Josiah Wedgewood<\/a> set up his business in 1759, with Josiah Spode following suit in 1767. After this, we saw the rise of Minton, Aynsley, and Doulton, as well. An interesting fact here is that the Stoke campus of Staffordshire University used these potters\u2019 names as the names of their on-site accommodation buildings. First-year students stay in flats together under buildings with the names that made the Potteries what they are today.<\/p>\nStoke-on-Trent\u2019s Trent and Mersey Canal was finished in 1777, even though it was authorised to be built in 1766. That\u2019s eleven years, 70 locks, and five tunnels. However, the railway station was completed in 1848, making the use of the canal obsolete as a faster service took over. The canal is still one of the most picturesque views around the city, with its winding waters leading the public through many green areas of Stoke.<\/p>\n
By the time the railway was ready to go, the villages had become small, but sizable, towns. Burslem, of course, was still the largest. The population continued to grow, and we saw the rise of football in Stoke; with Stoke City Football Club being established in the 1860s.<\/p>\n
A federation of the towns had been proposed in 1888. However, it wasn’t until 1910 that the six towns were officially amalgamated, and Hanley was named as its centre. In 1925, Stoke finally achieved city status.<\/p>\n
Stoke is still at the forefront of the ceramics industry in England. Still famous for its tableware, its tiles, and other pottery work; with most of the original population of the newly named city working in pottery factories, it isn\u2019t a surprise that so many families in the city still remember its history. Although the industry has declined in this modern age, the Emma Bridgewater company\u2019s move to the city did rekindle the life of pottery in Stoke for a while.<\/p>\n
Today, Stoke looks towards the future, but it is a city that is steeped in history and culture and a true lover of the arts.<\/p>\n
What to do in Stoke!<\/h2>\n
At first, Stoke doesn\u2019t seem like it has much to offer beyond is historic Potteries background, but that\u2019s no so! Stoke-on-Trent is a city that is always developing, and there are plenty of events year-round, as well as amazing facilities that you can go to. Waterworld is right outside of Hanley city centre, while Trentham Gardens has a shopping village that is full of independent retailers and eateries that would welcome your visit.<\/p>\n
Shopping<\/h3>\n
Each of the six towns that make up Stoke-on-Trent has their own high streets and market areas. The most popular place to go is the Intu Potteries Shopping Centre in Hanley centre \u2013 which is the city centre of Stoke-on-Trent. This is the closest shopping centre to the main area of Stoke, and around a 30-minute walk from Stoke Railway Station.<\/p>\n
The Intu Potteries Centre is full of brand name stores, including H. Samuel, Claire\u2019s, Primark, Superdrug, and more. The shopping centre is surrounded on all sides by streets full of other stores, too. You could easily spend a few hours shopping in Hanley centre. Thankfully, there are also plenty of places to eat, too. And there are two cinemas within walking distance of the city centre!<\/p>\n
Food and Drink<\/h3>\n
Stoke-on-Trent invests in its future. A few years ago, the city built a new centre called \u201cThe Hive\u201d, which sits behind the Intu Potteries Shopping Centre. The Hive is the home to several eateries and a sparkling Cineworld. You can find Nando\u2019s directly underneath the buffet powerhouse that is Bon Pan Asian; a contemporary pan-Asian restaurant that serves everything from sushi to standard Chinese food.<\/p>\n
Stoke is full to the brim with takeaway restaurants, too. They\u2019ll deliver to anywhere, as long as they can get to you. Including deliveries to the University dorms or its buildings; trust us, it\u2019s been done. With Uber also comes Uber Eats; so, you have that option, too.<\/p>\n
Restaurants are everywhere in Stoke, but you\u2019ll find that some of the most popular ones here are the pubs and the Weatherspoon\u2019s that are dotted around. But for fine dining, why not head down to Newcastle-under-Lyme and try the European wonders of Marloes? Or if you\u2019d rather stay central and close to Hanley, Portofino is a stunning Italian restaurant with a great menu.<\/p>\n
Music and Entertainment<\/h3>\n
Two of the most popular live music and clubbing venues in Stoke-on-Trent are The Sugarmill and The Underground. Both are located in Hanley city centre and are just a few minutes\u2019 walk away from one another. If you continued up the street, back towards the high street, you\u2019d also come across many of Hanley\u2019s other clubs that are open almost every night.<\/p>\n
As for non-alcohol-based music adventures, Stoke is also home to several theatres. Within Hanley, there are The Regent Theatre, New Vic Theatre, and Victoria Hall. All three of these theatres offer everything from live music to theatre performances; including sing-a-longs and comedy nights.<\/p>\n
But if you fancy getting away from the bustle of the town for a little while, head down to Festival Park. There\u2019s a Ten Pin there with its own small arcade, and it\u2019s practically next door to the Odeon Cinema. You could easily stay there for a night out with a group of friends or with your children.<\/p>\n
Travelling in Stoke!<\/h2>\n
Travelling in Stoke-on-Trent couldn\u2019t be easier! With just the one railway station, you\u2019ll know exactly where you are when you leave the station, but from there, it can be confusing to new visitors. Stoke mainly runs on a system of buses and taxis. Uber has increased their presence in the city over the past year or two, and it\u2019s very easy to book one of their many cars now. Alternatively, there are several other companies \u2013 such as A1 and Lucky Seven \u2013 that have been serving the city for many years.<\/p>\n
As for buses, First Bus and D&G are the main services in Stoke. With buses running every few minutes at most stops. Services are slower and less frequent as it gets towards 6 pm and on the weekends. It\u2019s also harder to travel on bank holidays. For a single ticket on a First bus service, expect to pay around \u00a32.20 for an adult. Day riders are \u00a35.50. D&G is cheaper than First Bus in most cases, especially for students, but they have significantly fewer services all prices in 2019).<\/p>\n
The entirety of Stoke is much bigger than it seems. If you\u2019re staying in Stoke or Hanley, walking around is definitely an option. But if you\u2019re touring all six towns of Stoke, buses are your best friend.<\/p>\n
Places to stay in Stoke!<\/h2>\n
There aren\u2019t too many hotels around Stoke-on-Trent, which is actually quite helpful when you\u2019re looking for somewhere to stay. As we\u2019ve mentioned, many regard this city as a city of students, and there isn\u2019t much call for chain hotels.<\/p>\n
One of the main hotels used is literally across the road from the train station. Stoke Railway Station brings traffic in from the North and from the South; with direct links to Manchester, Birmingham, London, and many cities in between. It sits on a mainline, so most people end up passing through. The hotel is the North Stafford Hotel, which is ironic because Stafford is about half an hour outside of Stoke-on-Trent, and Stoke isn\u2019t exactly North of Stafford, either.<\/p>\n
The North Stafford Hotel is run by the Britannia Hotels company, and averages around \u00a340 a night. Its convenient location is definitely one of its biggest selling points.<\/p>\n
Other than the North Stafford Hotel, there are two Best Western hotels in the area; one a stone\u2019s throw away from the high street shops and all the clubs in Hanley town centre, and another just outside of Hanley, near Waterworld. There is\u00a0also hosts a Holiday Inn express.<\/p>\n
As for Air BnBs in the area, there are a few more places to stay than one would imagine. Stoke is very inexpensive for accommodation, so visitors are looking at between \u00a320 and \u00a340 a night on average. However, you are more likely to find a private room on offer than anything larger.<\/p>\n
So there we have it our quick guide to Stoke-on-Trent which is so much more than just a pottery town. Before you go why not have a look at some of our other guides or try one of our quizzes<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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Stoke-on-Trent, commonly just referred to as \u201cStoke\u201d, is a city that is situated in Staffordshire, part of Englands West Midlands. It\u2019s neither North nor South, which causes some controversy among the thousands of students that come from all over the world to study here. But Stoke is also known by another name: The Potteries. History…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[122,444,66,75],"tags":[1142,244,247],"class_list":["post-1722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-england","category-staffordshire","category-uk","category-west-midlands","tag-staffordshire","tag-stoke-on-trent","tag-west-midlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1722"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1722\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":169491,"href":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1722\/revisions\/169491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fiveminutesspare.com\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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