UK Peak District Area

[atlcruiser]

Hi All,

I need to go to Stoke on Trent in two weeks for business....sort of glad handing some folks. I will be out in Endon and staying in Leek. The Peak District is within 15 minutes of my B+B :) looking for general info for both the peaks as well as the local area.

I am very interested in industry and know that much of that area was the center of the early industrial revolution so any tips on those areas would be super.

I won't have much time but I will have a Rover to explore around in. The 810 will stay at home. I plan to bring a very small 45 kit.


Thanks in advance.

[David Rheubottom]

The Peak District (both White Peak and Dark Peak) is quite large. For scenics, the area around Hathersage has lots going for it. Monsal Head near Buxton is very popular with good car access and excellent hiking trails. For industrial buildings, the towns circling Manchester have lots of old mills. See Oldham, for example. I suggest you invest in the two Ordinance Survey Maps that cover the two peaks and take out a subscription for a month or so to the online magazine 'On Landscape' (http://www.onlandscape.co.uk/). The articles in On Landscape will have you drooling. You are in for a treat (great country pubs with really good food and excellent beers). I lived and worked in the Manchester area for 30 years and spent many happy days in the Peaks. Invest in good rain gear! Cheers, Dave

[Steven Tribe]

The area around Stoke-on-Trent was known as the "six towns" and the main industry was "pottery"- the UK centre, in fact.

How many of the original buildings have survived, instead of being demolished and the sites redeveloped, I do not know. But they are (were) interesting with their kilns and "company" housing estates.
Another good area is Ironbridge - which has been talked about here in a thread.