Arms of Staffordshire | Great Gate near Croxden |
People who don't know Staffordshire often imagine it to be dominated by the Potteries in the north and the Black Country in the south. There are indeed some large industrial and former mining areas, but those who have visited Alton Towers will know that the spectacular rides are set in an area of beautiful rolling countryside. The Staffordshire Moorland area has some of the finest countryside anywhere, yet it is much less visited than the Lake District and the Derbyshire Peaks. In addition there are extensive areas of wonderful countryside in other parts of the county including the valley of the River Dove and Cannock Chase. Staffordshire also has some interesting historic market towns, including Stafford, Tamworth, Leek, Newcastle and Lichfield. These pages show photographs from some of my travels around the county. The coverage is not comprehensive or even systematic; it is idiosyncratic, depending on whim and the weather. If I enthuse about what I see it is not because I am unduly partisan being born in Lancashire and resident in Cheshire.