Staffordshire - The Perfect Location

Staffordshire - one of the largest counties in Britain....

• Staffordshire is one of the largest Counties in Britain and benefits from its central location in the UK.
• 40% of the UK population live within a 2 hour’s drive time of Staffordshire.
• An excellent network of road, rail and air connections.
• Flanked either side by the M6 and M1 motorways. With M54, M6 Toll Road and M42 to the south. The A50, a major road link, provides a direct link from the M1 and the East of the country.
• Staffordshire is even more accessible following the opening of the new M6 Toll Road from junctions 11a and 4 of the M6 and junction 7a of the M42. Visit www.m6toll.co.uk for more information.
• The county has two mainline intercity stations at Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford.
• Located one hour’s drive (approximately 40 miles) from Manchester, Birmingham International and Nottingham East Midlands Airports.

See Getting To Staffordshire

Heritage
The very word Staffordshire is synonymous with quality and traditional skills. Thousands of people from around the globe visit Stoke-on-Trent, known affectionately the world over as ‘The Potteries’. Several manufacturers including Wedgwood, Spode, Moorcroft and Portmeirion offer visitor facilities, factory tours, stunning museum collections and exciting shopping opportunities.

Visit Britain’s brewing capital of Burton upon Trent, with over 1000 years of brewing, for a taste of history with a flavour of fun and see how your favourite pint is brewed at the Coors Visitor Centre and Museum of Brewing.

Nightlife
The Cultural Quarter in the City Centre of Stoke-on-Trent hosts star studded shows in its magnificent art deco Regent Theatre and Victoria Hall.

The cosmopolitan pavement cafés and bars will entertain you before and after the show. Other local theatres include Stafford Gatehouse, New Vic - the theatre in the round at Newcastle-under-Lyme, The Brewhouse at Burton, Lichfield Civic Hall and Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock.

As the evening approaches, head for Newcastle-under-Lyme for pubs, trendy bars and restaurants. The City also buzzes with the excitement of the night to come with top tunes in its many and varied colourful clubs.

Staffordshire has an excellent range of unusual and friendly eating places. Whether you want a local canalside pub, a cosy inn, a relaxed meal with friends, intimate dinner or trendy bistro to tantalise your taste buds.

Gardens & Historical Houses
Discover one of the stunning gardens in and around the county; Bridgemere Garden World, Stapeley Water Gardens, Biddulph Grange and Dorothy Clive Garden.

Re-opening in mid 2004 is Trentham (formerly Trentham Gardens), beginning with the first phase restoration of the world famous Italian Gardens. Over the next few years Trentham will continue to develop until eventually the 750 acre site will host and entertain over 2 million visitors per year.

The ambience of historical surroundings certainly leaves an impression on delegates. Staffordshire boasts stately homes, historic houses and beautiful gardens.

Travel back to Tudor times and visit the tallest timber framed town-house in England at Stafford’s Ancient High House or Ford Green Hall in Stoke-on-Trent.

Shopping
Staffordshire offers many and varied shopping opportunities.
Stoke-on-Trent City Centre is dominated by the award-winning Potteries Shopping Centre. Bargain hunters can also visit the many pottery factory shops in the City and factory outlets around the County including Arthur Price of England Cutlery, Schott glass and Tutbury crystal.

Amble along the Georgian and Tudor streets of Lichfield for boutiques, jewellers, florists and antique sellers. The market towns of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stone, Stafford, Cannock and Burton all contain a mix of fine architecture, shops, restaurants and pubs. Pick up a work of art from the Shire Hall Gallery in Stafford and shop for antiques in Leek.

Countryside
Take to the hills, and leave behind the crowds, traffic and pressures of every day life, in some of England’s most spectacular countryside, the Staffordshire Moorlands. Forming part of the Peak District, The Roaches, Tittesworth Reservoir and Rudyard Lake are all beauty spots. Explore the picturesque country towns and villages of Staffordshire. For those requiring adventure and freedom Cannock Chase, a combination of lowland heath, ancient woodland and working forest, offers jeep safaris, orienteering and cycle routes.

Entertainment & Theme Parks
Thrill seekers can visit both Alton Towers and Drayton Manor Park whilst staying in Staffordshire. Alton Towers, UK’s No1 Theme Park with the next generation of rollercoaster - ‘Air’ - a face down flying rollercoaster and new for 2004 - ‘Spinball Whizzer - rotating at 360° at 60km per hour, you’d be crazy to miss it. Alternatively try the Maelstrom ride at Drayton Manor Park, Europe’s first gyro swing, which accompanies white-knuckle attractions, Apocalypse, Shockwave and Stormforce 10.

Experience the fashionable Bridgewater Pottery Café, a sister café to the one on London’s Fulham Road, where you can create your own colourful pottery in a lively, creative atmosphere.
The Festival Park complex in Stoke-on-Trent offers a wide range of retail outlets and leisure facilities including Waterworld, Ten Screen Odeon Cinema, Superbowl, Quasar and Ski Centre.

Sport
Delegates can attend an event at two Stoke-on-Trent football clubs both with famous connections - Robbie Williams’ Port Vale and the legendary Sir Stanley Matthews’ Stoke City.

Venture the slopes at Tamworth Snowdome, the first real snow, ski and snowboarding centre in Europe or try the UK’s first Alpine toboggan ride at Stoke Ski Centre or why not have a flutter on the horses at Uttoxeter Racecourse.

A variety of golf courses and driving ranges, clay pigeon shooting, boating, canoeing, go-karting and hang-gliding are available throughout the county.