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Staffordshire is a land-locked county in the West Midlands region of England, part of the United Kingdom.

Cities and towns

Map
Map of Staffordshire

Understand

Staffordshire is a large county in England's West Midlands. It lies directly to the north and west of Birmingham and Wolverhampton, and less than 30 miles south of Manchester.

It is partially urban, particularly in the south and west, around Cannock, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent and Tamworth. To the north and east, Staffordshire is rural. Its hills to the north are part of the Peak District National Park - a protected landscape defined by its peak bogs, challenging, hilly walks and panoramas across agricultural and industrial landscapes.

Some of its largest attractions beyond the Peak District include Alton Towers, a resort and the UK's biggest theme park, and the Cannock Chase National Landscape, a 26 square-mile protected landscape with heaths and woodland.

Stafford is the county town. Lichfield is a cathedral city in the south of Staffordshire. Stoke-on-Trent, known locally as Stoke or The Potteries, is a large city made up of six townsː Hanley (the city centre), Stoke-upon-Trent, Burslem, Tunstall, Longton and Fenton.

Stoke-on-Trent is famous for its ceramics industry and trade, home to Wedgwood (founded by Josiah Wedgwood), Moorcroft (William Moorcroft) and Royal Doulton.

Burton upon Trent is famous for its historic brewing trade.

Local authorities

Several local authorities are responsible for public services in Staffordshire.

City of Stoke-on-Trent Council is responsible for all local government services within Stoke-on-Trent and the six towns.

Staffordshire County Council is responsible for county-wide transport, libraries, local roads including potholes, tips and rubbish dumps, and social care, outside of Stoke-on-Trent.

District councils are responsible for local car parks, fly-tipping, rubbish collection, housing and licensing such as alcohol and taxi licensing. These areː

The Peak District National Park Authority and Cannock Chase National Landscape help plan for the future of these protected conservation areas.

Get in

Staffordshire is in the Midlands. Its towns and cities have excellent road and rail connections to other UK regions, but it can be difficult to access some villages and attractions in the Peak District National Park.

By plane

There are no airports in Staffordshire, but there are several nearby with good public transport links into the county.

Birmingham Airport

1 Birmingham Airport Birmingham Airport on Wikipedia (BHX IATA) lies south of Staffordshire, close to Tamworth and Lichfield. It is a large international airport with flights from destinations throughout the UK, Europe, the Middle East and South Asia.

Birmingham Airport lies west of Junction 6, with onward motorway connections (/) into Staffordshire, direct to Tamworth, Lichfield, Cannock, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent. Its railway station, called Birmingham International, is part of the National Rail National Rail network, with CrossCountry services direct to Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, and West Midlands Railway trains to Cannock, Rugeley and Rugeley Trent Valley.

East Midlands Airport

2 East Midlands Airport East Midlands Airport on Wikipedia (EMA IATA) near Derby is a short distance from Burton upon Trent and Uttoxeter. It is a medium-sized international airport with flights from domestic and European destinations, including resort towns in Spain and Greece.

The near the airport passes close to Burton and Tamworth, while the is a direct connection to Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent. Bus route 9 connects the terminal with Burton upon Trent.

Manchester Airport

3 Manchester Airport (MAN IATA) is a major international airport west of the Peak District and north of Stoke-on-Trent and Leek. Fly into the airport from destinations throughout the UK, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

Several routes connect the airport with Staffordshire, including the into Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford and Cannock, and then into Leek.

London airports

Further afield, London Heathrow Airport (LHR IATA) is the UK's largest airport with flights from destinations worldwide, including from Africa and South America. A small number of National Express coaches operate between Heathrow Airport and Stoke-on-Trent.

By train

Several fast and commuter railway lines traverse Staffordshire, with connections from as far away as Penzance, Cardiff, Glasgow and Aberdeen. They are part of the National Rail National Rail network.

Connections between south-west and north-east Staffordshire are sparse and some journeys may require a change at Stoke-on-Trent or major stations outside the county, including Birmingham New Street and Derby.

You need a ticket to travel on all trains, available at station ticket offices, platform ticket machines or through an online outlet, such as National Rail or Trainline.

Bilbrook and Codsall

West Midlands Railway stopping services call at Bilbrook and Codsall villages, direct from Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Telford Central and Shrewsbury.

Tamworth, Lichfield and Burton-on-Trent

Long-distance London Northwestern Railway trains call at Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley and Rugeley Trent Valley between London Euston, Milton Keynes Central and Crewe.

Change at Rugeley Trent Valley for West Midlands Railway stopping trains into Rugeley Town and Cannock. Change at Lichfield Trent Valley for stopping services into Lichfield City and Shenstone. These routes connect destinations in Staffordshire with West Midlands suburbs and Birmingham New Street.

A small number of fast Avanti West Coast trains operate on the same route, with direct connections from destinations further north, including Chester.

CrossCountry trains call at Tamworth and Burton-on-Trent, with trains direct from: Cornwall including Penzance and St Austell, Plymouth, Exeter St Davids, Bristol, Cardiff Central, Birmingham New Street, Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds, York, Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne, Edinburgh, Stonehaven and Aberdeen.

Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Uttoxeter

Long-distance London Northwestern Railway trains call at Penkridge, Stafford, Stone, Stoke-on-Trent, Longport and Kidsgrove. These stopping trains link Staffordshire with destinations further afield including London Euston, Milton Keynes Central, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, and Liverpool Lime Street.

Stafford is served by several long-distance routes operated by Avanti West Coast between London Euston, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Holyhead, Crewe, Manchester Piccadilly, Preston and Glasgow Central. Avanti West Coast trains between London and Manchester also serve Stoke-on-Trent, along with Northern stopping services between the Staffordshire city and Manchester.

Long-distance CrossCountry trains between The South and Manchester call at Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, with trains direct from Bristol, Reading and Oxford.

East Midlands Railway operates stopping services into Kidsgrove, Longport, Stoke-on-Trent, Longton, Blythe Bridge and Uttoxeter. There are direct trains from Crewe, Derby, Nottingham and Newark Castle.

By bus

A small number of National Express and FlixBus coaches call at Stoke-on-Trent, with direct routes from London Victoria, Birmingham Coach Station, Manchester and Blackpool.

Routes from nearby towns and cities include:

By road

Several motorways cross into Staffordshire, including the past Cannock, Stafford, Newcastle and Stoke-on-Trent. These destinations are all signposted from the route, which connects Rugby in Warwickshire with Carlisle in Cumbria, near the Lake District. Routes which join the motorway include A14 (from Cambridge), M1 (from London), M5 (from Exeter and Bristol), M56 (from Chester and Manchester), M62 (from Liverpool) and M55 (from Blackpool).

The bypasses Birmingham through Staffordshire, passing close to Lichfield and Cannock. Charges apply to use the motorway, and you can make your payment at toll booths as you leave the route. Check m6toll.co.uk for the latest charges.

The passes east of Tamworth. It is a direct link from M5 (from Exeter and Bristol), M40 (from Oxford and Warwick) and A42 (from Nottingham).

From Shrewsbury and Telford, use into Staffordshire for Coven, Cannock and M6.

Other routes include:

By boat

The Canal and River Trust looks after navigable waterways in Staffordshire. There are moorings in most towns and villages with canals.

The Trent and Mersey Canal passes through Stoke-on-Trent, Stone, Rugeley and Burton upon Trent. It is a lengthy canal direct from Runcorn and Northwich to the west, and the River Trent near Nottingham to the east. The Macclesfield Canal joins the Trent and Mersey Canal, from Marple in the Manchester area, Macclesfield and Congleton.

Follow the Shropshire Union Canal into the Gnosall Heath, Wheaton Aston, Brewood and Bilbrook areas from Ellesmere Port, Chester, Nantwich and Market Drayton.

From the River Severn, Stourport-on-Severn, Kidderminster and Wolverhampton, follow the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal into Kinver, Stourton, Wombourne, Penkridge and Stafford. It meets the Trent and Mersey Canal east of Stafford, near Great Haywood. The Stourbridge Canal meets the Shropshire and Worcestershire Canal in Stourton, from Dudley (via Dudley Canal).

For the Lichfield and Tamworth areas, follow the Coventry Canal from Coventry, Nuneaton and Atherstone.

The Coventry, Shropshire Union, Staffordshire, and Trent and Mersey canals connect Staffordshire with the wider English and Welsh canal system, including in Birmingham, Manchester, Oxford and London.

By bicycle

The National Cycle Network is maintained by Sustrans and is signposted. Some routes are incomplete. Long-distance bicycle routes into Staffordshire includeː

Get around

By train

Local train services - part of the National Rail National Rail network - are operated byː

Some towns do not have railway stations, including Burntwood, Cheadle, Eccleshall, Leek and Newcastle-under-Lyme. It can be difficult to travel between different areas of Staffordshire by train, and some journeys require a change at large rail hubs including Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham, Derby, Tamworth or Wolverhampton.

You must buy a ticket before your journey. You can do this at station ticket offices or ticket machines, or using a website like nationalrail.co.uk or thetrainline.com.

By bus

Buses in Staffordshire are operated by several companies across different networks. Staffordshire County Council and City of Stoke-on-Trent Council are responsible for public transport, but neither operates bus services itself. You can use national transport website traveline.info to plan your journey.

Major bus networks includeː

There are several routes between towns and cities, with a sparse network in rural areas, including in the Peak District National Park. Notable routes includeː

By road

Several major and minor routes cross Staffordshire.

The passes Cannock, Stafford, Stone, Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. All destinations are signposted. There are no charges on this route.

The passes Tamworth, Lichfield, Burntwood and Cannock. All destinations are signposted. There are charges to use this route, and you can make payments at toll booths as you leave the route. Use m6toll.co.uk for the latest charges and traffic updates.

The passes through Tamworth and Cannock, and near Lichfield and Burntwood. It is a mix of single and dual-carriageway, and runs roughly parallel to the M6 Toll motorway between Tamworth and Cannock.

The dual-carriageway is a mostly 70mph connection between Lichfield and Burton upon Trent.

The dual-carriageway is a mostly 70mph connection between Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent.

Local authorities including Peak District National Park run car parks throughout the county. Charges may apply.

See

Do

  • 1 Alton Towers. Alton Towers Resort (Q443909) on Wikidata Alton Towers on Wikipedia (updated Jan 2018)
  • 2 Drayton Manor Theme Park, Fazeley, Tamworth. Drayton Manor Theme Park (Q3039179) on Wikidata Drayton Manor Theme Park on Wikipedia (updated Jan 2018)
  • Cricket: Staffordshire CCC play in the National Counties Cricket Championship, the tier formerly known as "Minor Counties" below the first class competitions. Matches are played at half-a-dozen venues around the county.

Stay safe

As with the rest of the UK, in any emergency call 999 or 112 (from a land-line if you can) and ask for Ambulance, Fire or Police when connected.

Go next

  • Birmingham is Britain's second-largest city, on Staffordshire's doorstep. Its historic museum and art gallery features work by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Ford Madox Brown, while its postmodern-style library features Industrial Revolution-era collections and a viewing platform offers views across the urban West Midlands into the countryside beyond. The city is also home to its Gay Village, the Bullring shopping, Digbeth's Creative Quarter and the Balti Triangle, famous for its restaurants.
  • Manchester around 30 miles north of Staffordshire has a busy city centre famous for its nightlife and live music. The Gay Village and Canal Street is a focal point for the UK's LGBT community. Manchester's famous John Rylands and Chetham's libraries are open to the public, while The Arndale is one of the region's largest shopping centres. Manchester City and Manchester United football clubs have enormous fan bases.
  • Buxton on Staffordshire's northern edge is built around the warm springs, a successor to the Roman town Aquae Arnemetiae. It features a pretty Georgian crescent, with independent boutiques and pubs throughout the town. It is set in the Peak District National Park, which is partially in Staffordshire but extends to Sheffield, Glossop and West Yorkshire, with steep hills, heathland and nature-rich bogs.
  • The National Forest is partially in Staffordshire but extends into Leicestershire, with walking routes and organised activities throughout. More information on this Government-backed woodland is at nationalforest.org.
  • Chester has a historic city centre, with Britain's largest Roman amphitheatre and a cathedral with more than 1,000 years of history. The Chester Rows are home to independent shops, including some of the country's oldest shopfronts.
  • The Malvern Hills feature wide panoramas across the Severn Valley with sloping walks. At the bottom, Great Malvern is home to independent shops, pubs and a farmers market.
Routes through Staffordshire
Preston ← Manchester ←  N  SE  → Birmingham → Coventry and M1
M6 ←  W  S  → M42
Solihull ← Birmingham Airport ←  SW  NE  → East Midlands Airport → Nottingham via A453
Shrewsbury via A5 ← Telford ←  W  E  → M6


Routes through Staffordshire
Shrewsbury ← Telford ←  W  SE  → Nuneaton → Milton Keynes
Manchester ← Congleton ←  N  S  → Walsall → Birmingham
Gloucester ← Worcester ←  SW  NE  → Derby → Mansfield
Birkenhead ← Chester ←  N  S  → Wolverhampton → Birmingham
Warrington ← Knutsford ←  W  E  → Derby → M1
Chester ← Nantwich ←  N  S  → Kingsbury
ENDS ←  W  E  → Ashbourne → Derby and Nottingham
Shrewsbury ← Market Drayton ←  SW  NE  → Buxton


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