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Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent is a major city and centre of population in Staffordshire. Together with Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke-on-Trent forms the Potteries Urban Area and the population of the city was last recorded at just under 500,000 people. Stoke-on-Trent was originally six separate towns and a larger number of smaller villages that were merged as they grew closer and closer together due to urban sprawl. The city is considered to be the home of the English pottery industry and now functions as a centre for service industries and distribution centres. The name Stoke-on-Trent is derived from a number of sources including the Anglo-Saxon word "stoc" meaning place, coupled with the name of the river.
Bede records that the city itself was founded in 670 CE as a crossing point on the Roman road that ran from Derby to Chesterton. Because "Stoke" was such a common name for a place of residence many Stokes took to adding a suffix to their name, hence the "on-Trent" as a means to distinguish the town from places that share a name. The city sits neatly half way between Manchester and Birmingham and almost adjoins Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is a popular destination to visit as it borders the Peak District National Park and sits in the Staffordshire Moorlands District.
There are many things to see and do in Stoke-on-Trent, the city's reputation as world class producers of pottery and ceramics is explored in the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, whilst the Etruria Industrial Museum explores the areas rich heritage. The Wedgewood Visitor Centre is very popular with tourists visiting Staffordshire and Royal Doulton also have a factory shop that can be visited at most times during the day. Alton Towers is only ten miles east of Stoke-on-Trent and is one of the UK's best loved attractions making the city a popular place in which to stay for theme-park goers.
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