Information on Stoke on Trent   Stoke-on-Trent is a unique British city located in Staffordshire and made up of six separate towns: Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley (the City Centre), Stoke, Fenton and Longton, affectionately known as "the Potteries". As this name suggests, its main claim to fame is the extensive and wonderful pottery of the region, with workshops, galleries, and shops everywhere you turn. Production ranges from small artisan workshops to large factories, and many places have exhibitions and hands-on demonstrations where you can try your hand at the pottery wheel. Located in the centre of England, it is easy to get to and makes an ideal destination for a weekend escape. Facilities are plentiful and the tourist infrastructure is well developed. You'll find a huge range of accommodation to suit all budgets, a great entertainment, and plenty of restaurants serving up delicious local fare. The Stoke-on-Trent Ceramics Festival is held annually and is the biggest of its kind in the country, with events held all over the city, including a Potters Market, a showcase of local ceramic designers, and hands-on classes. The population of the city is 240,000, with the area experiencing a heavy amount of investment over the last couple of years to revitalize the local community, surrounding environment, and general appearance and services. Local businesses export ceramics across the world, with the city now becoming one of the top 100 business locations in the UK. It is home to over 8,000 businesses and is the economic capital to the North Staffordshire and South Cheshire region.     Attractions and accommodation in Stoke on Trent   Of course, a trip to Stoke-on-Trent is incomplete without a tour of the different ceramic factories and workshops. All of the famous names of English china are based right here, including Wedgwood, Spode, Portmeirion and Moorcroft. There are set tours you can take, which take you around all the major factories and give you a running commentary on the history and methods involved, as well as general interesting facts. Also worth visiting are the many galleries, museums, and visitor centres which display fine works. Stoke-on-Trent is a great family destination. It is home to Britain's number one theme park, Alton Towers, which boasts a huge range of exhilarating rides and fun games. Festival Park is home to Waterworld, which offers all sorts of water related rides and activities, several pools, and water slides you'll never get bored of. The Staffordshire countryside is popular for walking, with its lush green fields and hills. For ramblers, the dramatic scenery of the Peak District National Park is situated on the city's outskirts. The surrounding countryside is also home to Alton Towers and the Foxfield and the Churnet Valley steam railways. The city is also a great spot for a night out, with restaurants, bars, clubs, theatres, cinemas and leisure facilities all set to entertain.   Whether you are looking for a short break or a longer stay, Stoke-on-Trent has a variety of accommodation to meet your needs. Everything from modern hotels to traditional guest accommodation can be found but there is very little self-catering accommodation available, and no youth hostels.       Eating out in Stoke on Trent   There are a huge number of restaurants and bars to choose from in Stoke-on-Trent, ranging from pubs to restaurants and cafe's. Most hotels have their own restaurant, while many sites of the major attractions also offer small restaurants or coffee shops for refreshments. The local delicacy is Staffordshire Oatcakes, delicious served hot with various fillings including cheese and bacon. They're available from local oatcake bakers, local shops and some supermarkets. The city has a good range of food styles to choose from, including Indian, Chinese, Thai, Italian, and Pakistani. The coffee shop at Edwards' China is one of the most popular places in the city. It serves morning coffee; light lunches, afternoon tea, and home made food prepared on the premises, and it was winner of the Staffordshire Good Food Awards 2001 Best Scones award and the Staffordshire Good Food Awards 2002 Highly Commended award. There is also a huge variety of pubs and grills for a traditional English pub experience.         A brief history of Stoke on Trent Each town within Stoke-on-Trent has maintained its own particular identity and characteristics. This has faded in recent decades, but it hasn't disappeared. Many of the traditional families wouldn't dream of living in another part of the city and are proud of their home town. Federation of the six towns officially began on 31 March 1910, but city status wasn't achieved until 1925. Of the six towns, Hanley, Burslem, Stoke-upon-Trent and Longton were already officially classed as boroughs. The other two towns are Tunstall and Fenton. The city centre is in Hanley, which has enjoyed the status of amajor localised trading centre for some time. The presence of coal and clay in Stoke-on-Trent led to the area becoming the country's centre for the production of pottery in the 18 century. Coal was extracted here as far back as Roman times. The production of pottery dominates the history of the area and one name stands above the many other famous ones connected with the industry: Wedgwood. The Wedgewood family came from Burslem, Gilbert Wedgewood having been recorded as the first master potter in the family in 1640.Staffordshire, which was at the centre of the Industrial Revolution, has a rich industrial history, while the railways came to Staffordshire in 1837 making the movement of goods even easier.   Visit here for advertising >