CITY 

Introduction: 

Stoke-on-Trent is an amalgam of six towns formed into a city. It is located in Staffordshire, lies on the River Trent and is renowned worldwide for its pottery industry. The current population is 272,000. 

Brief History:

The history of Stoke, prior to the emergence of The Potteries is limited. A church was thought to have been established in the area in about 670AD. The name of Stoke was probably Stoc which has several meanings. In this instance it possibly meant where the Roman Road crossed the river. 

By the 17th Century, due to the abundance of coal (first recorded in the area in  the 13th Century) and clay, the basic materials needed for making earthenware, the pottery industry started up. 

The famous old names of Royal Doulton, Spode, Minton and Wedgwood came into being. The Trent and Mersey canal, with the first sod cut by Josiah Wedgwood, was started in 1776 to enable clay to be imported from Cornwall. At the same time Wedgwood built his famous Etruria Works. Spode introduced Bone China to Staffordshire in 1796. 

The original villages in The Potteries began to expand, in their own right, to become reasonably sized towns and further industries were established such as steel, railway locomotives and later, tyres. 

In the nineteenth century, writer Arnold Bennett, wrote stories about the towns that made up the Potteries, which were Stoke, Hanley, Burslem, Longton, Tunstall and Fenton. These were then combined into a County Borough in 1910, taking the name Stoke-on-Trent. In 1925, with the King, George V, visiting the town, it was announced that Stoke-on-Trent had been granted city status. Unusually, because the formation of the city is made up of various towns, it is the only polycentric city in the UK. Whilst the city offices are based in Stoke, the city centre is generally acknowledged to be Hanley. 

Then in the late twentieth century, the city, like many other industrial cities, went into decline. Factories closed and well-known companies were taken over and production moved elsewhere. In 1986 the National Garden Festival was held in the heart of the city which kick started some regeneration. 

The current century has seen service industries, distribution, retail and entertainment industries come to the fore. It is also home to Staffordshire University. 

Things to Do: 

Etruria Industrial Museum:

This is the home to the Jesse Shirley’s Bone and Flint Mill which was an important supplier to the pottery industry from about 1800 to 2010. It is an important transport junction of the Trent/Mersey and Caldon canals. The site also contains a working forge and it is located at the summit of the Trent and Mersey canal, the only staircase lock in Staffordshire.  

To check out opening times, ticket prices etc. visit www.etruriamuseum.org.uk. 

Stoke Minster:

Located opposite the Civic Centre on Glebe Street, ST4 1LP,it is the city church of Stoke-on-Trent. Within the church is The Ceramics Trail because many of the famous people involved in the pottery industry are buried here. These include Josiah Wedgwood and Josiah Spode.  If arriving by car you can park in the Kingsway Car Park or if by rail the Stoke mainline station is just a five minute walk away. Open for visitors Monday to Saturday plus Sunday for services. The church does have refreshments and accessible toilets. 

World of Wedgwood/Ceramics Trail:

This museum is so important that it has UNESCO status. Located on Wedgwood Drive, Barlaston, Stoke, ST12 9ER, you can explore the Museum, have a Factory Tour, a Design Studios visit,  experience pottery making, visit the Flagship Store and enjoy fine eating. The venue can be visited seven days a week, with a range of entrance fees, depending on what you wish to see and partake in. For full information and access information check out www.worldofwedgwood.com. 

Alton Towers:

Alton Towers is the country’s leading theme park. It has many activities including Rides, Waterpark, and Extraordinary Golf etc. The park is located between the A50 and A52 roads to the east of the city and satnav is ST10 4DB. If visiting by bus is a necessity then they can be picked up in Hanley on a regular basis. Full details on opening hours, ticket prices etc. can be found at www.altontowers.com, or by email as web site, or by telephone on 0871 222 3330.

Nearby attractions include Runaway Mine Train and Forbidden Valley. 

Potteries Museum and Art Gallery:

Located on Bethesda Street, ST1 3DW, in Hanley, this is a free entry museum. The museum contains over 5000 pieces of Staffordshire made ceramics and tells the story of the development of the Potteries. A Spitfire and part of the Staffordshire Hoard (Anglo Saxon artefacts) can also be seen. The art gallery includes pictures by Degas, Durer and Picasso.

There is a café and a gift shop.  The museum is open every day. 

Waterworld:

An excellent family day out can be found at this Aqua Park, to be found at Festival Park, Hanley, ST1 5PU.There is a charge for car parking. Amongst the attractions are water slides, Ride the Nucleus (a water roller coaster), Lily Pads, Space Bowl, The Rapids and The Python. There is a family restaurant and is open until 6pm during the week and 5pm at weekends.

For full information go to www.waterworld.co.uk or phone 01782 205747 or email  info@waterworld.co.uk. 

Dudson Museum and Bottle Oven:

This museum presents 200 years of pottery making by the oldest surviving family business. As well as exploring the courtyard you can enter the inside of the Grade 2 listed bottle oven to view the collection of pottery. There is a café and shop on site. Located at Hope Street, Hanley, ST1 5DD. If arriving in Stoke by train then buses 21 and 23 connect to centre of Hanley. Contact can be made at 01782 285286 or info@dudson.com  and www.dudson.com.

There is also a factory shop at Nile Street, Burslem, ST6 2BA. 

Trentham Gardens:

This is an award winning visitor attraction. As well as beautiful gardens there are many varying things to see and do. Among them are Adventure Play, Maze, Miniature Railway,and Monkey Forest etc. There are eating places and a shopping village. Located at Stone Road, Trentham, ST4 8JG, there is ample car parking. Alternatively bus 21A runs from Hanley and Stoke Railway Station, or bus 10 from Stafford. For information contact www.trentham.co.uk or by phoning 01782 646646 or email enquiry@trentham.co.uk. 

Gladstone Pottery Museum:

This is the last complete Victorian pottery factory in the country and has original workshops and bottle kilns. These kilns could once be seen in great numbers in their heyday but are a fairly rare sight now. You can watch pottery demonstrations or try your hand yourself at pot making. There is a shop and café with a good range of fare. Located on Uttoxeter Street, Longton, ST3 1PQ, there is an adjacent car park. It is a 10 minute walk from both Longton town centre and Longton Railway station. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday until 5pm. Entrance is £7.50 for adults and £5.25 for children, plus concessions. Full information can be found at website www.stokemuseums.org.uk./visit/gpm/ 

Night Life:

With a good dozen clubs to be found in Hanley, Etruria Road, Burslem, etc. a good night out can be found. These include current trends, disco and comedy venues. There is also a good range of bars and pubs spread throughout the five towns. 

The Regent Theatre is a great night with everything from West End musicals, drama, comedy, ballet, opera etc. being presented. The art deco theatre is located at Piccadilly, ST1 1AP in Hanley. For full info phone 0844 871 7649 or check out www.atgtickets.com. 

Victoria Hall is another major venue which produces such diverse programmes as Music, Concerts, Boxing, Wrestling and rock gigs. The building is Grade II listed and can be found at Bagnall Street, ST1 3AD.  Contact is by phone at 0870 060 6649 or www.atgtickets.com.

Also check out the New Vic Theatre, Queen’s Theatre (Burslem) and Glee Comedy Club.

For film three venues are the Odeon in Etruria, the Forum in Hanley and the Film Theatre in College Road, Stoke. 

Ten Pin Bowling can be found at Festival Park. 

Eating Out:

A range of cuisines are available in the city, including English, Italian and various Asian cuisines. There are also restaurants open to the general public in hotels and visitor attractions. Pubs and small cafes and takeaways also offer good fare. Staffordshire Oatcakes are a local delicacy and are most enjoyable hot with cheese and bacon fillings. These can be found in bakers, cafes and supermarkets. 

Shopping:

Being formed from five towns, each of the towns have their own shopping centres of varying sizes, but in reality the main shopping is found in Hanley. There can be found the Intu mall which houses a range of national chains together with a major department store. There is also an indoor market and refreshment facilities. There are also factory outlet shops in the pottery visitor centres. A good range of budget fashion, art, homeware and health and beauty outletscan be found at the Trentham Shopping Village, to the south of the city.  

Accommodation:

A good range of hotels, guest houses, pubs and self-catering establishments can be found in the city area and surrounding countryside. 

Transport: 

Buses:

First Potteries buses run 28 services within the five towns, Newcastle-under-Lyme and surrounding areas. Many of these routes join the five towns together. Three bus stations, Hanley, Newcastle and Longton, operate as hubs.

Outside of the immediate area buses run to Crewe, Kidsgrove, Stafford and Keele Univerity. Full details for bus travel can be found at www.firstgroup.com/potteries. 

Road:

Generally use the M6 when travelling from the north (then A500) or south (then A53). From the west use the A53 (Shrewsbury), A500 (Nantwich) or A525 (Whitchurch). From the east use A50/M1, A52 (Derby) or A53 (Leek). 

Rail:

Stoke Station, located in Winton Square, lies on the London Euston to Manchester line, run by Virgin Trains. There are also connections to Birmingham, Crewe and East Midlands. Timetable and routes can be found at

www.nationalrail.co.uk. 

Air:

The nearest airport is Manchester which lies 37 miles to the north. Rail travel to the airport is via Manchester Piccadilly and takes just over the hour.

National Express number 538 serves Stoke (Hanley Bus Station)/Manchester Airport also. 

Taxis:

Nearly twenty taxi firms operate in the Stoke-on-Trent area.