15 Fun and Worthwhile Things To Do in Stoke-on-Trent

Last updated: 30 July 2023

There’s loads of things to do in Stoke-on-Trent. So start your visit by discovering the history of the pottery industry, see the world’s largest collection of Staffordshire ceramics, the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever found, and take a tour around a WWII Mk XVI Spitfire. There’s just a couple of things to get you started.

This region, known as The Potteries, is synonymous with pottery and ceramics. So much so, it’s known as the world Capital of Ceramics.  A visit to Stoke-on-Trent is incomplete without exploring this rich industrial heritage spanning 300 years.

Discover the bottle ovens that dotted the skyline for centuries, to processing and moulds, and handcraft techniques which has changed very little in 130 years. Home to iconic British brands such as Wedgwood and Burleigh, there are numerous museums, factories, galleries and collections worth exploring, so much so we have an entire post dedicated to this part of The Potteries.

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The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery 

The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery is home to diverse displays of art, local history, natural sciences, and the world’s greatest collection of Staffordshire ceramics. The museum was also the home to a 2022/2023 Majolica pottery exhibition which you can read more about here. 

The Staffordshire Hoard

It’s incredible to think that even in the 21st century there are still significant pieces of history being uncovered.  Specifically significant to Stoke-on-Trent is what’s known as the Staffordshire Hoard. The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest and most spectacular collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver ever discovered, found in a field near the village of Hammerwich in Staffordshire in July 2009. 

The Hoard is a mix of around 4,000 gold, silver and garnet items weighing nearly 6kg. Most of the collection were remnants of weaponry such as swords and axes, at least one high status helmet believed to be more than 1,300 years old. Two reconstructions of a magnificent helmet contained within the Staffordshire Hoard are on public display, one at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, the other at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. 

Ceramics

Home to the finest collection of Staffordshire ceramics in the world. Comprised of over 5000 pieces, the collection walks visitors through the City’s history as the centre of manufacture and design in the pottery industry.

The museum has significant collections of figures, including the Elizabeth Marianne Wood Collection of 18th and 19th century figures and the Pugh Collection of Victorian Staffordshire portrait figures.

Staffordshire slipware is one of the most famous pottery types to have been produced in the region. Ozzy the Owl, hit worldwide fame after being featured on BBC TV show Antiques Roadshow in March 1990. Ozzy’s owners admitted that he was used as a vase and a doorstop, you can imagine their surprise to know this rare piece of slipware pottery dates back to 1680, making him over 280 years old!

The collection is internationally renowned and includes a large collection of Staffordshire and salt-glazed stonewares. Notably, the 18th and 19th centuries are very well represented with collections of the major Staffordshire factories such as Wedgwood, Spode, and Minton. 

36 pieces in the collection were bought from the sale of The Minton Museum Collection, which provided a record of Minton’s ceramics from its foundation in Staffordshire in 1793 until modern times. Reportedly one of Britain’s greatest collections of ceramics was split up at an auction despite last-minute attempts to keep it together for the nation.

In the acquisition, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery acquired the prized Minton’s 5ft-high 1873 majolica peacock which is on display for all to see. 

Fine Art

Dr John Russell left his art collection to the City in 1924.  Largely early 20th century British art, the collection includes works by Wyndham Lewis, Henry Moore, John Currie and Alfred Munnings with a number of local artists and pottery designers also represented. 

Read More: Discovering The Potteries in Stoke-on-Trent

Local History

Visitors can weave through a series of rooms in the Local History gallery to make sense of the region’s intriguing past and provide some insights into domestic and working life it includes a schoolroom, a pub and a chip shop, offering a glimpse at life, and reflecting on the development of The Potteries as an urban and industrial centre. 

The ground floor is home to archaeology and a Natural Science exhibit which focuses on the diverse landscapes and habitats of the Potteries with some 150,000 specimens of plants, animals, fossils and rocks.

There’s also a collection letters, manuscripts, plays, photographs and books focused around local born author Arnold Bennett.

One of the great literary giants, writing thirty novels, some of his best known novels which were set in The Potteries.

World War II Spitfire

Did you know that Stoke-on-Trent has its own piece of wartime history? Inside the Potteries Museum in Hanley lies Vickers Spitfire Mk LF XVI dating back to 1945. Spitfires are perhaps best remembered for their role in the Battle of Britain, where during the summer of 1940,  Spitfires and Hurricanes defended the skies over southern England against large-scale attacks by the German Luftwaffe. 

The connection between the Spitfire and Stoke-on-Trent is through aeronautical engineer Reginald Mitchell. Born in Talke and educated in Stoke before becoming an apprentice engineer at a locomotive works in Fenton.  It was Mitchell who was responsible for the design of a new fighter aircraft, the Spitfire. 

Trentham Estate

Trentham Estate is the former home of the Sutherland family. 

Today, it’s a major attraction in Stoke-on-Trent with the estate measuring approximately two miles north to south comprising of stunning award-winning gardens, a shopping village, garden centre, monkey forest, and an aerial extreme attraction. 

Trentham Gardens

Trentham Gardens was once known as the Playground of the Potteries.

In the mid-19th century, Trentham was one of the most influential gardens in the country. Victorian designer Charles Barry was commissioned to design and construct an Italian terrace, with an additional smaller terrace, fountains and statuary, which led down to the lake. 

Stunning as they are now, the expansive parks, gardens and woodlands that make up Trentham Estate would not be in the state they are today without contributions from some notable English landscape architects.

The estate was designed by English landscape architect, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown who worked at Trentham between 1759 and 1780. His work touched many grand properties like Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace near London, Brown is remembered as the last of the great English 18th-century artists and England’s greatest gardener.  At Trentham, he expanded Trentham Lake to become one mile long as it is today and remodelling the woodland to incorporate Kings Wood into his design which now has SSSI (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) status.

King’s Wood isn’t the only Trentham woodland to have SSSI status. Both the King’s & Hargreaves Woods have formal conservation designation SSSI status. The woods are an ancient oak semi-natural woodland with hazel and holly shrubs and bluebell, and wild garlic which flowers in the Spring. This biodiversity supports a variety of habitats, such as a rich beetle fauna including a high proportion of notable species and locally important breeding birds.  

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The Italian Garden

The Italian garden is a classic layout of wide paths, borders and fountains that all lead down to the lake. It was overhauled by architect Tom Stuart-Smith and Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf in the 1990s by planting about 70,000 perennials and tens of thousands of bulbs transforming the Victorian scheme to a contemporary ocean of changing colours and textures with dramatic perennial, shady woodland and vibrant meadows featuring fountains and topiary along the lakeside.

The elevated viewing platform in the Upper Flower Garden is the spot to go for the best view of the Italian Garden and the butterfly installation, looking out towards the mile-long lake that stretches through the middle of the manicured grounds and parkland in the distance.

Also nearby in this quiet corner of the gardens is the remains of the 19th century Grade II* listed Trentham Hall which was designed by none other than Sir Charles Barry, an English architect best known for his role in rebuilding the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. All that remains of Trentham Hall today is an impressive porte-cochére, the original grand entrance to the Hall which bears the Sutherland family coat of arms, the Sculpture Gallery which once housed the Duke’s impressive art collection, the Clock Tower, former Estate offices and stables are all of which are Grade II or Grade II* listed as being of historical interest.  

Sadly, the structural integrity of these ruins make it unsafe to enter, but you can freely admire the grandeur from a distance.

There are still a few prized treasures from the Sutherland’s estate. Namely the statues of Hygeia, goddess of good health, and a replica of Perseus, son of Zeus and the slayer of the Medusa. The original 1550s masterpiece by Benvenuto Cellini lies at the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence.

The Fairies

Everyone knows that fairies live at the bottom of gardens and Trentham Gardens is no different.

Adults and children alike are captivated by the whimsical delight these fairy sculptures that are scattered throughout the garden grounds, surrounding woodland and near the lake. 

Fairies are 8 foot high, made from galvanised and stainless steel wire by a small local family business.  Now numbering more than 20, the ever-growing number of sculptures makes a great addition to a trip to Trentham Gardens with keen-eyed visitors try to discover them all as they’re perched on rooftops, hide high up in trees, hanging from wires strung on one of the many ought iron trellises. 

Monument Hill 

In the southern extremity of Trentham Estate, high up on the hill within the Monument walk proudly stands the statue of the 1st Duke of Sutherland upon a tiered pedestal.  This colossal statue, designed by Winks and sculptured by Chantrey, was raised in 1834, watches over the Trentham Estate and the sprawling manicured grounds. If you’re feeling energetic, you can take a walk up the hill for rewarding views. 

Get Barefoot

Possibly the most quirky attraction of Trentham Estate is a barefoot walk. 

The barfuss trail concept, developed by a Bavarian priest in the late 19th century, is for visitors to remove shoes and socks and walk over different surfaces such as woodchip, pebbles, sand and mud as a way of stimulating the soles of the feet and help us reconnect with nature. The priest, Sebastian Kneipp, believed that the process stimulated a person’s internal organs, promoting it as a health and life-enhancing activity.

Summer Concerts

Part of Trentham’s annual summer schedule are open-air summer concerts, which take place throughout June to end of July. 

During our pre-pandemic visit, the shows were a various tribute acts that targeted an eclectic range of musical tastes, catering to from ABBA, Elton John, and Michael Jackson as well as themed nights with iconic tracks from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Our visit coincided with Monster Rock Anthems being belted out by local band Thunder Hammer who promised we ‘Don’t want to miss a thing’.

While food trucks were present catering to hungry and thirsty revelers, patrons could also pack a picnic and party at the purpose built amphitheatre within the Trentham Estate with views overlooking the lake and gardens.  

The uninitiated will just bring a cooler with supplies, throw down a rug and enjoy the show.  The experienced will at the very least bring a fold-up chair, however kudos must go to the dedicated superfans who predicted rain at a British outdoor event and pre booked a 3m x 3m pitch and erected a marquee! Whichever way you do it, it’s sure to be a good night.

Trentham Monkey Forest

Monkey Forest is home to 140 free ranging Barbary macaques.  With no cages or bars, visitors to the Monkey Forest can walk along paths and observe these endangered monkeys live as they would in the wild, of which an estimated 8000 survive in the wild due to deforestation and the illegal pet trade.

Hourly feeding talks by the helpful guides who explain the personalities and personal characteristics of each individual, the antics the monkeys get up to, and explaining the different families which live harmoniously in the enclosure.

If you’re lucky you’ll spot one of the three new babies born since 2017, 2 males and 1 female. These tiny bundles clinging to their mothers, under the watchful eye of their larger families. 

For a more interactive experience, you can book a ‘Breakfast with monkey’ experience, which allows you to become a VIP and enter the monkey enclosure before opening hours, and assist in feeding the monkeys their breakfast and prepare their next meal. This was one of our favourite things to do in Stoke-on-Trent.

Trentham Shopping Village

A distinctly different style of shopping to the typical high-street experience.  The shopping village at Trentham is comprised of 77 timber lodges housing independent retailers and big name brands, cafés and restaurants so you can make a whole day of it if you want to. 

If you have a green thumb, stop by the neighbouring award-winning Trentham Garden Centre which offers a huge range of indoor and outdoor lifestyle and gardening products.

Canal Boating

With more than 90 miles of waterways, the historic canals winding their way around Stoke makes the perfect opportunity to punt in a narrowboat.

In the frantic rush to build canals to feed the Industrial Revolution, Staffordshire was at the heart of the action. The opening of the Grand Trunk Canal (now the Trent and Mersey Canal) in 1777, provided an outlet to the ports at Hull and Liverpool to transport raw materials into the city and finished ware for export. 

Canal boating is a gentle-paced leisurely activity, an opportunity to pass through some  beautiful outdoor spaces including Westport Lake and Hanley Park. Understandably, not everyone has days to spare in their exploration of Stoke-on-Trent.  

Map of Things To Do in Stoke-on-Trent

To design your own trip or for more ideas on Stoke-on-Trent, please visit Visit Stoke.

Final Thoughts

There are so many things to do in Stoke-on-Trent that we will definitely be returning again in the future. Whilst it may not be the first place you think of for a short break, we think that’s one of the many reasons it remains a hidden gem, a surprising wonderful weekend getaway. Do you yourself a favour and book your weekend away before everyone else figures out what they’re missing!