The famous Rudyard Lake sits a few miles north of the ancient market town of Leek in the Staffordshire Moorlands. The two-mile-long lake was built over two centuries ago in 1799 to supply the nearby Caldon Canal. During the 19th Century it became a popular destination for day-trippers, visiting the area from near and far. […]

Newcastle under Lyme takes its name from the medieval castle which once stood in this part of Staffordshire. There has been a castle at this place since at least Norman times but potentially long before. During the time of civil war this valley was on an important junction between east and west, north and south. […]

It is said there is a pagan Sun Temple located near to the village of Ipstones in Staffordshire. The curious cluster of large standing stones are hidden from view by a small enclosed wooded area, a good distance from any major road. This place sits above the ancient village of Ipstones which is around a […]

Deep within the Manifold valley lies the intriguing prehistoric Thor’s cave.  It is a place I have visited from a very early age and have been fascinated with its incredible situation overlooking the epic valley 260 feet below but also its ancient history. It is a place that has been used for thousands of years […]

Within the historic and enchanting village of Alton in Staffordshire is a curious building that stands within its centre.  This was once a prison or local ‘lock-up’ where people would spend the night or a few days as a result of some incident or crime that had been committed. The lock up in Alton is […]

Within the ancient village of Alton, on the road towards Great Gate and Cheadle, on top of an elevated spot is a place known as ‘Gallows Green’. This was the place that local criminals and those found guilty were to be punished or hanged, a practice that took place here for centuries. It is said […]

The Roundhouse is a curious, Grade II listed circular building quietly hidden in the corner of the Bet365 car park, adjacent to the Trent and Mersey Canal at Etruria near Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. This neglected building, built around 1769, with round windows and tiled dome roof, represents the last remaining link with the famous Etruria pottery […]

Stoke lies at the point where a Roman road, Ryknield Street, crosses the confluence of the River Trent and Fowlea Brook. The road ran from Littlechester near Derby to Chesterton north of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is likely that the road was located along the line of King Street and City Road between Longton and Fenton and […]

Stafford Castle is situated on the outskirts of the ancient County Town of Stafford. This has been a place of historical significance, important activity and imprisonment for well over a millennium and the scene of Royal visits, sieges and a furtive meeting that determined the outcome of a battle and a dynasty that ruled England […]

Alton is one of my favourite places. Ever since childhood many of my fondest and earliest memories are of great days around the world renowned theme park, Alton Towers, nestled in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside, a few miles away from where I grew up. The ancient village of Alton has been inhabited for well over […]

The mystery surrounding the location of the site of the original Cistercian abbey at Cotton (or the Abbey of the Vale of St. Mary of Cotton) in Staffordshire is something I have been interested in for many years following a walk one summers evening with my Dad who showed me the site of the abbey. […]

Erasmus Darwin was the Grandfather of Charles Darwin and a genius in his own right. He was a larger than life character – a successful Doctor, an accomplished scientist, a noted inventor, a philosopher, a botanist, a celebrated poet and a family man.  This enthralling house is situated in Lichfield, opposite the Cathedral on the […]