Nice places to live in and around Staffordshire?

[mrsnevillelongbottom]

We are looking at moving to Staffordshire the next few years. We're currently in Gloucestershire and were previously thinking of Malvern, but now we can both work remotely full time, we are considering moving closer to family.

Ideally we would like a large village / small town, strong community, good schools. Stone seems to be nice from what I've read, but without having visited it's hard to get a feel.

Avoid Uttoxeter it's a dump, lichfield not much better.
Alton is nice and pretty but very busy when Alton towers is open.
Stone I don't know much about, but maybe broaden your search and look at some areas of the peak district.

I’ve recently moved to Lichfield and I love it. The town is beautiful and friendly and you can be in the countryside in minutes. I’ve lived in London for some time previously and I notice all the children here have beautiful manners!

I grew up in South Staffs - some bits probably get a bad rep because of proximity to Wolverhampton but there's actually some very nice countryside. Some parts closer to Wolves are quite naice (Tettenhall), ditto some bits further south closer to Stourbridge.

Stockton brook Is very nice place to live quiet village feel to it and only 15-20 minutes to leek ☺️

Ashbourne area might be worth a look. Edge of the peaks. It is more agricultural but has Waitrose, cafes, etc and good road links.

Look at Burton-on-Trent, beautiful town, great transport links and good schools.

I live in Lichfield. As mentioned, there’s a good community feel here with lots of events including food festivals throughout the year, events at the cathedral, a literature festival, etc. We enjoy the easy access to other places, so quick to get on the A38 to the Peak District or the train to Birmingham or London. Lots for young children and families, but not so much for teenagers.

My real downsides are that the town centre is struggling a bit: empty shopfronts, lots of vaping shops opening. I would prefer to see a wider range of small, independent businesses but apparently the rents are extortionate. There were big plans to develop part of the city and open a cinema and several shops, but that fell through. You can look up the Friarsgate development for more detail. Also, continued home building means that traffic is heavy on the roads surrounding the pedestrianised city centre, and I’m not convinced the infrastructure exists to support the influx of families to the local area. Parking can also be a pain. But maybe those things are problems everywhere?

Saying all that, the schools are good and people are friendly, so it’s a mostly happy place to live.

Oooh we're moving (touch wood) to Leek on Wednesday!! 🤗

Are you looking at Staffordshire to be within range of family or are there other reasons?

If you'd consider swinging the your radius the other way, then plenty of the Peak villages are lovely. Leek is also only 15-20 mins away from Macclesfield and the lovely Bollington.

We're moving from the other side of Manchester to Leek. ❤️

I’m in South Staffs and Penkridge is quite nice, as is Brewood (pronounced Brood). Eccleshall is good too.
On the opposite side of the county is Burton On Trent, and the nearby villages such as Alrewas and Barton Under Needwood are very nice. There you have the advantage of being near to one of the best secondary schools in the county.

How funny to hear from fellow Staffordshire dwellers!
One of the things I love about it is that it's so central. For example there are excellent train links from Lichfield and you can get to all sort of other interesting places in a couple of hours. Our neighbour used to commute to London several times a week!
It's a large, diverse county. I'm more rural now, but loved Lichfield for the history, festivals, restaurants and architecture. The kids found it a bit on the quiet side, but there's Tamworth just down the road for shopping, cinema, bowling, etc.
North Staffordshire is cheaper and quieter. We have friends in Stone and the villages around Stafford who love the area too.
Good luck with your search

@Foldinthecheese - that's interesting. I discussed with my friend who lives Stone/Stafford way. She has always fancied moving to Lichfield.

Just a thought after I read up after reading your post - maybe the influx of new families will help encourage the council with building Friarsgate? It seems like a shortage of funds so more people paying council tax = more income for projects and more infastructure?

I think most areas are going to struggle with shop fronts after covid tbf. It's a bit worrying for the High Street in general.

Lichfield is gorgeous

We moved to Leek yesterday and already love it - people in general are so warm, welcoming and friendly! ❤️

There are some lovely and very affordable villages in the North Staffs/Shropshire/Cheshire area. Have a look in the Newcastle under Lyme / Market Drayton / Madeley area.

@mrsnevillelongbottom just wondering how your move is going or how it went?

My husband and I are looking to relocate from the South and stumbled across your post so any hints and tips would be greatly appreciated

I used to live in Mewport which is technically in Shropshire but the border for Staffordshire could be seen out of my bedroom window. It’s a lovely university town with good schools (it does still have a grammar system though) it has a Waitrose (gives you an idea of the clientele) and is generally safe and friendly. I still have many friends there and love going back

Newport not mewport!!

I have lived in Oxfordshire, London, Hampshire and Bristol and now I’m in Lichfield.
I love it. It’s a lovely, clean, friendly place with lots going on, but not very culturally diverse at all, so it depends what you’re looking for. Surrounding villages may be more affordable, depending on your budget.

If you want to be close to family in Leek you could also consider South Cheshire, Derbyshire and the Peak District too. Even north Shropshire isn’t too far.
Nantwich is a lovely town, and there are large villages with plenty going on all around that area. We live on the Staffs/ Cheshire boarder and it’s lovely, beautiful countryside with a lively community and less than an hour to Manchester/ Liverpool/ Birmingham etc for events and days out.

Cheshire.

Or Derbyshire.

I live in Staffordshire moorlands and it is lovely here and not too close to Leek. You have plenty of small towns and villages around such as Cheddleton, Barlaston, Blythe Bridge, Forsbrook. Stone is also a lovely area.

Cheshire

Derbyshire and Shropshire,