Staffordshire is a very big county. To the north it gets to within 20 miles of the centre of Manchester, and to the south it shares a border with a few miles of Worcestershire. To visit its cities, market towns, great houses, formal gardens and industrial relics, it is necessary either to spend a lot of time there, or to be fairly selective.

1 Lichfield
Lichfield is as pretty as a picture. Its cathedral is an architectural gem and its three spires make it unique. The first stones were laid less than 20 years after the Norman Conquest, though it has been much damaged and repaired since. The 8th-century Lichfield Gospels are housed here.
But Lichfield’s greatest claim to fame lies in it’s the marketplace. The house in which the 18th-century writer Samuel Johnson was born in 1709 is now a museum that contains much that belonged to the great man (including his favourite armchair) along with displays illustrating his life and times.
Enjoy the quotations that are dotted about. If you knew little about Dr Johnson before you arrived, you’ll love him by the time you leave.
On the ground floor is a bookshop, the profits from which help to finance the museum.

2 Burton-upon-Trent
Burton is Britain’s beer brewing capital. But there’s a lot more to it than that. It’s a good shopping centre, there are parks and riverside walks, boat trips on the river and entertainment at the Brewhouse Arts Centre. But the main reason for Burton’s presence on many touring itineraries, though, is the excellent Coors (formerly Bass) Visitor Centre. There are displays on brewing and on supporting crafts such as cooperage and joinery. Shire horses for the drays are kept at the centre. And there is a collection of vintage delivery vehicles. There’s a restaurant and, of course, a bar.

3 Shugborough Estate
The Shugborough estate, home to the Queen’s cousin and famous photographer Patrick Lichfield, is set in lovely countryside just east of Stafford. It boasts not only the 18th-century Mansion House, but also the splendid servants’ quarters and stables, the working Park Farm, the formal gardens, and 900 acres of parkland dotted with classical monuments.
The house is filled with displays of ceramics, silver, paintings, furniture and family memorabilia, together with photographs taken by Lord Lichfield. In the servants’ quarters is the Staffordshire County Museum, while Park Farm has a pets corner, a farming museum, a working mill and a splendid adventure playground. There are also tearooms, picnic areas and a shop.
Shugborough runs events, exhibitions and activities throughout the year, from gamekeepers’ fairs to bonsai festivals, firework displays to plays.

4 Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a pleasant market town sited on a hill. Although it is part of the Stoke-on-Trent conurbation, it has its own history, local council, University (at Keele), and its own character. Its centre is almost completely pedestrianised, with a good range of shops, cafés and restaurants, and there’s a street market on most days of the week.
On the hill between Newcastle and Stoke-on-Trent city centre is the splendid New Victoria theatre, Europe’s first purpose-built theatre-in-the-round, while the Borough Museum and Art Gallery in Brampton Park has displays of military and social history, together with the inevitable ceramics.
Drive west, and within minutes you’re among the fields, farms and country pubs of Staffordshire.

5 Stoke-on-Trent
Just over the hill from Newcastle is the industrial sprawl of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire’s greatest city. It’s actually made up of six towns, one of which is called Stoke. And, confusingly, the city centre is not in Stoke, but in Hanley. Its tourist information is, of course, dominated by the pottery industry, but there’s a lot more to Stoke than ceramics. The city centre is a pleasure. Enjoy the shops in the Potteries Centre complex and admire the statue of footballer Sir Stanley Matthews.
Hanley’s Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, which also covers natural history, archaeology, community history and art, is worth taking time over. Famous people from the area are celebrated there: novelist Arnold Bennet, Stanley Matthews, the Titanic’s Captain Smith and engineer Reginald Mitchell – there’s a statue of him outside. The pride of the museum is a complete Spitfire.

6 Leek
The town is a curious but attractive combination of the rural and the industrial. In addition to the Churnet Valley Railway (see page 98), Leek has two other attractions rescued and run by groups of enthusiasts – both of them mills. Cheddleton Flint Mill is only a few hundred yards from the railway, tucked below the Caldon Canal, while Brindley Water Mill was built by famous canal engineer James Brindley. Opening times for both are limited – check their websites before you visit.

7 Biddulph Grange Garden
The garden at Biddulph Grange, on Staffordshire’s northern edge, is simply breathtaking. Designed and originally stocked in the mid-19th century by James Bateman, it is now in the care of the National Trust. It is made up of a series of ‘gardens within a garden’, each with its own theme, for example there is an Egyptian, an Italian and a Chinese garden, linked by paths, terraces, flights of steps and rock tunnels.
For keen gardeners, Biddulph Grange will be heaven. But even those not versed in horticulture would have to have had a soul-bypass not to enjoy its stunning views and ineffable peace. There’s an excellent guidebook, a National Trust shop, a pleasant tea room, and a picnic site near the car park. And lots of garden stewards to answer any questions you may have.