Local information - history
The medieval county town of Stafford is located conveniently near to the M6 between the historical market town of Eccleshall and Cannock. Stafford has a wealth of history to explore. Stafford Castle has highlighted the local skyline since Norman times and the Ancient High House located in the market square is the largest timber framed town house in Britain dating back to Elizabethan times. Stafford has 819 Listed buildings - 18 are Grade I, 57 are Grade II* and 712 are Grade II. Sir Isaac Walton’s cottage is on the periphery of Stafford and the county is also famous for the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver to be discovered to date. The pretty market town offers a wide range of amenities, to include, shops, restaurants, theatre, library, leisure facilities and sporting clubs plus a general hospital. The Trentham Garden estate is within easy reach and offers delightful walks, boat trips, and plenty of shops and restaurants to choose from, along with an extensive diary of events. The thriving canal town of Stone is approximately 4.4 miles away and offers a range of local shops and restaurants. There is a regular Farmers Market, and various events take place such as The Stone Festival in June and Stone Food and Drinks Festival in October. Staffordshire boasts a wonderful countryside and has many picturesque villages and attractive market towns offering the benefits of rural living with the advantage of plentiful amenities nearby.
Places to visit
There are plenty of places to visit in Staffordshire where you will find breath taking scenery, thrilling adventures, history, and superb restaurants to tantalise the taste buds such as the beautiful Trentham Lakes with an excellent range of shops and restaurants, Stafford Castle, RAF Museum Cosford, and National Memorial Arboretum. For those who enjoy more cultural surroundings, Lichfield Cathedral is steeped in over 1300 years of history. and is the only three-spired Cathedral in the UK. The Cathedral houses medieval wall paintings, the famous Herkenrode stained glass, the Lichfield Angel and more. Located between Stoke-on-Trent and Derby is Uttoxeter Racecourse which is firmly established as one of the National Hunt tracks in the Midlands offering quality racing throughout the year. Set in 110 acres of wonderful Staffordshire countryside the racecourse has excellent transport links and free parking. Close by is Alton Towers theme park famous for thrilling adventure roller coaster rides, beautiful gardens, Water Park and Alton Towers Spa. Cannock Chase, a natural area of outstanding beauty. Cannock Chase comprises a mixture of natural woodland and plantation for the whole family to explore and enjoy. Birches Valley Forest Centre within Cannock Chase offers a wide range of activities which include woodland walks, bike trails, and live music events during the summer time. On the north-eastern edge of Cannock Chase is Shugborough Hall, ancestral home of the Earls of Lichfield which offers an extensive diary of events, parkland to explore and delightful tea rooms and shops to browse.
Travel
Staffordshire is conveniently located for the commuter, providing excellent transport links by road, rail and air. The M6 motorway junctions 13 & 14 and M6 Toll are in easy reach of Stafford allowing access to all major road networks. The A50 is within easy reach and providing a link to Stoke-on-Trent, Burton-on-Trent, Derby, and the M42, M1 and M6.
There are a range of International airports accessed from the excellent road networks of Staffordshire, these include Birmingham International Airport approximately 39 miles, approx
Manchester Airport - 50 miles approx and East Midlands airport – 43 miles.
Stafford inter-city Mainline Railway allows fast and frequent commute into most major cities with travel time to London Euston in approximately 77 minutes. Birmingham, Manchester and East Midlands airports are nearby. Regular train services also run from Stoke-on-Trent station to London Euston, Manchester Piccadilly and Crewe. Train services are also available from surrounding stations such as Burton-on-Trent, Uttoxeter, Stone, Rugeley and Lichfield
Local schools and colleges
There is a good selection of both independent and state schooling in Stafford and the surrounding area. Local primary schools include Needwood C of E, Oakridge, St John’s, All Saints, Haughton St Giles and Cooper Perry, and there are preparatory schools at St Bede’s and Smallwood Manor. Excellent secondary education can be found at King Edward VI School, Abbots Bromley School for Girls, Denstone College, Newcastle under Lyme Independent School, Stafford Independent Grammar School, Walton High School, Wolgarston High school, Endon High School, Abbotsholme School and Painsley Catholic College.