Heritage - Cultural & Industrial Heritage in North Staffordshire

The Ancient High House Stafford, (reputed to be the largest surviving timber framed town house in England from the Elizabethan period) it houses an interesting museum, in 1642 when King Charles I stayed there en route to Shrewsbury, the house retains an extensive collection of period furniture and architectural features. It is also the home of the Staffordshire Yeomanry Museum
Accessibility - Because of the many steps, access to the house is extremely difficult for people with severe mobility impairment
www.freedom-leisure.co.uk/ancienthighhouse

 

Apedale Community Country Park and Apedale Valley Light Railway & are located on the outskirts of the Newcastle, 454 acres of parkland reclaimed from the coal mining industry now woodland, meadows, ponds and marsh full of wildlife. Heritage Centre, café, mine tours, museum and Apedale Valley Light Railway, many walks, outdoor activities etc
Accessibility baby changing, disabled access, disabled toilets - some paths are accessible and have hard surfaces, some have steep inclines
Take a look at our Apedale photo album on Flickr - www.flickr.com/photos/visit-north-staffordshire...
www.apedale.co.uk/
www.staffordshire.gov.uk/...
www.avlr.org.uk

Bethesda Methodist Chapel this 19th century gem can be found in the Cultural Quarter of Hanley, Stoke on Trent, designed to seat 2,000 people, this 'Cathedral of the Potteries' has been under a long term restoration
www.bethesda-stoke.info

 

 

Brindley’s Mill – a little know gem, built in 1752 this is a working corn mill & museum celebrating the work of James Brindley, millwright and canal engineer renowned as the pioneer of the canal system. – on the A523 Leek to Macclesfield road about half a mile from Leek town centre
www.brindleysmill.co.uk

 

 

Churnet Valley Railway – 11 mile return journey along the valley between Kinglsey & Froghall station and Leekbrook through beautiful countryside known as Staffordshire’s “Little Switzerland”, “Moorlander” dining train, events, footplate experience
Accessibility - It is recommended that wheelchair users board the train at Kingsley & Froghall Station due to a lower platform level at Cheddleton.
www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk

 

 

Cheddleton Flint Mill is a fine example of a water mill that ground flint for the pottery industry, it features two water mills, a small museum, a period cottage, the canal and many other exhibits. It is adjacent to the main road and canal, a five minute walk along the canal from the Churnet Valley Railway Station (see above)
www.cheddletonflintmill.com

 

 

Dudson Museum - Hope Street, Hanley - “ the oldest surviving family business in the ceramic tableware industry, explore the original Dudson factory courtyard and enjoy the unique experience of stepping inside the Grade II listed bottle oven to view the collection and to trace the fascinating history of the Dudson company’s production from 1800 to the present day”.
dudsoncentre.org.uk/dudson-museum/

 

 

 

 

Etruria Industrial Museum and Heritage Centre – Etruria, Stoke on Trent – “home of Jesse Shirley’s 1857 Bone and Flint Mill, the only remaining operational Steam Driven Potters’ Mill in the world”, Victorian factory mill, cafe, canal-side walks
Accessibility - disabled toilets "Unfortunately there is limited access for those with mobility difficulties to enter the mill"
www.etruriamuseum.org.uk

 

 

Foxfield Railway – Caverswall Road Station, Caverswall Road, Blythe Bridge - Heritage Steam Railway, period carriages, 5 mile round trip through rural Staffordshire pulled by historic steam engines as well as a Miniature Railway, café, shop, fully licensed real ale bar, experience days - running every Sunday and Bank Holiday from Easter until Christmas
Accessibility - The railway has a specially adapted wheelchair carriage; access is via a portable ramp
foxfieldrailway.co.uk

 

 

 

Gladstone Pottery Museum – Longton, Stoke on Trent – complete Victorian pottery factory from the days when coal burning ovens made the world’s finest bone china, guided tours, See traditional skills, original workshops, the cobbled yard and huge bottle kilns, ‘Flushed with Pride’ toilet exhibit, Tile Gallery and 1890’s Doctor’s House, shop, cafe
Accessibility - External areas of the museum are cobbled, ramped access to buildings, lift to upper floor, wheelchairs available for loan, accessible toilets
www.stokemuseums.org.uk/visit/gpm

 

 

Middleport Pottery – Burslem, Stoke on Trent – World famous Burleigh pottery has been created here using traditional methods since 1889. Visitor Centre which comprises Victorian offices, historic collections, bottle kiln and mould store, factory tour, café, shop
Accessibility - accessible toilet, access is limited in some areas, please see the access statement on their website
www.middleportpottery.org

 

Mill Meece Pumping Station – Mill Meece, nr Eccleshall – it has supplied water since 1914. The Steam Pumps were replaced by electric pumps in 1979, but these horizontal steam engines have been preserved and open events take place throughout the year
www.millmeecepumpingstation.co.uk

 

 

Moorcroft Heritage Visitor Centre – Sandbach Road, Burslem – has been described as the jewel in Stoke-on-Trent’s crown. Moorcroft’s unique handcrafted, quality, collectable art pottery. Factory tour, museum, shop and historic bottle oven
www.moorcroft.com/heritage-centre

 

 

 

 

Potteries Museum & Art Gallery – Hanley, Stoke on Trent – Art gallery includes works of art by Picasso, Durer and Degas – museum has a Spitfire, world class pottery collections, local natural history, collection of costume and textiles dating from the 15th century to the present day, and “The Staffordshire Hoard”
Accessibility - Secret Garden – a sensory oasis with plants and fungi to smell and touch, all public areas, including the café and museum are accessible by lift, ramps and stairs, baby changing facilities, accessible toilets, visitor desk and Forum Theatre are fitted with induction loops
www.stokemuseums.org.uk/visit/pmag and www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/event/see-it-in-stoke

 

 

Spode Works Visitor Centre – Elenora Street, Stoke – The visitor Centre tells the stories of the Spode factory, the works, the things they made, the collection and archive of the Spode Museum Trust. There are films, images, interactive displays, objects from the collections and regular events and activities
Accessibility - There is ramped access to the doors of the centre and between the two main display areas within the centre. The gallery is accessible if you use a wheelchair or are bringing a buggy, accessible toilets and a baby change area, some tactile items on display
www.spodeworks.org

 

 

 

The World of Wedgwood (inc Wedgwood Museum) – Barlaston, Stoke on Trent – iconic pottery factory and museum, “the story of Josiah Wedgwood, his family, and the company he founded two-and-a-half centuries ago” – world class collections, factory tour, creative craft experiences, nature trail, cafés, shop
Accessibility - The Museum is fully accessible for wheelchair users, wheelchairs available to hire, accessible toilets, baby changing facilities, a loop system for the hard of hearing
www.worldofwedgwood.com