Staffordshire Moorlands
Encyclopedia
Staffordshire Moorlands is a local government district
in Staffordshire
, England
. Its council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, is based in Leek
and is located between the city of Stoke-on-Trent
and the Peak District National Park. The 2001 census recorded the population as 94,489.
Principal industries are agriculture, fashion and tourism. The area's three towns are Leek
, Cheadle
and Biddulph
. Visitor attractions include the National Trust
property Biddulph Grange
, the theme park Alton Towers
, and the annual Leek Arts Festival. There are also a variety of outdoor pursuits such as rock climbing
(The Roaches
), sailing
(Rudyard Lake
) and cycling
(Waterhouses
).
The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972
, as a merger of the urban district
s of Biddulph
and Leek, along with Cheadle Rural District
and Leek Rural District.
showed that housing in Staffordshire Moorlands produced the 11th highest average carbon emissions in the country at 7,192 kg of carbon dioxide
per dwelling.
with forest
s and lake
s stretching out across rolling hills and crags. Some of the higher moorland has been largely abandoned for farming. In The Roaches
(a series of gritstone outcrops within the Peak Park) several Wallabies
roamed free for many years. One of the highest points in the Staffordshire Moorlands is The Roaches
which rises to 1,656 feet (505m).
A large proportion of the 'white peak' area of the Peak District is contained within the Staffordshire Moorlands. This includes such places as one half of Dovedale
, the Manifold Valley including Thor's Cave
, Wetton Mill, Longnor and Butterton
.
The Staffordshire Moorlands is also home to the highest village in Britain
, Flash
. The village stands at 1,518 feet (463m) above sea level. This record was confirmed in 2007 by the Ordnance Survey
after Wanlockhead
in Scotland
also claimed the record. The BBC
's The One Show
investigated the case in a bid to settle the argument and Flash
turned out to be the higher of the two.
The council maintains a number of Local Nature Reserve
s including Biddulph Valley Way, Brough Park Fields, Cecilly Brook, Hales Hall Pool, Hoften's Cross Meadows, Ladderedge Country Park and Marshes Hill Common.
and the wider West Midlands region
, after achieving 'excellent' status in an independent report by the Audit Commission
. This means the council is one of only 33 'excellent' district councils out of 238 nationwide.
, Poland
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Its council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, is based in Leek
Leek, Staffordshire
Leek is a market town in the county of Staffordshire, England, on the River Churnet. It is an ancient borough and was granted its royal charter in 1214.It is the administrative centre for the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council...
and is located between the city of Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
and the Peak District National Park. The 2001 census recorded the population as 94,489.
Principal industries are agriculture, fashion and tourism. The area's three towns are Leek
Leek, Staffordshire
Leek is a market town in the county of Staffordshire, England, on the River Churnet. It is an ancient borough and was granted its royal charter in 1214.It is the administrative centre for the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council...
, Cheadle
Cheadle, Staffordshire
Cheadle is a small market town near Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, with a population of 12,158 according to the 2001 census. It is roughly from the city of Stoke-on-Trent, north of Birmingham and south of Manchester...
and Biddulph
Biddulph
Biddulph is a town in Staffordshire, England, north of Stoke-on-Trent and south east of Congleton, Cheshire.-Origin of the name:Biddulph's name may come from Anglo-Saxon bī dylfe = "beside the pit or quarry"...
. Visitor attractions include the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
property Biddulph Grange
Biddulph Grange
Biddulph Grange is a National Trust landscaped gardens, in Biddulph near Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England.-Description:"Behind a gloomy Victorian shrubbery there's a gloomy Victorian mansion, but behind that lurks one of the most extraordinary gardens in Britain...it contains whole...
, the theme park Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
, and the annual Leek Arts Festival. There are also a variety of outdoor pursuits such as rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
(The Roaches
The Roaches
The Roaches is the name given to a prominent rocky ridge situated above Leek and Tittesworth Reservoir in the Peak District of England...
), sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
(Rudyard Lake
Rudyard Lake
Rudyard Lake is a reservoir in Rudyard, Staffordshire constructed by the engineer John Rennie, for the Trent and Mersey Canal company in 1797/98 to feed the Caldon Canal....
) and cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
(Waterhouses
Waterhouses, Staffordshire
Waterhouses is a village in the south of the Staffordshire Peak District.It is around 8 miles from Leek and Ashbourne, being nearly the halfway point between the two towns on the A523 road, which roughly follows the southern boundary of the Peak District National Park...
).
The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, as a merger of the urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
s of Biddulph
Biddulph
Biddulph is a town in Staffordshire, England, north of Stoke-on-Trent and south east of Congleton, Cheshire.-Origin of the name:Biddulph's name may come from Anglo-Saxon bī dylfe = "beside the pit or quarry"...
and Leek, along with Cheadle Rural District
Rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
and Leek Rural District.
Energy policy
In May 2006, a report commissioned by British GasCentrica
Centrica plc is a multinational utility company, based in the United Kingdom but also with interests in North America. Centrica is the largest supplier of gas to domestic customers in the UK, and one of the largest suppliers of electricity, operating under the trading names "Scottish Gas" in...
showed that housing in Staffordshire Moorlands produced the 11th highest average carbon emissions in the country at 7,192 kg of carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
per dwelling.
- See also: Energy efficiency in British housingEnergy efficiency in British housingDomestic housing in the United Kingdom presents a possible opportunity for achieving the 20% overall cut in UK carbon dioxide emissions targeted by the Government for 2010...
.
Geography
The terrain is, as is suggested by the regional name, mostly moorlandMoorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
with forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s and lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s stretching out across rolling hills and crags. Some of the higher moorland has been largely abandoned for farming. In The Roaches
The Roaches
The Roaches is the name given to a prominent rocky ridge situated above Leek and Tittesworth Reservoir in the Peak District of England...
(a series of gritstone outcrops within the Peak Park) several Wallabies
Wallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
roamed free for many years. One of the highest points in the Staffordshire Moorlands is The Roaches
The Roaches
The Roaches is the name given to a prominent rocky ridge situated above Leek and Tittesworth Reservoir in the Peak District of England...
which rises to 1,656 feet (505m).
A large proportion of the 'white peak' area of the Peak District is contained within the Staffordshire Moorlands. This includes such places as one half of Dovedale
Dovedale
Dovedale is a popular dale in the Peak District, England. It is owned by the National Trust, and annually attracts a million visitors. The valley is cut by the River Dove and runs for just over between Milldale in the north and a wooded ravine near Thorpe Cloud and Bunster Hill in the south...
, the Manifold Valley including Thor's Cave
Thor's Cave
Thor's Cave is a natural cavern located at in the Manifold Valley of the White Peak in Staffordshire, England. It is classified as a Karst cave...
, Wetton Mill, Longnor and Butterton
Butterton
Butterton is a small village in the Staffordshire Peak District of England . It is west of Wettonmill in the Manifold Valley and north of Grindon. The village is just to the west of the limestone area, and so is mainly built of local sandstone...
.
The Staffordshire Moorlands is also home to the highest village in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Flash
Flash, Staffordshire
Flash is a village within the Staffordshire Moorlands, England, and the Peak District National Park. It is recognised by the Ordnance Survey as the highest altitude village in the United Kingdom. It was an early centre for Wesleyanism....
. The village stands at 1,518 feet (463m) above sea level. This record was confirmed in 2007 by the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
after Wanlockhead
Wanlockhead
Wanlockhead is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland nestling in the Lowther Hills one mile south of Leadhills at the head of the Mennock Pass, which forms part of the Southern Uplands...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
also claimed the record. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's The One Show
The One Show
The One Show is a topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One and BBC One HD, hosted by Alex Jones and Matt Baker. Chris Evans joins Jones to present the programme on Friday...
investigated the case in a bid to settle the argument and Flash
Flash, Staffordshire
Flash is a village within the Staffordshire Moorlands, England, and the Peak District National Park. It is recognised by the Ordnance Survey as the highest altitude village in the United Kingdom. It was an early centre for Wesleyanism....
turned out to be the higher of the two.
The council maintains a number of Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
s including Biddulph Valley Way, Brough Park Fields, Cecilly Brook, Hales Hall Pool, Hoften's Cross Meadows, Ladderedge Country Park and Marshes Hill Common.
Performance
In July 2007 it was announced that Staffordshire Moorlands District Council was the best performing council in StaffordshireStaffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
and the wider West Midlands region
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
, after achieving 'excellent' status in an independent report by the Audit Commission
Audit Commission
The Audit Commission is a public corporation in the United Kingdom.The Commission’s primary objective is to improve economy, efficiency and effectiveness in local government, housing and the health service, directly through the audit and inspection process and also through value for money...
. This means the council is one of only 33 'excellent' district councils out of 238 nationwide.
Twinnings
Staffordshire Moorlands has "twinning" agreements with: OlkuszOlkusz
Olkusz is a town in south Poland with 37,696 inhabitants . Situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship , previously in Katowice Voivodeship , it is the capital of Olkusz County...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...