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Newcastle-under-Lyme Tourist Information


The town of Newcastle-under-Lyme is part of the Potteries in Staffordshire. Often confused with Newcastle-upon-Tyne further north, Newcastle-under-Lyme is a much smaller town with around 74,000 residents.

Newcastle-under-Lyme missed out on a mention in the Domesday Book but grew up around the 12th century castle which was built to take the place of the Chesterton fortress two miles away.

The small village was named after the new castle and "Lyme" either refers to the lime trees in the area or the Lyme Brook.

By 1253 Newcastle not only had its charter but was also a free borough with a merchant guild and other privileges. Apart from a plundering by the royalists, Newcastle-under-Lyme remained largely untouched during the English Civil Wars.

Its main trades were silk and cotton weaving and the hat trade, in the 1820s there were 20 hat-making factories. Later coal mining, iron and brick production and engineering were the main economic activities. It also moved into the brewing industry.

Clay pipes were fashionable in the 17th century and Newcastle was one of four pipe-making towns along with Chester, York and Hull. For a time earthenware tiles were produced in the area along with a small amount of fine bone china at Mayfair Pottery.

Once situated on the Trent and Mersey Canal, the waterway has since been filled in. The town was on the North Staffordshire Railway line. The station opened in 1852 after numerous problems with tunnels at Hartshill, one of which was 605 yards in length. The railway was unviable and closed in 1964.

Famous residents in Newcastle-under-Lyme include Josiah Wedgwood MP who served in the first Labour government. Philip Astley was the founder of the modern-day circus and singer Jackie Trent was born in the town.


Present Day Newcastle-under-Lyme

Although close in proximity to the pottery towns of Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle was not heavily involved in the ceramics industry.

The historic market still takes place on the High Street, as it has since 1173. It is known as the Stones and has 80 open-air stalls with antiques and bric-a-brac on Tuesdays and Thursdays and general market goods on the other days.

Newcastle Town FC plays in the Northern Premier League First Division and there is also a cricket and a rugby club.

It is close to the M6 motorway and within easy reach of the main Stoke-on-Trent railway station which is on the West Coast Main Line.


Things to Do Around Newcastle-under-Lyme

Newcastle has some wonderful gardens and was a national winner in the Royal Horticultural Society Britain in Bloom competition for the small city/large town category. The Queen Elizabeth Garden is well worth a visit to see the summer flowerbeds.

The area has several golf clubs including the Keele Golf Course and the Wolstanton Golf Club.

Brampton Park, just half a mile from the town centre, is home to the Borough Museum and Art Gallery. Set in beautiful parkland it has galleries of artworks and a life-size Victorian replica street complete with a pawnbroker's shop, ironmongers and a chemist's shop.

Cultural attractions include the New Vic Theatre which was the first theatre in Europe to be designed “in the round” which requires totally different skills for actors who have to perform to audiences on all sides.

 

Directions
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Attractions near Newcastle-under-Lyme
Etruria Industrial Museum (2 Miles)*
Situated at the juction between the Trent & Mersey Canal and the Cauldon Canal, Etruria Industrial Museum is centered around Jesse Shirley's Bone & Flint Mill.
Ford Green Hall (4 Miles)*
Ford Green Hall is a seventeenth century house complete with period garden. It was home to the Ford family for almost two centuries.
Dorothy Clive Garden (6 Miles)*
The Dorothy Clive Garden is intimate and informal. It embraces a variety of landscape features, including a superb woodland garden, an alpine scree, a damp garden and spectacular summer flower borders.
more attractions in Newcastle-under-Lyme and things to do in Newcastle-under-Lyme ...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

What's near Newcastle-under-Lyme

Attractions:
  Etruria Industrial Museum  2 Miles
  Emma Bridgewater Factory  3 Miles
  Ford Green Hall  4 Miles
more attractions in Newcastle-under-Lyme...
 
Towns:
  Wolstanton  2 Miles
  Longport  2 Miles
  Keele  2 Miles
more towns near Newcastle-under-Lyme...
 
Estate Agents:
  Heywoods Estate Agents and Surveyors Ltd  <1 Mile
  Countrywide Residential Lettings  1 Mile
  Bennett and Days  1 Mile
Hotels:
  Borough Arms Hotel  1 Mile
  The Ramada Newcastle-Under-Lyme M6 J15  1 Mile
  Holiday Inn Stoke-on-Trent M6, Junction 15  2 Miles
more hotels in Newcastle-under-Lyme area...
 
Bed and Breakfast:

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Self Catering:
  Bank End Cottage  6 Miles
  Stable Cottage  11 Miles
  Wharf and Wysteria  11 Miles
more self catering near Newcastle-under-Lyme...
 
Campsites:
  Waggon and Horses Caravan Club  12 Miles
  The Haberdashers Arms Campsite  13 Miles
  The Star Caravan and Camping Park  13 Miles
TIC: Newcastle-Under-Lyme Tourist Information Centre     Tel: 01782 297313  1 Mile



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Towns near Newcastle-under-Lyme
Wolstanton Tourist Information (2 Miles)*
Longport Tourist Information (2 Miles)*
Keele Tourist Information (2 Miles)*
more towns near Newcastle-under-Lyme...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Hotels near Newcastle-under-Lyme
The Ramada Newcastle-Under-Lyme M6 J15 (1 Mile)*
Overlooking the Lyme Valley, this Ramada hotel is in a quiet setting, 3 miles (4.8 km) from Stoke-on-Trent, with the breathtaking scenery of the Peak District a short drive away.
Borough Arms Hotel (1 Mile)*
Borough Arms Hotel is a traditional English town centre coaching inn, with history dating back to 1783, and has been modernised to offer comfort and individuality.
Holiday Inn Stoke-on-Trent M6, Junction 15 (2 Miles)*
Located by Junction 15 of the M6 and within easy access of the M1 via the A50, this 118 bedroom hotel is only a short distance from the frenzied rides of Alton Towers and the scenic Peak District.
more Newcastle-under-Lyme hotels (and nearby)...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Self Catering near Newcastle-under-Lyme
Bank End Cottage (6 Miles)*
This converted 17th Century stone cottage is part of the 30 acre Bank End Farm estate. Dating back to the 15th Century the farm is no longer worked and instead has opened its doors to visitors.
Stable Cottage (10 Miles)*
No longer a working farm, our friendly family run, self catering accommodation offers peace and tranquility surrounded by fantastic views of the staffordshire countrty side. Blythe Farmhouse is a grade II listed building.
Your property could be here
Advertising your self catering property or holiday cottage on AboutBritain.com will get you noticed by thousands of potential guests every day.
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* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

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