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Stone
Stone is a historic market town located seven miles north of the city of Stafford and seven miles south of Stoke-on-Trent. Stone is considered the "second town" in the borough of Stafford and has long been considered a place of importance when communication between the major cities and towns is considered. Stone played a vital role in the history of the United Kingdom as it was the capital of Mercia for many years while the Kingdom of Mercia was undergoing a period of expansion to eventually take over most of what we now know as the West Midlands. Stone derives its name from exactly what you might expect, the Old English "stan" meaning exactly what the town is called today.
Local legend has it that the town was named for a pile of stones that were taken from the River Trent raised on the graves of Princes Ruffin and Wulfad who were killed in 665 CE by their father, King Wulfhere of Mercia due to their conversion to Christianity. A church was constructed over these stones that survived through to the 9th century until it was sacked and burned to the ground by invading Danes. In 1135 CE an Augustinian Priory was constructed in Stone over the site of the previous church, this structure eventually collapsed in 1749 and once again the site was built up, this time into the church of St Michaels in 1758.
Stone was a location of particular importance due to its proximity to the River Trent which was used by Romans to carry cargo inland. In 1772 a new canal was completed that connected Wilden Ferry to Stone and this ushered in a new era for the town. The town has always had a reputation for brewing thanks to the exceptional quality of local water supplies and a number of these historic breweries still remain in Stone to this day.
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