The Leek Double Sunset, Staffordshire’s Strange Midsummer Wonder
Every midsummer, Leek’s famous double sunset connects the Staffordshire Moorlands with ancient skies, medieval history, hidden tunnels and one of the town’s most unusual traditions.
How Stoke-on-Trent Defied Hitler and Helped Rebuild a Village Destroyed by the Nazis
Few people realise that one of Stoke-on-Trent's most inspiring stories began with one of the darkest events of the Second World War. More than eighty years ago, the people of Stoke-on-Trent rallied behind a village they had never seen and families they had never met.
The Hope of Cheadle: The Spitfire Paid for by the People of The Staffordshire Moorlands
Discover the remarkable story of the Hope of Cheadle, the community-funded Spitfire of the Second World War, and learn what to expect at Cheadle Spitfire Day on Saturday 6th June.
War Wheels 2026 - Foxfield Railway, Staffordshire
War Wheels at Foxfield Railway was fantastic today! We go every year and it never disappoints. There were loads of incredible vehicles, the Spitfire, the train running, Titanic Plum Porter on draught in the pub, and plenty of stalls selling all sorts of interesting things. It was lovely to see
Philip Astley, the Newcastle-under-Lyme Showman Who Created the Modern Circus in London
Explore the London site where Newcastle-under-Lyme-born Philip Astley created the modern circus in 1768 and discover Staffordshire’s remarkable connection to entertainment history.
Staffordshire Craftsmanship Beneath Westminster: The Minton Tiles of St Stephen’s Hall
Encaustic tiles produced by Mintons of Stoke-on-Trent form the striking floor of St Stephen’s Hall in the Palace of Westminster, a lasting example of Staffordshire craftsmanship embedded in one of Britain’s most historic buildings.
The Great Heywood ‘Monstrous Birth’ of 1683, Staffordshire’s strangest medical mystery
Over 300 years ago, a traumatic labour in Great Heywood, Staffordshire led to one of the strangest medical cases ever recorded in Staffordshire. This case would go on to reach Robert Plot and the Royal Society.
Beneath Victoria Hall, the old cells hiding under one of Hanley’s grandest buildings
Beneath Victoria Hall lies one of Hanley’s most unusual surviving historic spaces, old holding cells once linked to the civic and judicial life of the Town Hall complex, now cleverly reused as dressing rooms.
The Rise of Fascism in Stoke-on-Trent
The language feels disturbingly familiar: a forgotten people, a broken system, and promises that only a strong leader can put things right. But this is not just a story about today. It is a warning from Stoke-on-Trent’s own past, when division, blame and extremism found a foothold in the Potteries.
The History and Tragic Demolition of Leek’s Big Mill
The skyline of Leek, Staffordshire, has changed forever following the catastrophic fire and subsequent demolition of its most iconic industrial landmark: The Big Mill. Built in 1857 during the peak of the Victorian industrial boom, this Grade II listed structure stood for nearly 170 years as a testament to Leek’
What’s Left of Hagley Hall? Exploring Rugeley’s Forgotten Estate
Researching Hagley Hall does not start in an archive. It starts on the ground. This walk through Rugeley follows the surviving traces of a medieval moated manor, a later demolished hall, and the wider landscape that once supported the estate.
The Gunpowder Plot’s Forgotten Ending in Staffordshire
Most people know the rhyme. Bonfires, fireworks, Guy Fawkes masks, and school lessons that start and end in London. But the Gunpowder Plot didn’t finish beneath Westminster. Its final moments happened here, in Staffordshire, at Holbeache House, on the Staffordshire-West Midlands border. And for something so closely tied
