Our guide to the best Staffordshire villages…
Staffordshire in the Midlands is a lesser known county, sandwiched between Birmingham to the South and the Peak District in the north.
However, Staffordshire is home to many fine villages, twenty of which are featured here.
1. Alrewas
Alrewas is a Staffordshire village located along the River Trent, 5 miles northeast of the cathedral city of Lichfield.
The National Memorial Arboretum, located in Alrewas, is a national memorial park that won the Gold Large Visitor Attraction of the Year title in VisitEngland’s Awards for Excellence in 2018.
2. Alton
Alton is a small English village in the county of Staffordshire. It is most known for the theme park Alton Towers, which was built around the site of the Earls of Shrewsbury’s Alton Mansion, which Augustus Pugin designed. Model railways, paddling pools, and a boating lake are among the park’s gentler attractions.
Many fine stone houses can be seen in the settlement, as well as a circular lock-up and the majestic remnants of a 12th-century castle.
3. Denstone
Denstone is a tranquil community in Staffordshire whose farm meadows are irrigated by many sparkling rivers that run down from the Peak District National Park.
The village is close to the Staffordshire Way and the Tissington Trail, making it appealing to walkers, cyclists, and horse riders alike.
The village is home to Denham College, a well known private school.
4. Norton in the Moors
Norton-in-the-Moors is a historic village perched on the side of a windswept hill with far-reaching vistas across rolling countryside towards the Peak District, as its name suggests.
It appears to be sandwiched between two bodies of water, the Trent and the old canal.
5. Rudyard
Rudyard is a charming village with a lovely cluster of cottages and residences with exquisite gardens, bordered by woodlands near the south end of the scenic Rudyard Reservoir, one of the region’s most beautiful tourist spots.
The lake is surrounded by a landscape of spectacular, unrivaled grandeur. It’s no surprise that it’s ranked as England’s third most romantic location.
6. Butterton
Butterton is a charming, quiet, strung-out village in the Staffordshire Moorlands, situated off the Manifold Valley.
It’s a great starting point for exploring the Manifold Valley’s centre section, with a decent network of pathways connecting it to Wetton Mill and Ecton.
The settlement is made of native sandstone, and the soaring steeple of the local church, which was built a few years after the central part of the church, dominates the view.