Art Holiday Travel and Vacation information for Staffordshire

"A county of England, bounded by, Shropshire Cheshire, Derbyshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. It is in length about 54 miles, and varies in breadth from 18 to 36. It is divided into 5 hundreds, which contain 1 city, 21 towns, 181 parishes, and 670 villages. The principal rivers are the Trent, Dove, Sow, Churnet, Stour, Penk, and Manifold. The air is reckoned pleasant, mild, and wholesome. The middle and southern parts are level and plain, and the soil is good and rich; the north is hilly, and full of heaths and moors. Staffordshire is famous for its potteries, its inland navigations, and its founderies, blast furnaces, slitting mills, and various other branches of the iron trade. The mines of coals, copper, lead, and iron ore are rich and extensive; and there are also numerous quarries of stone, alabaster, and limestone. Stafford is the county town. Population, 510,504. It sends 17 members to parliament."
[Barclays Complete & Universal English Dictionary, 1842-1852]

Underrated and good value, with interesting and enjoyable days out and some lovely countryside. Less well known as a holiday area than neighbouring Derbyshire, this actually offers some very attractive days out.

Alton Towers is enormous fun for families, with a very wide and constantly updated range of amusements, and children also enjoy the working farm at Amerton (which is free), the friendly steam railway at Blythe Bridge (good value) and - perhaps surprisingly - the garden centre at Eccleshall, which has lots going on for them. Shugborough and Weston Park at Weston under Lizard are splendid great houses in fine grounds, with plenty of family appeal. The Potteries around Stoke on Trent are full of industrial museums and show-places that will fascinate anyone even remotely interested in china; one or two of these have a very wide appeal, even for children.Some parts of Staffordshire's countryside is delightful. The NE gives beautiful walks and drives in parts of the Peak District, including glorious Dove Dale, the Manifold Valley and Churnet Valley. Further industry is increasingly dominant, but even here Cannock Chase has miles of fine landscape, and the canal network has some particularly attractive stretches. The county has a good many charming villages.