Moving to Staffordshire: The guide of all guides

Staffordshire

Staffordshire is predominantly recognised for the expertise of its world-famous potteries at Stoke on Trent.

There is some stunning countryside, predominantly where the Peak District National Park crosses into the North East of the county and the magnificent Cannock Chase, with its thirty thousand acres of forest and heathland further south.

The countryside in the north are an extension of the moors of Derbyshire, rising in places to 1,500 feet above the River Trent. There are numerous beautiful wooded valleys; the Dovedale, Milldale and Manifold.

The northern part of Staffordshire is best known as the ‘Potteries’. The famous 'Five Towns' that make up The Potteries are Burslem, Hanley, Longton, Stoke and Tunstall. The centre and south of the county are generally level, with a few low valleys intersected by the Trent, Blithe, and Tame rivers.

Towards the centre and south of Staffordshire there are some fantastic towns and cities including Lichfield, Cannock Chase and Tamworth. Each have their own delights and historic treasures making excellent places to live.

Below is a general introduction to Staffordshire life and the areas to consider when relocating to Staffordshire. The essential areas such as property, schooling, infrastructure and social community are all detailed in brief.

Lichfield

Town and History

Lichfield is a delightful City around 10 miles north of Birmingham. Boasting great history, stunning architecture, and whilst being a short drive from Cannock Chase Park, Lichfield encompasses all that’s required when relocating to the Midlands.

Conveniently located in the heart of the country being close to major motorway and rail links providing easy access to places of work. All the shopping and major retailers are in the centre of Lichfield, so no need to travel far for these necessities. The schools have excellent Ofsted ratings for primary and secondary, providing the most important aspect of a move for many families relocating.

Whether relocating as a family or independently Lichfield offers many attractions to suit all:

Top places to visit:

· National Memorial Arboretum

· Chasewater Country Park

· The Tudor of Lichfield

· Drayton Manor Theme Park

· Lichfield Cathedral

· Lichfield Garrick Theatre

Property

Lichfield has become a popular location for families relocating to the Midlands. Here are several good areas to consider when relocating to Lichfield: Darwin Park, Surrounding areas of King Edwards School and Danford Park, also the roads leading off Beacon St. There centre has some idyllic terraced houses for the person who loves everting on their door step close to Frog Lane and North of the Cathedral.

There are also lovely villages just outside Lichfield for the more rural lovers, such as Whittington, Shenstone and Barton-Under-Needwood.

Stafford

Town and history

Stafford is located 30 Miles north of Birmingham, in the heart of the country. Ideally located next to the M6 providing easy access to the northern and southern cities. The train station is well connected being able to travel direct to Birmingham in 30 minutes and to London in 80 minutes.Stafford is a large town with excellent shopping facilities, the brand new shopping development Riverside has all the major retailers including Topshop, M&S, H&M and Primark and of course a Costa Coffee.

With great history and heritage, here are some of the top attractions in Stafford-

· Victoria Park

· Riverside Shopping Centre

· Ancient High House

· Stafford Castle

· Alton Towers

Property

Being such a large town; Stafford has many different areas that are suitable for those relocating on all budgets. Some of the key areas for housing include Castle Town, Doxey and Queensville is a popular new estate for young families, with good access to Queens retail park. Other popular and more expensive areas further a filed: Baswich and Weeping Cross are approximately 3 miles out of Stafford but have local shops and amenities of their own. For the more rural areas villages such as Salt, Tixall and Stone all have their own individual charm.

Tamworth

Town and history

Situated just 10 miles North East of Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth offers a rich and vibrant experience with an excellent choice of historical centres. With easy access to major Motorway and Rail links; Tamworth provides easy access to Birmingham, Leicester, Derby and Nottingham (M1 and M6).

Being such a large town Tamworth’s Shopping facilities are more than adequate. A unique experience with quirky independent shops, which flows into The Castle Pleasure Grounds and in sight just across the park are The Retail Parks, offering all the high street names such as M&S, John Lewis, Next and many, many more.

Here are some of the top attractions in Tamworth-

· Drayton Manor Theme Park with Thomas Land

· The SnowDome

· The Assembly Rooms

· Norman Motte and Bailey Castle.

· Ash End House Children's Farm

· Tamworth Street Market

Property

Some of the most popular areas just outside of the town centre include Dosthill, Wilnecote and Alvecote. Other areas closer to town may consider Bolehall, Kettlebrook and North of Lichfield street. Depending on your budget, there is a location with amenities to suit all criteria. For those relocating who are looking for a more rural location close to Tamworth it would be worth having a look at Shenstone, Drayton Basset or Polesworth.

Businesses in Staffordshire

With great transport and infrastructure for access to the North and South; Staffordshire is home to many well-known international companies. The top 10 businesses in Staffordshire generated turnover of more than £6 billion in 2012. Data compiled by global information services group Experian shows manufacturing is still one of the county's strengths with companies including JCB (employing over 5000 in Staffordshire), Michelin and Alstom among those at the top of the table, other include General Electric, FedEx UK, Fuchs Lubricants and Portmeirion Group UK.

Conclusion

Staffordshire is a fantastic part of the country to relocate to, with many towns and cities within commutable distance of each other there is always something to do. A choice of living in a rural area or inner city, there is location to suit any person’s needs.

Should you wish for any further information please feel free to contact us on +44 (0) 161 282 5558 or by email at contact@dreammoverelocation.com