Stafford Area Guide
Living in Stafford
Stafford is a vibrant and historic town, offering a wide variety of facilities which range from leisure centres to cinemas, gyms to retail parks, hospitals to libraries, museums, parks, gardens and even an historic Castle.
School provision is superb with primary, secondary and independent schools all having fantastic reputations in the area.
Stafford also provides an excellent base for commuting in all directions, with easy access to Sheffield, Liverpool and Manchester to the north, and Wolverhampton and Birmingham to the south. Direct fast trains take just 1 hour and 20 minutes to London Euston.
Eating and Drinking
Stafford’s most famous eatery is, of course, the renowned Soup Kitchen - a 300 year-old coaching inn turned café - serving breakfasts, morning coffees, lunches and afternoon teas. For drinking and eating out options, the town also has a varied selection of hotels, pubs and restaurants, including The Market Vaults, The Dog and Doublet, The Castle and The Swan.
Property in Stafford
Buyers can find an extensive range of property in Stafford to suit every taste and every budget. With a blend of traditional period terraced homes, larger semi-detached and detached homes, and modern purpose-built flats and apartments, first-time buyers, growing families and retiring pensioners are all catered for in the town. Several attractive housing developments are still under construction in the area - ensuring sustainable growth for the town into the future.
Places of Interest
Stafford is located within a few miles of Cannock Chase - an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with glorious forests, woodlands and open grassland ideal for outdoor family fun, and some serious mountain biking too. Stafford is also the home to the 900 acre Shugborough Hall Estate, shortly to become a National Trust property and a stunning example of a Grade 1 Listed Park, Mansion and Walled Garden.
Find out how much your property is worth using our free online property valuation tool. It takes less than a minute.
Location favourites
Different areas of Stafford are popular for very different reasons. sought-after Walton-on-the-Hill (known for its exceptional school catchment area), Baswich and Wildwood to the south are fabulous for families. To the north, Trinity Fields, Parkside and Doxey have a wonderful community feel. For a more rural setting, Ingestre, Derrington, Gnosall, Great Haywood, Little Haywood and Haughton are all quintessential Staffordshire villages, full of heritage and character.
Shopping in Stafford
Stafford Town centre offers a mix of well-known retailing chains as well as independent traders. An additional bonus is the regular town centre market - positioned in the shadow of the elegant Stafford Town Hall. The town also boasts The Queens Retail Park and Riverside shopping centre, which include outlets such as Next, New Look, Marks and Spencer and H&M, to name just a few.
Sports and Leisure
Whether your interests lie in outdoor or indoor sports, cultural visits or adrenaline rushes, you are never short of leisure activities in Stafford. On offer locally are activities including cycling and go-karting, golf and rugby, horse-riding and quad biking. Perhaps you prefer woodland dog walks, river valley strolls or a cinema trip? And for those seeking the ultimate thrill, Alton Towers is just a short drive away.
Stafford’s Schools
The area benefits from some really excellent state and independent schools. There is also specialist school provision - Walton High for science, Rising Brook for sports and Weston Road for maths and computing. Barnfields, Leasowes and Berkswich Primary schools all have sound reputations and Stafford Grammar School is the highest achieving co-ed school in the area.