facing hill farm,
Newfields Gallery displays and sells only the work of
owners Roger Sutton and
Gail Keep, artists in
ceramics and wood.
They started working
together in the 1970s, and in 1977 they established their own
business Ceramico Designs. In this setting of hedgerow, woodland,
meadow and streams in the Staffordshire Moorlands their keen
observation of wildlife has informed their work and inspired many
of their detailed relief designs for jewellery, boxes and miniature
wall plaques. Roger carves English oak, specialising in plant forms
and foliage, and he also makes the array of chisels he uses for the
fine detailed carving.
The Gallery is open most days between 9 and 5, but its best to
phone to check that theyre open before setting out. Everything
sold in the gallery is unique; ceramics range from 10 to about
120, woodcarvings start at 300.
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traffic, is now the sole preserve of pleasure
craft and, at the leisurely pace of literally one
horse power, narrowboats take visitors along
to Consall Forge and back.
CAULDON
8 miles SE of Leek off the A52
This was the site of the quarry from which
wagons travelled, down a railway track, to
Froghall Wharf.
WATERHOUSES
8 miles SE of Leek off the A523
J Hamps-Manifold Track
Between here and Hulme End, the Leek and
Manifold Valley Light Railway, a picturesque
narrow-gauge line, used to follow the valleys
of the Manifold and the Hamps, criss-crossing
the latter on little bridges. Sadly trains no
longer run, but its track bed has been made
into the Hamps-Manifold Track, a
marvellous walk that is ideal for small children
and people in wheelchairs, since its surface is
level and tarred throughout its eight miles. The
Track can be reached from car parks at Hulme
End, Waterhouses, Weags Bridge near
Grindon, and Wetton.
OAKAMOOR
9 miles SE of Leek on the B5417
E Hawksmoor Nature Reserve
This village was once the home of the
Thomas Bolton & Sons copper works that
produced some 20,000 miles of copper wire
for the first transatlantic cable in 1856. Little
now remains of the works, which were
demolished in the 1960s, but the site of the
mill has been turned into an attractive picnic
site complete with the very large mill pond.
Nearby Hawksmoor Nature Reserve and
bird sanctuary covers some 300 acres of the
Churnet Valley and is managed by a local
committee. The trail through the Reserve
includes glorious landscapes, abundant natural
history and industrial architecture.
ALTON
11 miles SE of Leek off the B5032
I Alton Towers A Castle
D Toot Hill Rock
The world-famous Alton Towers leisure park is
the main attraction here, but even this spot has
its quieter, lesser known corners. Originally the
home of the Earls of Shrewsbury, who also
LEE HOUSE FARM B&B
Leek Road, Waterhouses, Stoke-on-Trent,
Staffordshire ST10 3HW
Tel: 01538 308439
website: www.leehousefarmbandb.co.uk
Lee House Farm offers homely, comfortable Bed &
Breakfast accommodation on the edge of the Peak District
National Park, near the Manifold Valley with its renowned
scenic trail. Built in 1751, the Grade II listed farmhouse is full of character, with period features
including oak beams, fireplaces and window shutters. The three spacious en suite bedrooms all
have central heating, television and hot drinks tray. There is ample private parking and secure
storage for bicycles. The owners also have a well-equipped self-catering two-bedroom cottage in a
converted barn at nearby Cauldon Lowe on the A52.
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owned much of the surrounding area, the 19th-
century mansion by Pugin is now just a gutted
shell. The surrounding gardens and parkland
(which contain most of the attractions) are
older and were laid out by Capability Brown.
Hundreds of workmen were employed to
convert a whole valley into what is still a
magnificent mix of formal gardens and
parkland. As well as many fountains and pools,
there are also numerous paths that lead to
charming features such as a cast-iron Chinese
pagoda, a Dutch garden, an Italian garden, a
Swiss Chalet, a Gothic temple and a vast rock
garden. The village of Alton has plenty to offer
the visitor. The view up from the valley bottom
to the Castle, perched on a sandstone rock
above the River Churnet, has given this area of
Staffordshire the nickname of Rhineland, and
the steep climb up to Toot Hill Rock is
rewarded by magnificent views. The Castle, in
its present form, was built mainly by Pugin,
who also built the now restored Italianate
railway station. Note, too, the old lock-up and
water mill.
UTTOXETER
16 miles SE of Leek on the A518
A St Marys Church I Racecourse
Today, the town is perhaps best known for its
Racecourse, a popular National Hunt track
that lies to the southeast of town. Highlight
of the courses calendar is the stamina-sapping
Midlands Grand National run in the spring.
Uttoxeter is a traditional, rural market town,
with a busy livestock and street market on
Wednesdays. There are several pleasant, old
timbered buildings in Uttoxeter, but fires in
1596 and 1672 destroyed most of the towns
architectural heritage. As well as a visit to the
Heritage Centre, housed in some old timber-
framed cottages in Carter Street, St Marys
Church should also appear on a sightseers
itinerary; it has a typical preaching box dating
from 1828.
ALSTONEFIELD
8 miles E of Leek off the A515
A Tithe Barn
This ancient village, situated between the
Manifold and Dove valleys, lies at the
crossroads of several old packhorse routes and
had its own market charter granted in 1308.
The market ceased in 1500, but the annual
cattle sales continued right up until the
beginning of the 20th century.
Its geographical location has helped to
maintain the charm of this unspoilt village.
There has been no invasion by the canal or
railway builders (it lies at 900 feet above sea
level) and it is still two miles from the nearest
classified road. Around 150 years ago
Alstonefield was at the centre of a huge parish,
which covered all the land between the two
rivers. There has been a church here since at
least AD892, but the earliest known parts of
the present Church are the Norman doorway
and chancel arch of 1100. There is also plenty
of 17th-century woodwork and a double-
decker pulpit dated 1637. Izaak Waltons friend,
Charles Cotton, and his family lived at nearby
Beresford Hall, now unfortunately no more,
but the familys elaborate greenish pew is still in
the church, and the fishing temple built by
Cotton survives in Beresford Dale.
The village also retains its ancient Tithe
Barn, found behind the late 16th-century
rectory. The internal exposed wattle-and-daub
wall and the spiral stone staircase may,
however, have been part of an earlier building.
ILAM
9 miles E of Leek off the A52
A Ilam Hall D Ilam Park
Now a model village of great charm, Ilam
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was originally an important settlement
belonging to Burton Abbey. Following the
Reformation in the 16th century, the estate
was broken up and Ilam came into the hands
of the Port family. In the early 1800s, the
family sold the property to Jesse Watts
Russell, a wealthy industrialist. As well as
building a fine mansion, Ilam Hall, for
himself, Russell also spent a great deal of
money refurbishing the attractive cottages.
Obviously devoted to his wife, he had the
Hall built in a romantic Gothic style and, in
the centre of the village, he had the Eleanor
Cross erected in her memory. Ilam Hall is
now a Youth Hostel. In a spectacular setting
by the River Manifold, the National Trusts
Ilam Park offers the perfect chance to
explore the limestone area of the Peak
District. There are glorious views towards
Dovedale National Nature Reserve, part of
the South Peak Estate. The Visitor centre
contains exhibitions and an interactive display
about the geology of the area. The tearoom
serves dishes using meat from the estates
tenant farmers, who have been awarded the
National Trust Fine Farm Produce Award.
Many places in the Peak District have
provided the inspiration for writers over the
years and Ilam is no exception. The peace
and quiet found here helped William
Congreve create his bawdy play The Old
Bachelor, while Dr Johnson wrote Rasselas
while staying at the Hall. Ilam lies in the
valley of the River Manifold and is a popular
starting point for walks along this beautiful
stretch of river. In summer the Manifold
disappears underground north of the village
to reappear below Ilam Hall. The village is
also the place where the Rivers Manifold and
Dove merge. The two rivers rise close
THE OLD SHIPPON
Dales Cottage, The Rakes, Alstonefield, Ashbourne,
Staffordshire DE6 2FS
Tel: 07854821180 Fax: 01335 350103
The Old Shippon is a beautifully converted stone barn
bungalow sleeping 2-4 people located in the heart of the
Peak District in the very popular village of Alstonefield,
between Bakewell and Ashbourne.
This self contained accommodation has been refurbished to
modern standards whilst retaining a traditional country feel, making
any stay here a homely one. It comprises a quaint lounge with log
fire, digital TV, DVD and sofa bed for extra guests, a newly fitted
kitchen/diner with all essential appliances, and a tastefully decorated
double bedroom, complete with its own cloakroom and en suite
bathroom. Towels and linen are provided with a hamper service
available containing some of the Peak Districts finest produce
including homemade jam and chutney and locally sourced bacon.
Outdoor furniture is also available in the summer months so that the
well kept gardens of this beautiful property can be fully appreciated.
There are plenty of local attractions nearby easily accessible via
the bus route operating 7days a week with a charming country pub
and farm shop nearby. Tescos and Sainsburys also deliver for all the
home comforts you need. Pets are welcome.
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Ilam, Dove Dale and
Thorpe
Distance: 4.0 miles (6.4 kilometres)
Typical time: 90 mins
Height gain: 100 metres
Map: Explorer Outdoor Leisure 24
Walk: www.walkingworld.com ID:2183
Contributor: Phil and Sue Eptlett
ACCESS INFORMATION:
By car from Ashbourne, take the A515 Buxton road
north and after about a mile turn left at the sign for
Ilam and Dove Dale. Follow this road through
Thorpe to Ilam village. There is limited roadside
parking in the village, or use the National Trust car
park at Ilam Hall (charge). There is a bus service
from Ashbourne three times per day each way,
excluding Sunday. Ring 0870 608 2608 for details.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The National Trust property at Ilam Hall, part of
which is a youth hostel, is surrounded by gardens
and woodland and is worth a visit. Dove Dale,
which stretches for about three miles to Milldale, is
WALK|1
a steep-sided gorge created by the River Dove and
was the favourite haunt of Izaak Walton, author of
The Complete Angler.
DESCRIPTION:
This walk starts in the quaint village of Ilam with its
curious tile-clad houses and no intrusion by late
20th-century architecture.
A stroll alongside the River Manifold brings
you to the grand stone Coldwell Bridge, which was
part of the old packhorse route to Cheadle. A track
then ascends to the second of our unspoilt villages
at Thorpe. Here the village green and old church
take you back to a more tranquil age.
After crossing a meadow and the short walk
down Lin Dale, you will arrive at Dove Dale and
the well-known stepping-stones that cross the
River Dove.
From this point the more energetic can take a
short diversion up the conically shaped Thorpe
Cloud for fine views of the surroundings.
Continuing down the lower part of Dove Dale
brings you to a car park where refreshments can be
purchased. It is then a short walk back to the start
point at Ilam.
FEATURES:
Hills or Fells, River, Toilets, Stately Home, National
Trust/NTS, Wildlife, Birds, Flowers, Great Views,
Butterflies, Cafe.
WALK DIRECTIONS:
1
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From the village, take the road to the right
of the memorial cross and proceed over the
river bridge.
2
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Take the stile and steps on the left
immediately after crossing the bridge, which
lead down into a meadow. Follow a well-
defined, curving path adjacent to the River
Manifold, crossing three stiles.
3
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Where the path bends away from the
river, cross the stile, turn half-left and take
the rising path away from the river and
through some trees, following the footpath
markers. On emerging from the trees to a
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STAFFORDSHIRE
Woore
Oakengates
Kingstanding
Norton
Abbots
Bromley
Weston
Ellastone
Rocester
King's
Bromley
Ironbridge
Fradley
Alton
Hartington Biggin
Youlgreave
Rowsley
Longnor
Cheadle
Whitston
Harlaston
Kingsbury
Lea
Marston
Rudyard
Chelmorton
Fazeley
Alrewas
Brailsford
Burnaston
Woodcote
Whitgreave
Sandon
Bramshall
Forsbrook
Checkley
Audley
Madeley
Loggerheads Ashley
Heath
Tissington
Alstonefield
Clifton
Butterton
Winkhill
Upper
Hulme
Tittensor
Beech
Chetwynd Norbury
Great
Cubley
Fenny
Bentley
Penkridge
Codsall
Polesworth
Dorden
Highley
Albrighton
Shifnal
Kinver
Hagley
Gnosall
Barton-under-
Needwood
Tutbury
Eccleshall
Wirksworth
Market
Drayton
Bakewell
Middlewich
Holmes
Chapel
Alsager
Hednesford
Burntwood
Wombourne
Leek
Biddulph
Congleton
Kidsgrove
Matlock
Bridgnorth
Newport
Brownhills
Aldridge
Lichfield
Rugeley
Uttoxeter
Stone
Sandbach
Ashbourne
Willenhall
Halesowen
Telford
W Bromwich
Walsall
Dudley
Sutton
Coldfield
Cannock
Stourbridge
Newcastle-
under-Lyme
Stafford
Crewe
Burton upon
Trent
Tamworth
STOKE
-ON-TRENT
WOLVERHAMPTON
BIRMINGHAM
0 200 400 600 800metres 1
0 200 400 600yards
KILOMETRES
MILES
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Looking for somewhere to stay, eat, drink or shop? www.findsomewhere.co.uk WALK|1
crest, follow the green path across open meadow in
the direction of a wooded hillside.
4
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When a stony track is reached, go through the
gate and bear slightly left, heading towards a large
stone bridge over the river.
5
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This is Coldwell Bridge, which is accessed via a
stile adjacent to the gate at the end. After pausing to
admire the view of the river from the bridge,
continue along the rising old packhorse route to the
village of Thorpe.
6
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Enter Thorpe via a gate and take the tarmac road
through the village, passing the ancient church and
the community centre and pausing at the village
green where there is a convenient seat to rest.
Continue past the postbox, following the road as it
bears right to join the road to Ilam.
7
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Go across the road and carry on through the car
park, passing the toilets and exiting on to a stone
track going up the meadow beyond.
8
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On reaching a rocky outcrop, turn left on an
indistinct path and head for a cluster of trees.
9
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At the trees, follow the path down Lin Dale,
keeping the wall to your left. Lin Dale is a short
grassy dale under the shadow of conically-shaped
Thorpe Cloud.
10
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This brings us to Dove Dale with its popular
stepping-stones. Here the more energetic can take a
diversion up to the summit of Thorpe Cloud for fine
views of the surrounding area. From here take the
left path along the bank of the River Dove, or
alternatively cross stepping-stones and take the
tarmac road on the opposite bank.
11
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Upon reaching a footbridge across the river,
cross it and turn left, walking along the opposite
bank to a car park where there are toilets and
refreshments. Opposite the car park entrance, cross
the stile signed to Ilam.
12
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After approximately 100 metres, mount the steps
on the right, pass through some trees and go over a
stile into a meadow. It is now a straight path across
several fields, passing the rear of the Izaak Walton
Hotel and a farmyard, heading towards Ilam.
13
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As you reach the outskirts of the village, the
path descends to the road via a small gate, from
which it is a short walk along the road back to the
start point.
together, on Axe Edge, and for much of
their course follow a parallel path, so it is
fitting that they should also come together.
Though Dovedale is regarded, and probably
deservedly so, as the most scenic of the Peak
District valleys, the Manifold Valley is very
similar and, while being marginally less
beautiful, it is often much less crowded.
WETTON
7 miles E of Leek off the B5053
C Thors Cave J Manifold Valley Trail
Wetton Mill has been sympathetically
converted by the National Trust into a caf, a
very welcome sight for those walking the
Manifold Valley Trail. There is also a car
park here for the less energetic and a picnic
area for those who would rather cater for
themselves. Much of the hillside either side
of the track also belongs to the National
Trust and is a splendid place for walks.
Below the Mill can be found the ominous-
sounding Thors Cave, situated some 250 feet
above the River Manifold. Though the cave is
not deep, the entrance is huge, some 60 feet
high, and the stiff climb up is well worth the
effort for the spectacular views, all framed by
the great natural stone arch. The acoustics too
are interesting conversations can easily be
carried out with people far below. The openings
at the bottom of the crag on which the cave sits
are known as Radcliffe Stables and are said to
have been used by a Jacobite as a hiding place
after Bonnie Prince Charlie had retreated
from Derby.
Stoke-on-Trent
B Museums in Stoke, Burslem and Etruria
The city was established as late as 1910 when
Fenton joined the five towns (Tunstall,
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Burslem, Hanley, Longton and Stoke)
immortalised by the novels of Arnold
Bennett. Once fiercely independent, the towns
became progressively involved with each other
as improvements in roads, water supplies and
other amenities forced them towards
amalgamation. The new citys crest, of an
ancient Egyptian potter at his wheel in one
quarter, sums up the fortune on which the
wealth of the area was created. Each of the
old towns is also represented in the crest, and
the joint motto translates as Strength is
stronger for unity.
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
manufacture in this area. Though production
started in the 1600s, it was the entrepreneurial
skills of Josiah Wedgwood and Thomas
Minton, who brought the individual potters
together in factory-style workplaces, which
caused the massive leap forward in production
that took place in the 18th century. Their
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. For those
interested in pottery and industrial
architecture, Stoke-on-Trent is a wonderful
place to visit, with many museums and
factories open to the public to tell the story of
the city, such as the Spode Museum &
Visitor Centre in Church Street.
Hanley, one of the five towns of The
Potteries, and part of the Stoke-on-Trent
conurbation, was the birthplace of Arnold
Bennett, Sir Stanley Matthews and John Smith
(the captain of the ill-fated Titanic). The
Potteries Museum & Art Gallery houses the
worlds finest collection of Staffordshire
ceramics and offers many more attractions,
including a natural history gallery and a lively
programme of exhibitions, talks, tours and
workshops. The Potteries shopping centre,
situated in the heart of Hanley, is every
shoppers dream with a fantastic range of
famous shops all brought together in a
beautiful environment. Natural daylight
cascades through the centres many glazed
roofs and plants, trees and water features
create an outdoor feel.
Burslem, in the northern suburbs, is the
home of Burleigh Earthenware Pottery,
founded in 1851 by William Leigh and famous
for its elegant blue and white patterns. The
potterys products are still made by hand using
traditional methods such as underglaze
transfer printing. Also in Burslem is the Royal
Doulton Visitor Centre, which contains the
worlds largest display of Royal Doulton
figures and many other treasures from the
companys rich heritage. There are factory
tours, demonstrations, a video-theatre, gallery,
restaurant and shop. Another Burslem
attraction is Ceramica, located in the Old
Town Hall, with a huge kiln and an Arnold
Bennett study area. Bennett was educated in
Burslem and his first novel, Anna of the Five
Towns, is set in the Potteries. His ashes are
buried at Burslem cemetery.
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
he built in this once rural valley. Though the
factory has gone (it moved to Barlaston in the
1940s), Etruria Hall, Wedgwoods home, is still
standing in what is now the National Garden
Festival site. The pottery industry dominated
the village and the Etruria Industrial
Museum, next to the Trent & Mersey and
Caldon Canals, displays a steam-powered
potters mill as well as other exhibits
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connected with the industry. Wedgwood died
at Etruria Hall and is buried in the churchyard
of St Peter Vincula, Stoke-on-Trent.
Around Stoke-on-Trent
CHEADLE
5 miles E of Stoke-on-Trent on the A521
A Church of St Giles
The glory of this busy market town is the
Roman Catholic Church of St Giles,
commissioned in 1841 and designed by
AWN Pugin. The church has a 200ft spire, and
the interior is an exuberant display of bright
painting, brass, carving, gilding and
Wedgwood and Minton tiles.
KIDSGROVE
5 miles N of Stoke-on-Trent on the A50
A Harecastle Tunnels
Now chiefly a residential town, Kidsgrove is
well worth a visit for anyone interested in
canals. The two Harecastle Tunnels were
major engineering feats of their time and
they carry the Trent & 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 &
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,
Wedgwoods canal and required tunnel, both
built by James Brindley, were constructed
over an 11-year period.
Those who had their doubts about
Wedgwoods grand plan nearly had the last
laugh when, some years later, there was almost
a catastrophe as Harecastle started to subside.
Fortunately, Thomas Telford came to the
rescue and another tunnel was built alongside
the first, thus averting disaster. The two
tunnels can still be seen today and make a very
impressive sight: although Josiahs original
tunnel is not in use, the Telford tunnel has
been restored.
LONGTON
2 miles SE of Stoke-on-Trent on the A50
B Gladstone Working Pottery Museum
The Gladstone Working Pottery Museum
(see panel below) on Uttoxeter Road is a
fascinating museum of the British pottery
Gladstone Working Pottery Museum
Uttoxeter Road, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent ST3 1PQ
Tel: 01782 237777
e-mail: [email protected] website: www.stoke.gov.uk/museums
Gladstone is the only complete Victorian pottery factory from
the days when coal burning ovens made the worlds finest bone
china. Traditional skills, original workshops, the cobbled yard
and huge bottle kilns create an atmospheric time-warp that has
no equal. Also visit the gift shop and Gladstone Parlour Tea
Room serving morning coffee, delicious hot and cold lunches
and afternoon tea. Please allow 2-3 hours for your visit.
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industry housed in a Victorian building. It
tells visitors the story of how 19th-century
potters worked, with the display of
traditional skills, the original workshops, the
cobbled yard and the huge bottle kilns
creating a unique atmospheric time-warp. As
the brochure proclaims: throwing, jiggering,
fettling, saggar making, glazing, dipping,
firing, painting, sponging, moulding, casting
its all at Gladstone. Aynsley China, John
Tams and Staffordshire Enamels have their
factory shops in Longton. Open daily from
10am to 5pm.
BARLASTON
5 miles S of Stoke-on-Trent off the A34
B Wedgwood Visitor Centre & Museum
A visit to The Potteries would not be complete
without a visit to the Wedgwood Visitor
Centre & Museum, set in a beautiful 500-acre
country estate just outside Barlaston. The
stunning modern museum traces the history of
Wedgwood from the founding of the factory in
1759 to the present day through the displays of
Queens Ware, Jasper, Black Basalt and fine
bone china. In rooms designed to recapture the
style of specific periods, there are hundreds of
Wedgwood pieces from those eras. George
Stubbs and Joshua Reynolds both painted
portraits of the Wedgwood family, which hang
in the centres art gallery. In the craft centre,
potters and decorators can be watched as they
use traditional skills to create todays Wedgwood
products. The centre is open
every day.
HANCHURCH
5 miles S of Stoke-on-Trent on the A5182
E Trentham Gardens
This tiny hamlet itself is unlikely to ring any
bells with visitors as they pass by, but the
nearby gardens are world famous. Trentham
Gardens were landscaped by Capability
Brown and given a more formal style by Sir
Charles Barry, whose work can be observed 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, which remain today and
form a framework for the outstanding
conference, exhibition and banqueting centre
that is Trentham.
NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME
2 miles W of Stoke-on-Trent on the A53
A Guildhall B Museum and Art Gallery
This ancient borough, which received its first
charter from Henry II in 1173, was, for several
centuries, the largest town in north
Staffordshire. Today, the town maintains its
individuality from its close neighbour, Stoke-
on-Trent, and its centre is designated a
conservation area. One of the best ways of
exploring the delights of Newcastle-under-
Lyme is to follow either, or both, of the town
trails that take in many of the towns most
notable buildings. Both begin in Nelson Place
and the first takes in not only the early 19th-
century Church of St George and Mayer
House, the former home of a famous
veterinary family, but also some fine Georgian
houses and, in Marsh Parade, the vast 19th-
century building that once housed the towns
first silk mill.
The second of the two trails takes in the
particularly eye-catching Merrial Street before
moving on to St Giless Church, where the
base of the tower dates from the 13th century.
The original medieval church was replaced by
a brick building in 1720, and in 1870 it was
again rebuilt, this time by George Gilbert
Scott, who managed to capture much of the
beauty of medieval times.
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One of Newcastle-under-Lymes oldest
buildings also features on the route; the
Guildhall, built in 1713 to replace an earlier
timber building, 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, paintings to clay
pipes, a reconstruction of a Victorian street
and exhibitions of local and national artists
(01782 297313). A mile from the town centre,
the New Victoria Theatre was Europes first
purpose-built theatre-in-the-round.
MADELEY
7 miles W of Stoke-on-Trent on the A525
E The Pool
Situated on an ancient packhorse route from
Newcastle-under-Lyme, this villages name
comes from the Anglo-Saxon maden lieg,
BROOKFIELDS FARM SHOP
Stone Road, Blackbrook,
nr Newcastle-under-Lyme,
Staffordshire ST5 5EG
Tel: 01782 680833
For a pleasant, relaxed way to shop for
food, a visit to Brookfields Farm Shop
is takes a lot of beating. Beryl Lockett,
Alan, Adam and Gill make this very
much a family affair, and lots of the
produce on sale is home-grown on the
farm. Potatoes, beans, carrots, onions,
leeks, courgettes and pumpkins are
gathered for sale in their seasonal prime, and other
lines include locally produced bacon, sausages and
gammon, eggs, cheese, jams and honey, chutneys and
pickles, fresh bread, cakes and pastries, ice cream and
cut flowers.
The choice is impressive, and success has seen the
shop expanding in size and range. It stands near the
junction of the A51 and A53, 200 yards from the
well-known Swan with Two Necks pub and 5 miles
west of Newcastle-under-Lyme. Opening hours are 10
to 5 on Monday, 9 to 6 Tuesday to Saturday and 10 to 4 on Sunday.
Madeley Old Hall
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which means clearing in the woods. The focal
point of this enchanting place, which has been
designated a conservation area, is The Pool,
formed by damming the River Lea to provide
water power for the corn mill that still stands at
its northern end. The pool is a haven for a
variety of bird life. Madeleys grandest building
is the Old Hall, an excellent example of a
15th-century squires timber-framed residence.
The villages large sandstone church can be seen
through the trees from the mill pond. Standing
in a raised churchyard, with ancient yew trees,
All Saints Parish Church was originally
Norman, but was extensively enlarged in the
1400s; the chapel was rebuilt in 1872.
Stone
Augustinian monks founded a priory here in
the 12th century, of which only one arch and
some cloisters now remain, and in 1251
Henry II granted the monks a charter to hold
a market. In its heyday as a trading town,
some 38 coaches pulled up daily at the bow-
windowed Crown Hotel, still one of the most
attractive buildings along the High Street.
Built during this period of prosperity, the
early Gothic Revival Parish Church of St
Michael contains several interesting
monuments, including a bust of Admiral
John Jervis, Earl St Vincent, the hero of the
great naval victory off Cape St Vincent in
1797. The Trent & Mersey Canal played a
large part in Stones early economic
development and today it still brings work to
the town through the building of holiday
canal cruisers and a growing tourist trade.
The canal was begun in 1766 and, by 1771, it
had reached Stone. The celebrations that
accompanied its opening here were so
boisterous that one of the four locks in the
town and a bridge collapsed under the weight
of people. Stone is a true canal town, the dry
docks and workshops are still busy today, as
they have been for well over 200 years.
Around Stone
ECCLESHALL
5 miles SW of Stone on the A519
A Castle B Pumping Station
For over 1,000 years Eccleshall Castle was
the palace of the bishops of Lichfield but, at
the beginning of the 19th century, it became a
family home when the Carter family moved
STONE ANTIQUES
12 Radford Street, Stone,
Staffordshire ST15 8DA
Tel: 01785 818291
Stone Antiques is housed in a
delightful little shop in the centre
of Stone, a historic town on the
Trent & Mersey Canal. Owner
Tracy Harris personally chooses the items in stock, taking great pride in sourcing unusual and
interesting antiques to give as special gifts or to enhance any room in a home. The ever-changing
array includes vintage clocks and watches, antique toys, lights for ceiling, wall or table, paintings,
some smaller items of furniture and select pieces from Royal Doulton, Coalport, Beswick and
Moorcroft. Tracy also buys scrap gold and buys and sells jewellery. Friendly service and value for
money are hallmarks of this lovely little enterprise, which is open from 10 to 4.30.
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GOODY 2 SHOES
31 High Street, Eccleshall,
Staffordshire ST21 6BW
Tel: 01785 751697
website: www.shoesatgoody2shoes.co.uk
Ladies Footwear for Every Occasion
On the busy High Street of Eccleshall, Goody 2
Shoes sells an up-to-the-minute range of ladies
footwear for all occasions, from casual and sporty
to day wear and evening wear with definite WOW
factor.
The business was founded by Nicole Heath,
who saw a shortage of good, fashionable ladies
shoes outlet in the region. She started off in a small
terraced house originally called Number 55, but
success came quickly and the business soon
outgrew these premises, moving to this current
Aladdins Cave of footwear and accessories. Nicole
has many years experience in footwear retail and
among the accolades that have come her way is
runner-up in 2002 in the UK Footwear Awards,
Best Womens Retailer.
Upwards of 300 styles are in stock at any one
time, some from names with worldwide recognition,
others exclusive in the UK to Goody 2 Shoes and
made to the shops own design and colour range.
New arrivals come into stock all the time, and
Nicole changes the stock completely every six
months. Familiar brands include the long-establsihed
German firm Birkenstock (shoes, sandals and clogs);
Fitflop (sandals and trainers); Redfoot, specialising
in folding shoes and pumps; Melissa from Brazil;
and Geox shoes that breathe from Italy. Brands
exclusive to Goody 2 Shoes include Pedro Miralles
shoes and bags made in Alicante, Bourne, Sachelle,
Lisa Kay, Kanna, Pare Gabia and Bou Bou des
Colonies a Parisian boutique label specialising in
delicate footwear often adorned with beads or
sequins. The impressive range of shoes is
complemented by carefully selected accessories
including handbags, scarves, watches and fun
brooches and necklaces. For a complete ensemble
ladies with an eye for fashion can combine a visit
here with a trip along the road to the clothes shop
Sassy (qv).
About that name Goody 2 Shoes. It comes from an 18th century nursery tale about a poor little
girl who had only one shoe. One day someone gave her a pair and she ran around delightedly
showing them off and shouting Two Shoes!.
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SASSY
7/9 High Street, Eccleshall, Staffordshire ST21 6BW
Tel: 01785 850067
Jill Silvester turned a passion for fashion and design into a popular
and successful business when she opened Sassy among the many
retail outlets on the main street of Eccleshall. She takes great pride
in sourcing and stocking the very best in high-quality ready-to-wear
ladies fashion wear, with a select range of accessories to
complement the clothes. Aimed mainly at the mid-20s upwards and
catering for all sizes and styles, the brands always in stock include
Oui, Passport and Adini from Germany, All is Beautiful from France
and NYDJ Tummy Tuck jeans from the USA. Among the well-
chosen accessories are beautiful Italian scarves, distinctive
costume jewellery from Dante, Ticktech and Squadra Blu, and fun,
funky and fashionable reading and sun glasses from Clere Vision.
The stock in the two sales areas is always changing, so theres
always something new and fashionable for the well-dressed ladies
of Eccleshall and the surrounding area. And if Tracy hasnt got a
specific garment in stock, she can usually order it. If its smart
shoes her customers are looking for, then Goody 2 Shoes (qv)
along the road is the place to head for.
Sassy is open from 9.30 to 5.30
(Monday and Saturday from 10, closed Sunday).
MADE OF LEATHER
30 High Street, Eccleshall, Staffordshire ST21 6BZ
Tel: 01785 851722
Quality Leather Products
Since opening Made of Leather among the shops and
inns on Eccleshalls bustling main street, Nicola (Niki)
Batll-Jacques has been sharing her long-held passion for
natural fabrics and materials with her many loyal
customers. Behind the little bay-windowed frontage of
her attractive boutique shop she has assembled an
eclectic range of high-quality products, with the main
emphasis on leather, ranging from upmarket luggage and
bags of all sizes to purses, wallets, briefcases, belts,
gloves, travel clocks, manicure sets and passport
holders. Among the featured brands are Yoshi, Visconti,
Smith & Canova, Pell-Mell bags from Scotland, Kinsey
designer bags made not far away in Nantwich,
Chatterbox notepads, pill boxes and torches, purses by
Rowallen, Saddler and Golunski and gloves and
accessories made by the long-established and world-famous firm of Dents. Other items in stock
include Autograph pens and beautiful scarves in wool, silk and linen. Made of Leather is open from
9.30 to 5.30 Tuesday to Friday and 10 to 5 Saturday. Two hours parking is available outside the
shop and Eccleshalls main car park is a short walk away.
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here from Yorkshire. The present simple
sandstone house is typical of the best
architecture of the William and Mary period
and incorporates part of the earlier 14th-
century castle. The interior of the house has
been augmented by successive members of
the family, one of whom added a magnificent
Victorian staircase and dome. Perhaps to
remind them of the county from which they
came, the Carters have collected a very
interesting number of 19th-century paintings
by Yorkshire artists. The gardens have been
created around the ruins of the old castle and
have a great deal of romantic appeal.
A little way north of Eccleshall, on the
A519 at Cotes Heath, is Mill Meece
Pumping Station, where two magnificent
steam engines that once pumped more than
three million gallons of water each day, are
kept in pristine condition (01785 617171).
SHALLOWFORD
4 miles SW of Stone off the B5026
G Izaak Waltons Cottage
Set in beautiful grounds in this tiny hamlet in
the heart of the Sow Valley, Izaak Waltons
WILLIAM PERRY THE BUTCHERS
19 Stafford Street, Eccleshall, Staffordshire ST21 6BL
Tel: 01785 850288
2007 sees the 80th anniversary of William Perry the
Butchers, where the owner and excellent staff take
justifiable pride in the quality and consistency of what
they sell. The meat comes almost exclusively from local
farms, ensuring traceability and minimising food miles.
The shop has its own abattoir, and the beef is hung for
3 weeks to allow the full flavours to develop. They
make their own sausages, with at least six varieties available at any one time, and their own steak
& kidney and chicken & mushroom pies are also among the best-sellers. Bread is delivered fresh
daily, and theres always a good choice of cheese, much of it local.
Cottage is a pretty 17th-century half-
timbered cottage once owned by the
renowned biographer and author of The
Compleat Angler. Fishing collections are on
show, and theres a small souvenir shop.
Within the grounds are an authentic 17th-
century herb garden, a lovely picnic area
and an orchard.
SANDON
4 miles SE of Stone on the B5066
A Sandon Hall
Near the village stands the ancestral home of
the Earl of Harrowby, Sandon Hall. Rebuilt in
1850 after the earlier house had been damaged
by fire, the Hall is surrounded by 400 acres of
parkland, which include a notable arboretum.
The Hall is steeped in history and, along with
the impressive interior, makes for an interesting
and informative visit. The family, too, has led a
fascinating life with no less than seven
generations in parliament and three successive
members of the family holding office in the
Cabinet. The museum tells of their lives and
includes costumes, toys and the duelling pistols
of William Pitt the Younger.
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ADVERTISERS AND PLACES OF INTEREST
ACCOMMODATION, FOOD AND DRINK
Lee House Farm B & B, Waterhouses pg 27
The Old Shippon, Alstonefield pg 29
ANTIQUES AND RESTORATION
Stone Antiques, Stone pg 36
ARTS AND CRAFTS
The Spellbound Bead Company, Lichfield pg 15
FASHIONS
Goody 2 Shoes, Eccleshall pg 37
Made of Leather, Eccleshall pg 38
Sassy, Eccleshall pg 38
GIFTWARE
Amerton Pottery, Amerton pg 11
HOME AND GARDEN
Amerton Pottery, Amerton pg 11
Christopher Mudd Design, Compton pg 21
Newfields Gallery, Foxt pg 26
JEWELLERY
Goody 2 Shoes, Eccleshall pg 37
The Spellbound Bead Company, Lichfield pg 15
PLACES OF INTEREST
Erasmus Darwin Centre, Lichfield pg 17
Gladstone Pottery Museum, Longton pg 33
The Museum of Cannock Chase, Hednesford pg 8
Newfields Gallery, Foxt pg 26
Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford pg 5
SPECIALIST FOOD AND DRINK SHOPS
Brookfields Farm Shop, Blackbrook pg 35
W Maiden & Son, Brewood pg 7
William Perry The Butchers, Eccleshall pg 39
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ORDER FORM
To order any of our publications just fill in the payment details below and complete the order form. For orders of less than
4 copies please add 1 per book for postage and packing. Orders over 4 copies are P & P free.
Please Complete Either:
I enclose a cheque for made payable to Travel Publishing Ltd
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Please either send, telephone, fax or e-mail your order to:
Travel Publishing Ltd, Airport Business Centre, 10 Thornbury Road, Estover, Plymouth PL6 7PP
Tel: 01752 697280 Fax: 01752 697299 e-mail: [email protected]
TOTAL QUANTITY
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HIDDEN PLACES REGIONAL TITLES
Cornwall 8.99 ...........
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East Anglia 8.99 ...........
Lake District & Cumbria 8.99 ...........
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Guide To Rural England - Staffordshire

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