It’s not all about the study! At Staffordshire University you are in the Midlands region at the heart of the UK. There’s plenty to do and explore in the city and beyond.
This is a thriving, multicultural region with vibrant cities and towns, famous attractions and wonderful countryside. Whatever your interest, there’s plenty of choice - sports, cinema, theatre and restaurants, historic buildings and nightlife. You can take a break in the stunning Peak District National Park.
The main University campus is in Stoke-on-Trent. Our Stafford campus is home to the Centre of Excellence in Healthcare Education and Stafford Business Village.
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent is known as the ‘The Potteries’. The area has been world famous for pottery and ceramics production for over 300 years. There are many museums and attractions dedicated to the industry as well as working factories.
Stoke-on-Trent is famously comprised of 6 towns. These are Hanley, Longton, Burslem, Tunstall, Fenton and Stoke-on-Trent. Additionally, there are many suburbs and neighbourhoods including Shelton, Endon, Smallthorn, Sneyd Green, Milton to name a few. This can be a bit confusing when you hear people talk about different areas but don't worry, people in Stoke-on-Trent are friendly and normally happy to explain if you aren't sure where something is.
There’s a lively nightlife and the city’s theatres stage Broadway shows and big names from comedy and music. Shopping is well catered for with good value supermarkets close to campus and as well as the Potteries Shopping Centre with big name stores and an excellent indoor market. Stoke’s premiership football team, Stoke City, play at the Britannia Stadium and Port Vale FC play at nearby Vale Park.
Stafford
The county town of Staffordshire dates to 700BC. You can explore historic cobbled streets with good restaurants and a wide choice of cafés. The town also has big name stores, local shops and an indoor market.
You’ll find a wide range of sports and activities at the town’s leisure centre. There’s a local theatre and every July the town comes alive with street theatre. Stafford has beautiful parks and gardens. One of the finest Tudor houses in England can be found in the town and the annual ‘Shakespeare Under the Stars’ event takes place at Stafford’s 900-year-old castle.
Things to do
There are lots of things to do:
There is more information on what you can do on Visit Stoke and Visit Stafford websites.
Enjoy Staffordshire’s history and heritage
BBC – History of Stoke and Staffordshire
Visit Stoke - History and Heritage
Visit Stoke – The Potteries
Trip Advisor – Staffordshire Landmarks
Trip Advisor – Stoke on Trent Attractions
Enjoy Staffordshire – Explore our Destinations
Britain’s Finest – Places to visit, things to do and days out in Staffordshire.
Transport further afield
There's even more to do if you want to go a little further away!
You’ll find a good, low-cost bus network and excellent road and rail links.
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Manchester Airport is around 40 minutes from Stoke campus
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Birmingham Airport is around 45 minutes from Stafford campus
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London is one hour and twenty minutes by train
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Travel to Manchester or Birmingham by train in about forty minutes
Getting around
There are several ways to get around Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding areas. There are buses running frequently with lots of stops so you can get around easily.
There is an app on either google play or the app store called Moovit, it is an app that helps you locate your local buses that are nearby and it tells you where you're going and when the bus will arrive at your stop.
Of course, you can also walk or ride a bicycle many places locally. Hanley and Stoke are both quick walks form the University and there are many cycling paths around the city you can take advantage of.
When walking, please remember to stay on the pavement (sidewalk, footpath) and only cross at designated crossings. Remember that traffic travels on the left side of the road and be sure to look both ways before crossing the street, especially if there are no pedestrian signals.
When riding your bicycle, take care of where the cycling lanes are. Sometimes these are one the road and sometimes they are on the pavement. Please make sure you do research about cycling laws and etiquette including the use of hand signals. Please also wear a helmet if you choose to cycle.
Stoke-on-Trent also has excellent rail transport links. The Stoke- on- Trent train station is only a 5 minute walk away from Stoke Campus and with direct lines to London, Manchester and Birmingham. You can also use the train for closer journeys with regular trains going to places like Longton, Uttoxeter and Tutbury.
If you are a little out of the way or weighed down by all you shopping bags, you can always call a taxi or take an Uber or use a local taxi company. Some companies will take credit or debit cards but others may only accept cash so please keep this in mind.
Top Tip: Do some research and add 1 or 2 Taxi company phone numbers to your phone just in case.
Top tip: When planning your journeys its always best to type in [your address] to [destination] into google and it will give you multiple options of either how to walk there, bike or drive, what trains you could get and what times are available and also buses to take to get to your location (its best to also submit the time you want to get to your location as it will give you the recommended time to set off)
Restaurants and takeaways
There are lots of places to locally whether you want to go out or stay in but it can be difficult to find places really like if you're new to an area. This is especially true if you are looking for a taste of home.
- North Kitchen + Bar, Hanley
- Slamwich Club, Hanley
- The Quarter, Hanley
- Klay Pizzeria (Wood fire pizza)
- Mirchi, Shelton (Indian cuisine)
- Bon Pan Asian, Hanley
- Peony, Newcastle-under-Lyme (authentic Chinese cuisine)
- Orange Tree Bar & Grill
If you are looking for take-away food, there are a few services operating in Stoke-on- Trent where you can browse many menus and order online. Keep in mind that there are charges for restaurants using these websites so you might find a better deal if you order directly from the restaurant.
There are several British foods that are recommended for every visitor to try. As a Brit, they are home comforts that bring back memories, as a Non-Brit, they may be hit or miss. Still, who would we be if we didn't encourage you to check out these favorites?
- Fish and Chips
- Sunday Roast
- Pies and Pasties
- Staffordshire Oatcakes
- Trifle