About the stunning Peak District

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Alton Towers

Alton Towers is a renowned theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It is one of the UK’s largest and most popular amusement parks, featuring a wide variety of attractions including roller coasters, water rides, and family-friendly activities. The park is divided into themed areas, such as the medieval-themed “Katanga Canyon” and the futuristic “X-Sector.”

Churnet Valley Railway

A beautiful heritage railway in the heart of the Staffordshire Moorlands, offering a 10.5-mile return steam train ride between Cheddleton and Froghall, featuring the splendour of Consall Forge and the Churnet Valley. Special events are held at Christmas and other times. Trains run every Saturday and Sunday from March to October, with additional steam trains on Wednesdays in June, July, August, and October, during half-term, and daily throughout August. Please phone to confirm before travelling.

Peak Wildlife Park

Both indoors and outdoors at the zoological park of The Moorlands. Birds, mammals, reptiles, aquariums, children’s pets and farms. Talks, displays, picnicking, play areas, shop, and excellent disabled access.  New – visit the Penguins!

Manifold Valley Visitor Centre 

Based at the end of the Manifold Track in the former ticket office of the Leek and Manifold Light Railway, the centre provides direct access to the Manifold Track. An information service with a wide range of books, leaflets, maps and souvenirs is available. Permanent exhibition on the Manifold Valley. Scale model of the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway celebrating it’s Centenary Year. Car park, picnic tables, cycle racks and fully accessible toilets. Open: Please telephone Leek Tourist Information Centre for opening times and more details: 01538 483741.

Biddulph Grange Garden – The National Trust

Stunning gardens recently restored by the National Trust. It is a series of world garden rooms. Fabulous fun to explore for keen gardeners and children alike! A mid 19th Century garden designed by James Bateman, featuring the Egyptian Court, Chinese Garden and Temple, Pinetum, Fernery, Rock Gardens and tree lined avenues.

Mow Cop Castle

Mow Cop, Nr Biddulph, Staffordshire

Stunning views of North Staffordshire and the Cheshire plains can be seen from the remains of the castle.

Cheddleton Flint Mill

Cheddleton Flint Mill originates from the 18th century and uses two working watermills for grinding flint. South Mill was modified in the 19th century and now contains displays describing its relation to the pottery industry.

Tittesworth Water

Off Buxton Road (A53), Meerbrook, Leek, Staffordshire (ST13 8SW), Tittesworth Water in the beautiful Staffordshire Moorlands offers a variety of activities and facilities. Open daily from 7:30 am, with the Visitor Centre opening at 10:00 am (except Christmas Day) and closing times varying seasonally. The site features a children’s play area, refreshment kiosks, a sensory garden, bird hides, walking trails, grassy areas, an undercover BBQ area, and picnic tables. The Visitor Centre includes a redesigned shop, an 80-seater restaurant serving meals and snacks throughout the day, and award-winning toilets with disabled and baby-changing facilities. It also provides easy access for disabled visitors, with designated parking and wheelchair-accessible picnic tables and play equipment.

Further Afield…

The Staffordshire Moorlands borders the Derbyshire Peak District to the north and The Potteries to the south. Both are also interesting places to visit and accessible within a very short drive.

The Wedgwood Visitor Centre

Winner of the Heart of England Tourism Awards 2004 for Visitor Attraction of the Year, the Wedgwood Visitor Centre in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent (ST12 9ES), offers a comprehensive experience. The audio-guided tour includes an exhibition area, a real working factory tour, a hands-on demonstration area, an exclusive shop, a factory seconds shop, a restaurant, Josiah’s Bistro, and a film theatre.

Open:

  • Mon – Fri: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
  • Sat: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
  • Sun: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Please call for factory tour availability and admission prices, or email: bookings@wedgwood.com. Full disabled access is available.

Emma Bridgewater Factory Shop & Pottery Cafe

Pottery painting is an incredibly relaxing and therapeutic activity that gives everyone an opportunity to express themselves creatively. The Emma Bridgewater Pottery Factory offers pottery painting sessions of one and a half hours, where you and your fellow guests get to paint the piece of your choice.

Gladstone Pottery Museum

Award-winning preserved Victorian pottery factory, complete with bottle ovens. Explore a maze of passageways and workshops. Enjoy daily skilled pottery demonstrations and have the opportunity to throw a pot, make china flowers, and decorate pottery to take home. Other attractions include “Flushed with Pride” – the story of the toilet, a tile gallery, and an 1890s doctor’s surgery.

Open: Every day, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Allow at least 2 hours for a visit.

Royal Stafford Factory Shop & Ceramic Cafe

Visit the Royal Stafford Factory Shop and enjoy savings on a wide range of Tableware. In the Ceramic Cafe create your own colourful design on a selection of Tableware Giftware. The cafe is located at Wedgewood Place, Burslem, Stoke on Trent.

Spode Visitor Centre

Church Street
Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire
ST4 1BX

Visit Spode for a truly unique experience. Decorate your own piece of pottery. Enjoy fully guided Factory tours, Museum, Blue Italian Restaurant and assorted factory and retail outlets.
Open: Mon – Sat 9am – 5pm, Sun 10am – 4pm.

Trentham Gardens

Trentham is one of the most important historic gardens in Britain, having been restored to its full glory. Featuring fabulous Italianate gardens and a vast lake, Trentham is a great day out for garden lovers. Beyond its beautiful gardens, Trentham offers a wide range of activities and attractions, including extreme outdoor pursuits, leisure and retail options, and a monkey forest with hundreds of live monkeys for the children. The Village shopping area provides heritage, recreation, and craft shopping, along with restaurants, bars, and cafes. At its heart is the stunning Trentham Garden.

Buxton

Home to the Buxton Festival and a variety of wonderful shops and, of course, the spa waters still flow freely (many people bring empty bottles to fill up!). Buxton is situated about 12 miles north of Leek, about 12 miles from Toft Hall and 8 miles from Roaches Hall.

Ashbourne

Ashbourne or the “Gateway to Dovedale” is situated about 14 miles east of Leek and about 7 miles from Hamps Hall and Hamps Barn. The town has many interesting individual shops and plenty of tearooms, restaurants and pubs.

Other key places to visit in the Peak district include Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall as well as many dozens of pretty little Moorlands villages. In particular, try Hartington for its cheese, Waterfall for the Red Lion Inn, and Longnor for its craft gallery, tea shop and Upper Limits climbing centre (for all the family).

Grindon village (3 miles from Hamps hall and Hamps Barn)

For big city life Derby and Stoke on Trent are both relatively close.  Derby is billed as Englands most central city, which measn that 6 million people can access the City in less than an hour.  It is home to Donnington Grand Prix Circuit, Pride Park (Derby City’s home ground) and is one of only 5 cities in the UK with a UNESCO World Hertiage site in its city centre.  Stoke is famous for its wonderful Potteries factory shops and factory tours.