Stafford is a county town in Staffordshire, England. It’s located in the West Midlands, and lies approximately 16 miles from Wolverhampton. The town is also 15 miles from Stoke-on-Trent, and 24 miles from Birmingham. It has a population of more than 130,000, and a maritime climate characterised by cool summers and mild winters.
Stafford was founded in 700AD, and was originally a strategic crossing point in the valley of the River Sow. As of the Early Middle Ages, it became a key hub for the delivery of grain and the production of Roman-style pottery.
The County of Staffordshire was formed in the late 900s, followed by the construction of Staffordshire Castle in approximately 1090.
Since then, the town has gone through numerous transformations. In the 18th century, its economy was focused heavily on the shoe industry and, by 1837 the first railway station in Stafford was built.
Right now, the town is a restful place with wonderful Georgian and Medieval buildings. Its main attractions include Stafford Castle, Victoria Park, Ancient High House and Doxey Marshes: a 150 acre nature reserve, ideal for long walks. Other points of interest are Cannock Chase, Red Lion Farm and Stafford Gatehouse Theatre. In the town centre you’ll find a generous selection of shops, restaurants and bars, along with an indoor market – open most days of the week.
Stafford offers bus and train services. Stafford Railway Station provides direct connections to Birmingham, Crew, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent and London. From Stafford you can catch a bus to Cannock, Lichfield, Telford or Wolverhampton. There are also buses running to Stoke and Stoke-on-Trent.
The town is covered by a number of large taxi companies which offer competitive rates. These are SmartCars, West Side, Aerobright’s, Anthony AJ’s and Kaminiski Hire.
The main roads running into Stafford are junctions 13 and 14 of the M6 motorway, which extends to Birmingham and Manchester. The town centre is served by the A34 road which, likewise, links to Stoke and Stoke-on-Trent. The nearest airport to Stafford is Birmingham Airport, at roughly 40 miles away.
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