Top 5 Stoke-On-Trent Activities
Stoke-on-Trent (commonly referred to as The Potteries) boasts world-renowned museums, exquisite gardens, and five Victorian parks – not forgetting its famed pottery industry! The polycentric city also owes much of its success to its large community spirit and high level of civic participation.
Visit the Gladstone Pottery Museum housed in a renovated Victorian factory and explore behind-the-scenes at Emma Bridgewater Factory to see how ceramics are cast, fettled, sponged fired, decorated and decorated.
Potteries Museum & Art Gallery
The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery can be found in Bethesda Street in Hanley – one of six towns that comprise Stoke-on-Trent. It showcases collections that bring together all six towns that comprise its city, and boasts the world’s premier collection of Staffordshire ceramics as well as Natural History, Fine and Decorative Arts, Costume and Local History collections. Furthermore, it jointly owns The Staffordshire Hoard with Birmingham Museums Trust.
The Museum’s galleries are set up as room settings that depict domestic and working life from a schoolroom to a pub, from ceramics production techniques to collections like 667 cow creamer jugs and almost 300 frog mugs. The Local History gallery takes visitors through stories about those that make up this city, with exhibitions like Keiller Collection and Marjorie Davies Collection; while Archaeology focuses on Staffordshire’s rich archaeological heritage – from prehistoric technologies, Roman daily life, medieval monasticism!
Honour & Glory will open this autumn at the Museum and will showcase many of its impressive collections – including Spitfire RW388 and tributes to Reginald Mitchell who designed it.
Visitors can relax in the museum cafe or peruse the Foyer Shop for distinctive gifts, while following children’s trails or attending drop-in activities and special events. There are various learning opportunities at the museum too, ranging from family workshops to creative writing sessions – so come explore!
The Museum is just a short stroll from Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station and easily reached via bus services which run every 30 minutes during the day. Travellers arriving by train can book tickets either online or call the ticket office – there are discounts available for group bookings too! Furthermore, disabled visitors and those with limited mobility will find access to its impressive collections easy. Designed with thoughtful layout and user experience in mind, its collections can be navigated without difficulty!
Trentham Estate
Trentham Estate, on the southern edge of Stoke-on-Trent, is a lush garden and leisure attraction boasting 725 acres. Boasting award-winning gardens, ancient woodlands, an outdoor shopping village and events throughout the year – with adventure playgrounds, UK first Barefoot Walk and Disc Golf as well as stunning Italian Gardens, Rivers of Grass and Floral Labyrinth as well as Trentham Lake at its centre – there’s something fun for every member of your family here!
St Modwen Properties completed an ambitious restoration project, winning several awards for design, planting and innovation of its gardens. They feature various landscape features – sweeping gravelled walks and parterres to Brownian mounds with tree planting. At its centre is Trentham Lake which is surrounded by mounded views and bowling green.
Visitors to Capability Brown landscaped parkland can take a relaxing stroll, and many special family-oriented events and activities for children take place throughout the year. Additionally, Trentham Monkey Forest and Aerial Extreme offer thrilling ropes adventures for visitors.
Trentham Estate is an excellent spot for bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts, featuring mammals, birds, reptiles, insects and fish alike. Additionally, its wildflower gardens make an exceptional wildflower destination in the region with native grasses, plants and fungi abundantly present here.
As part of their home on Trentham Estate, the Dukes of Sutherland owned Trentham Hall; it was demolished between 1912-13 but its grand entrance, orangery and sculpture gallery (now covered by wisteria) remained.
Lancelot “Capability” Brown was hired by Lord Gower II to transform Trentham Park landscape in the early 19th century, including clearing away 18th Century Pleasure Garden and creating mile long serpentine lake with mounded view points, lawns and gravelled walks – not forgetting rare and exotic trees and shrubs found throughout.
Westport Lake
Westport Lake is an expansive nature reserve and popular beauty spot, boasting a variety of outdoor activities. The site houses a visitor center and cafe as well as an attractive waterside terrace where visitors can sit back, relax and take in stunning views of Westport Lake and surrounding woodland. Furthermore, its visitor center provides an opportunity to learn more about local wildlife.
Westport Lake can be found alongside the Trent & Mersey Canal and features two lakes as well as a conservation area. The main lake serves as one of Stoke-on-Trent’s top spots for bird-watching, making Westport Lake one of the premier birding locations.
Lake shores and grasslands surrounding it offer visitors a pleasant walk experience, with level footpaths around its perimeter providing health walks. Anglers also find great pleasure fishing for trout from its banks.
Westport Country Club boasts an outstanding 18-hole golf course that draws many visitors to this picturesque town. Visitors can rent equipment at the club and hit the links against a breathtaking mountainous backdrop – ideal for an enjoyable round.
There is a good chance of seeing numerous wildlife species at the park, such as geese, ducks and herons. Furthermore, its wetlands serve as home for numerous rare and endangered species making the park an important habitat for both flora and fauna.
Winter visitors to Florida’s public beaches can take advantage of ice skating and sledding at the public beach or try trout fishing, among other indoor/outdoor activities like swimming, shopping, dining and sightseeing.
Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park provides more adventurous individuals with zip lines, cliff jumps, monster mini golf at Black Light Monster Mini Golf or climbing Rock Climb Fairfield for an exciting family outing. Additionally, Westport Library provides passes that can be used to visit museums and other attractions around town.
Alton Towers
Alton Towers Resort is a theme park, waterpark and conference centre boasting ten roller coasters. Additionally, this resort features aquariums, outdoor theaters, small scale golf courses, accommodation options as well as themed restaurants and a dedicated conference centre – among many other attractions!
Attraction features eleven themed areas with their own narrative. Travel between areas using a cable car system from Towers Street to Forbidden Valley; additionally there’s also an on-site sealife center called Sharkbait Reef which operates completely covered.
Fun and exciting places like Waterworld Resort are great experiences for families, groups of friends and individuals alike. To maximize your visit experience it’s wise to bring along a map or guide as the resort covers an expansive area spanning many acres – however the staff are friendly and can assist with finding your way around!
At the park there is plenty to see and do, so take time to discover it all. Bring a coat because the weather in Staffordshire can change rapidly at any time of year; during summer months it can get very hot; be sure to stay hydrated during your time in the park!
Alton Towers was first opened to the public as the property of the Earls of Shrewsbury in 1860 in order to raise funds, later becoming a theme park inspired by Disneyland with rides such as Congo River Rapids, Runaway Mine Train, Nemesis Reborn Wicker Man Oblivion Smiler as well as themed mazes.
Scarefest at the park features several thrilling scare mazes. Terror of the Towers is one such maze set within a recreated tower; featuring actors lunging towards visitors with heavy strobe lighting effects and actors lunging toward visitors as part of its experience. Another popular maze is The Boiler House located within an abandoned industrial building.
