Staffordshire

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Situated in West Central region of England with a population of over 1,000,000 and covers 1,157 square miles (2,997 sq km). Bounded by the counties of Shropshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. The county town is Stafford.

In Staffordshire there are the popular towns of  Alton

Geography

The central and southern parts are flat and plain, and the soil is very fertile. The north is quite hilly with heaths and moors. The main rivers are the Trent, Dove, Sow, Churnet, Stour, Penk, and Manifold.

Industry

Staffordshire is known worldwide for its potteries, centred at Stoke-on-Trent. To the East, Burton upon Trent is famous for its numerous breweries. Coal mining and steel manufacturing have largely ceased.

History

Remains have been found that date back 30,000 years BC. There are remains of the 9-acre Celtic hill fort, Castle Ring on Cannock Chase. The Celts were dominant from about 250 BC. Roman remains abound in the area. In AD 48 they established a base at Letocetum, now known as Wall, near Lichfield. The Anglians took over from the Celts towards the end of the 6th Century AD. They became part of the Kingdom of Mercia with its capital at Tamworth. Mercia's power collapsed with the Danish invasions, in 874. The Norman King William I built a castle in Stafford in 1069 and enlarged the forests as royal hunting areas. The largest was Cannock Forest of which the present Cannock Chase is only a small part of the original. During the Middle Ages many fine churches were built in Staffordshire, including Lichfield Cathedral between about 1190 and 1350. Stafford town centre contains the Ancient High House, the largest remaining timber-framed town house in England. Staffordshire still has its own very strong dialect.