Visit Stoke-on-Trent Places

Welcome to Visit Stoke-on-Trent Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Stoke-on-Trent

  

Stoke-on-Trent Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Stoke-on-Trent

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Stoke-on-Trent history

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Toponymy and etymology

Stoke derives from the Old English stoc, a word that at first meant little more than place, but which subsequently gained more specific – but divergent – connotations . It is not known which of these was intended here, and all are plausible . The most frequently suggested interpretations derive from a crossing point on the Roman road that ran from present-day Derby to Chesterton .

Industry

Since the 17th century, the area has been almost exclusively known for its industrial-scale pottery manufacturing. Companies such as Royal Doulton, Dudson, Spode (founded by Josiah Spode), Wedgwood (founded by Josiah Wedgwood), Minton (founded by Thomas Minton) and Baker & Co. (founded by William Baker) were established and based there. The local abundance of coal and clay suitable for earthenware production led to the early (initially limited) development of the local pottery industry. The construction of the Trent and Mersey Canal (completed in 1777) enabled the import of china clay from Cornwall together with other materials and facilitated the production of creamware and bone china. Other production centres in Britain, Europe and worldwide had a considerable lead in the production of high-quality wares. Methodical and highly detailed research and experimentation, carried out over many years, nurtured the development of artistic talent throughout the local community and raised the profile of Staffordshire Potteries. This was spearheaded by one man, Josiah Wedgwood, who cut the first sod for the canal in 1766 and erected his Etruria Works that year. Wedgwood built upon the successes of earlier local potters such as his mentor Thomas Whieldon and along with scientists and engineers, raised the pottery business to a new level. Josiah Spode introduced bone china at Trent in 1796, and Thomas Minton opened his manufactory. With the industry came a large number of notable 20th-century ceramic artists including Clarice Cliff, Susie Cooper, Charlotte Rhead, Frederick Hurten Rhead and Jabez Vodrey. North Staffordshire was a centre for coal mining. The first reports of coal mining in the area come from the 13th century. The Potteries Coalfield (part of the North Staffordshire Coalfield) covers 100 square miles (300 km). Striking coal miners in the Hanley and Longton area ignited the nationwide 1842 General Strike and its associated Pottery Riots. When coal mining was nationalised in 1947, about 20,000 men worked in the industry in Stoke-on-Trent. Notable Collieries included Hanley Deep Pit, Trentham Superpit (formerly Hem Heath, Stafford and Florence Collieries), Fenton Glebe, Silverdale, Victoria, Mossfield, Parkhall, Norton, Chatterley Whitfield and Wolstanton. The industry developed greatly, and new investments in mining projects were planned within the City boundaries as recently as the 1990s. However, 1994 saw the last pit to close as the Trentham Superpit was shut. The Stoke mining industry set several national and international records. Wolstanton Colliery, when modernised, had the deepest mining shafts in Europe at 3,197 ft. In 1933, Chatterley Whitfield Colliery became the first Colliery in the country to mine one million tons of coal. In the 1980s Florence Colliery in Longton repeatedly set regional and national production records; in 1992 the combined Trentham Superpit (Hem Heath and Florence) was the first mine in Europe to produce 2.5 million saleable tonnes of coal. Today the mines are all closed, though the scars of mining still remain on the landscape. Slag heaps are still visible on the skyline, now covered with flora and fauna. The Chatterley Whitfield site reopened as a museum two years after its closure in 1976. The museum closed in 1991 and the site became a local nature reserve. It was declared a scheduled monument by English Heritage in 1993. The abandoned subterranean mines are inaccessible, though they still add complications to many building projects and occasionally cause minor tremors, detectable only by specialised equipment. The Phoenix Trust, an independent not-for-profit foundation, is campaigning to turn Stoke-on-Trent and the wider North Staffordshire Coalfield into a World Heritage Site due to its historic economic significance, its leading role in the industrial revolution, and as the birthplace of Primitive Methodism. The iron and steel industries occupied important roles in the development of the city, both before and after federation. Especially notable were those mills located in the valley at Goldendale and Shelton below the hill towns of Tunstall, Burslem and Hanley. Shelton Steelworks’ production of steel ended in 1978—instead of producing crude steel, they concentrated on rolling steel billet which was transported from Scunthorpe by rail. The rolling plant finally closed in 2002. From 1864 to 1927 Stoke housed the repair shops of the North Staffordshire Railway and was the home of independent railway locomotive manufacturers Kerr, Stuart and Company from 1881 to 1930. Shelton Steel Works and the mining operations were heavily involved in the World War II industrial effort. Central to the RAF’s success was the Supermarine Spitfire designed by Reginald Mitchell who, whilst born at 115 Congleton Road in the nearby village of Butt Lane, had his apprenticeship at Kerr, Stuart and Company’s railway works. The Michelin tyre company also has a presence in Stoke-on-Trent, and in the 1920s built their first UK plant in the city. In the 1980s nearly 9,000 workers were employed at the plant; in 2006 about 1,200 worked there. RAF Meir was located on the outskirts of the city.

Stoke-on-Trent geography / climate

Stoke-on-Trent is situated between Manchester and Birmingham and adjoins the town and borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, which is administered separately. The city lies on the upper valley of the River Trent at the south-west foothills of the Pennines, with the Peak District to the north-east. The six towns run in a rough line from north to south along the A50 road – Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke, Fenton and Longton.

Suburbs

Abbey Hulton, Adderley Green, Ball Green, Bentilee, Birches Head, Blurton, Bucknall, Bradeley, Chell, Cliffe Vale, Cobridge, Dresden, Etruria, Fegg Hayes, Florence, Goldenhill, Hartshill, Meir Park and Meir Hay . Blythe Bridge, Werrington and Endon, although outside city’s boundaries, are part of built up area .

Climate

Stoke-on-Trent experiences a temperate maritime climate, lacking in weather extremes . The local area is a little more elevated than much of Staffordshire and Cheshire, resulting in cooler temperatures year round compared to the nearby Cheshire Plain . The nearest Met Office weather station is Keele University, about four miles west of the city centre .

You can visit Stoke-on-Trent places with Walkfo Stoke-on-Trent to hear history at Stoke-on-Trent’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Stoke-on-Trent has 93 places to visit in our interactive Stoke-on-Trent map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Stoke-on-Trent, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Stoke-on-Trent places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Stoke-on-Trent & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 93 audio facts unique to Stoke-on-Trent places in an interactive Stoke-on-Trent map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Stoke-on-Trent Places Map
93 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Stoke-on-Trent historic spots	Stoke-on-Trent tourist destinations	Stoke-on-Trent plaques	Stoke-on-Trent geographic features
Walkfo Stoke-on-Trent tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Stoke-on-Trent

  

Best Stoke-on-Trent places to visit

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Stoke-on-Trent has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Stoke-on-Trent’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Stoke-on-Trent’s information audio spots:

The Villas The Villas, Stoke-on-Trent, is an estate of 24 Victorian houses. It was designed by local architect Charles Lynam, who became a prominent architect in Staffordshire. Most dating from 1851–55, most dating from the 1851-55, were designed by Lynam. It now merges with the late 19th- and early 20th-century suburban sprawl.

The Old Barracks, Newcastle-under-Lyme The Old Barracks is a former military installation in Barrack Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, England. It is a Grade II listed building.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Guildhall The Guildhall is a Grade II listed building in Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is a municipal building in the city’s High Street.

Eastwood Hanley F.C. Eastwood Hanley Football Club is a football club based in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England. They are currently members of the Staffordshire County Senior League Premier Division.

Staffordshire University Staffordshire University is a public research university in Staffordshire, England. It has one main campus based in Stoke-on-Trent and three other campuses; in Stafford, Lichfield and Shrewsbury.

Christ Church, Fenton Christ Church is an Anglican church in Fenton, Staffordshire. It is in the parish of Stoke-upon-Trent and Fenton. The building is Grade II listed.

County Ground, Stoke-on-Trent The County Ground was a cricket ground in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The ground was located along Station Road, near the railway station.

City Sentral City Sentral was a planned major retail and leisure development in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The centre was to include a M&S department store, a Cineworld cinema complex, an 80-room hotel and a new bus station. The branding of the proposed shopping centre divided residents in the city with many suggesting the deliberate misspelling of the word ‘central’ was unnecessary and open to ridicule.

Shelton Bar Shelton Bar (Shelton Iron, Steel & Coal Company) was a 400-acre (1.6 km) major steelworks in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. In its heyday it employed 10,000 in the steelworks, had five coal mines, a complete railway system and a by-products processing factory.

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent The Regent Theatre is a theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Constructed in 1929 as a cinema, it is one of several theatres in the city centre. The theatre is also the northern base for the Glyndebourne Touring Opera.

Visit Stoke-on-Trent plaques