Leek

About

Known as the 'Queen of the Staffordshire Moorlands', Leek is a former textile town with a long and fascinating history.

Clustered around a stone-cobbled market square, its well-preserved architecture and historical links with the Napoleonic Wars and the Arts and Crafts movement make it a popular destination for an interesting town walk.

Highlights include buildings associated with writer, artist and designer William Morris, who came to Leek to study dyeing and printing techniques in the 1870s, plus stained glass designed by Pre-Raphaelite artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones in the Parish Church of St Edward the Confessor.

Close by is the area known as 'Petty France', where former French prisoners of war brought to the town in the early 19th century lived and were later buried in the parish graveyard.

The unspoilt town centre offers a refreshing alternative to from modern shopping malls and has a wealth of independent shops, including former silk mills housing antique and reproduction pine centres, as well as traditional and contemporary furnishings.

Delicious local produce can be found in abundance at traditional butchers, bakers, greengrocers, delicatessens and cafes. Leek is also home to speciality producers of condiments, confectionery, preserves, wine, whisky, craft beers and the traditional Staffordshire oatcake.

Traditional markets abound, both indoors in the beautifully restored Victorian Butter Market and outdoors in the Market Place, offering everything from general goods, antiques and collectables to fine foods and special 'Totally Locally' Sunday markets. And when it comes to wining and dining, you can choose from a tempting selection of cafés, real ale pubs and restaurants.

Further afield, you'll find the unique, tooth-like rock formations of The Roaches, Rudyard Lake with its picturesque setting and narrow gauge railway and Tittesworth Water, a popular and accessible attraction for visitors of all ages. Or catch up on industrial history at Brindley's Mill and Cheddleton Flint Mill.