North Staffordshire Conurbation Assessment of Historical Signifi cance DECEMBER 2006 North Staffordshire Conurbation Assessment of Historical Significance Final report - December 2006 This report has been prepared for Urban Vision North Staffordshire by The Conservation Studio. The authors are grateful to members of the Steering Group, listed at Appendix 1, for their support and enthusiasm. The Conservation Studio 1 Querns Lane Cirencester Gloucestershire GL7 1RL 01285 642428
[email protected] www.theconservationstudio.co.uk North Staffordshire Conurbation: Assessment of historical significance 2 Contents: Part 1: Report Foreword 1. Introduction 2. Historical background 3. Characterisation and significance 4. Survey method 5. Assessment 6. Recommendations Appendices: 1. Acknowledgements 2. Key settlements 3. Regeneration strategies 4. Glossary 5. References Part 2: The extensive survey maps Mapping is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. 100018384 (Staffordshire Moorlands District Council), 100024286 (Stoke-on-Trent City Council), 10001965 (Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council) and 0000596856 (Urban Vision North Staffordshire) 2006. North Staffordshire Conurbation: Assessment of historical significance 3 FOREWORD The North Staffordshire conurbation is unique. Its historical development - based on mining, ceramics and other manufacturing industries - is unparalleled in any major urban area in the UK. However, these origins were both a boon and a bane for the area. On the one hand they gave North Staffordshire an economic purpose and vitality, which began in the very vanguard of the industrial revolution and created a wealth of world- renowned products whose enduring prestige continues to attract many thousands of visitors each year.