This site was produced by: LOCAL AUTHORITY PUBLISHING
Publishers for local authorities throughout Great Britain. View more Official Guides at www.officialguides.co.uk

The Borough’s central location makes it an excellent base for touring and visiting a huge number of attractions, with the Peak District and the Welsh border close by and Manchester and Birmingham less than an hour away.

Some of the country’s most famous attractions are located in this area including the white-knuckle thrills of Alton Towers, Trentham – one of the most important and historic gardens in Britain - which has undergone a radical transformation to return it to its former glory, and Bridgemere Garden World.

And within the Borough itself there is everything from historic homes and country parks to art galleries and family entertainment.

Newcastle’s long history can be traced through the Roman period, its mediaeval castle, Royal Charters and industries. All of these and more are represented in the Borough Museum’s permanent displays. The museum is situated roughly half a mile from the town centre and is set in eight acres of beautiful parkland making it an ideal location for a day out.

It features over 800 years of Borough history, housing a wonderful collection of items from clocks to teapots and paintings to clay pipes.

The museum offers talks, demonstrations and workshops as well as promoting the work of local artists.

It also offers a range of educational activities and features a number of permanent exhibitions of arts and crafts together with regular touring displays. It has strong links with local schools and its mock Victorian street scene is always popular with youngsters.

The impressive New Victoria Theatre, at Basford, is one of Europe’s leading theatres-in-the-round. Set in an attractive woodland conservation area, the theatre also has a bar and restaurant which is open during the day.

Visitors have the chance to experience what life was like when mining was a thriving industry in the Borough at one of the region’s major new tourist attractions.

A great day out for all ages is promised at Apedale Heritage Centre.

Built on the site of one of the last working mines in Staffordshire, the Apedale Heritage Centre charts the history of the industry and even gives visitors the chance to don miners' helmets and lamp and go on a guided underground tour.

The project includes a prestigious exhibition hall, a miner's cottage, a café and shop and has been set up with the help of European grants of around £450,000. New conference facilities are also now available at the centre which is set in the unique landscape of Apedale Country Park.

The one-and-a-half mile long Harecastle canal tunnels, built by famous engineers James Brindley and Thomas Telford, have in recent years been restored and Telford’s later tunnel remains in use. Both are impressive reminders of the area’s industrial past, with conservation work helping to protect and enhance the area around the tunnel entrances and the canal towpaths.

The Trent and Mersey canal here forms part of the Cheshire Ring Canal Walk and is popular with boaters, walkers and cyclists.

Another impressive feat of canal engineering is the 'staircase' of five locks on the Shropshire Union canal at Tyrley, near Market Drayton. Built by Thomas Telford between 1827 and 1835, the five locks drop the canal a distance of 33 feet – a magnificent engineering achievement.

Meanwhile, the famous folly at Mow Cop stands high on a hill to the north of Newcastle and is a visible landmark for miles around. It is the starting point for two long-distance footpaths – the Gritstone Trail and the 90-mile long Staffordshire Way. The folly had an important role in the history of Primitive Methodism and Hugh Bourne, the pioneer Methodist, held huge open air meetings there in the early 19th century.

The internationally-renowned Jodrell Bank radio telescope is just a few miles north with an impressive hands-on visitor centre providing plenty of attractions for youngsters.

For those with an interest in the area’s history there is the Grade I listed Whitmore Hall, five miles outside Newcastle on the A53. The Hall is the ancestral home of the Cavenagh-Mainwaring family whose connections there go back 900 years. The present manor house dates from 1676 and boasts a Capability Brown landscaped park and a fine example of Elizabethan stables.

Visitors who head north towards Congleton will discover the 15th century Little Moreton Hall (above) which is widely regarded as the most perfect example of a timber-framed, moated manor house in the country.

The Dorothy Clive Garden at Willoughbridge – situated between Newcastle and Nantwich – is surrounded by unspoilt open country. This eight acre garden is a peaceful horticultural haven. It has a quarry garden, beautiful herbaceous borders, magnificent trees and water garden. There is also a tea room, ice cream parlour and terrace where visitors can take in the stunning views.

Nearby is the delightful village of Maer with its attractive sandstone church standing on high ground looking down on the impressive Maer Hall. In 1839, when the hall was owned by Josiah Wedgwood II, son of the famous potter, his daughter married her cousin, Charles Darwin, who started work on his ‘Origin of the Species’ while staying at the hall.

Sitting alongside are Maer Hills - an area of mainly coniferous woodland with wide forest tracks and public footpaths providing excellent walking opportunities.

The world-famous Alton Towers theme park is just a few miles away. With an ever-changing array of white-knuckle rides together with magnificent gardens, it is no wonder the venue is one of Britain’s biggest tourist attractions. The theme park now also features Europe’s first waterpark hotel.

Visitors keen to sample a blast from the past in the ceramics industry could pencil in the Gladstone Pottery Museum in nearby Stoke-on-Trent, while traditional pottery skills can be seen at the Wedgwood Visitor Centre, Barlaston, and at the world-famous Spode factory in Stoke.

For further information on places of interest in and around the Borough, contact the Tourist Information Centre in Newcastle Library, telephone 01782 297313.