27-Sep-2025
Staffordshire is not a county I've ever known well.
But last year we briefly visited Lichfield, and then took in Burton-on-Trent on our way home in February. It definitely seemed worth exploring a bit more.
First up, then, Tamworth, on the way from Birmingham to Burton-on-Trent. It started as a Saxon settlement, but really hit the headlines when the 8th-century King Offa of Mercia (he of Offa's Dyke) built a palace there, giving it something of a claim to being the kingdom's capital.
It was the Normans who built the impressive castle, however:
The local council is doing some pretty major restoration work on the high street at the moment, so it's not looking its best. Even so, Tamworth is a handsome town, definitely up to spec as a walk-and-lunch stop.
We'd decided to stay again at the Ibis in Burton. Unfortunately, we'd inadvertently reserved a bog-standard room instead of the super-duper room-with-kitchenette that we'd raved about last time. Doh...
No matter, we had a fine day out in Stoke-on-Trent yesterday.
The Potteries, as the city is nicknamed, are made up of six towns (Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton, Stoke, and Tunstall). Together, they were a lynchpin in the ceramic industry, which in turn galvanized the development of the canal network.
We were mostly in Hanley, so there's definitely scope for going back and seeing more.
We started at Central Forest Park, landscaped from the spoil tips of Hanley Deep Pit coal mine (which closed in 1962)
They were busy feeding the Canada geese (and, inevitably, the pigeons) when we were there
Denis O'Connor's sculpture reflects the locality's mining heritage
This one is David Wynne's Spirit of Fire, symbolizing the element that fuelled the city's ceramics, mining, and steel industries
A classic bottle oven (or bottle kiln). This one is at the Dudson Museum, and now houses a great display of ceramics through the ages
The travel and hospitality industries drove production for a long time
And on again...
The autumn colours are starting to kick in now
I love the effect of sunlight on warm red brick
This mural, featuring 100 famous people from the Stoke-on-Trent community, was unveiled earlier this month
This is the junction of two canals: The Trent & Mersey, and the Caldon
James Brindley (1716-72), pioneer canal builder
Walking the Caldon Canal to Hanley Park
Deviating for delicious samosa chaat from Coffee and Chai
Today, before leaving Burton on Trent, we did another interesting walk, starting in Branston Water Park, and revisiting one of yesterday's canals, the Trent & Mersey:
Those colours...
You can't beat watery walks
This has been a great way to kick off our England stay. And there's a lot more of Staffordshire left for another time.