Things to do in Staffordshire
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Alton Towers
England's most popular theme park, Alton Towers is truly a must for white-knuckle fiends. Entry prices are almost as steep as the rides, of which there are more than 100 - including the terrifying vertical drop of the Oblivion, upside-down roller coasters, log flumes and more. Rita, Queen of Speed catapults you from 0-100kph in a lunch-losing 2.5 seconds.
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Gladstone Pottery Museum
Constructed around Stoke's last remaining bottle kiln, this evocative museum has an authentic, working Victorian pottery factory where skilled potters talk to visitors. Those of a scatological bent will enjoy the Flushed With Pride exhibition, outlining the life of the toilet from chamber pots and privy holes (complete with pong!) to modern conveniences.
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Wedgwood Visitor Centre
Set in attractive parkland, the modern production centre for Josiah Wedgwood's porcelain empire displays an extensive collection of historic pieces, including plenty of Wedgwood's delicate, neo-classical blue-and-white jasperware. You can observe the fascinating industrial process and there's an interesting film on Josiah's life, and his work in the fields of pottery, canal-building and the abolishment of slavery.
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Dudson Museum
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Drayton Manor
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Alton Towers
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Victoria on the Square
Part pub, part cabaret, this reliable local serves decent steaks and other pub staples. It's a popular venue for speed-dating so watch whose eye you catch!
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Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum
A short walk south of Erasmus Darwin House, this small but absorbing museum charts the life of the pioneering lexicographer Samuel Johnson, who moved to London from his native Lichfield and devoted nine years to producing the first dictionary of the English language. Johnson was later immortalised in James Boswell's famous biography The Life of Samuel Johnson.
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Potteries Museum & Art Gallery
This mu- seum houses an extensive ceramics display, from Toby jugs and jasperware to outrageous ornamental pieces like the Minton Peacock. You can also see treasures from the Staffordshire hoard, displays on the Spitfire fighter plane (created by the Stoke-born aviator Reginald Mitchell) and artworks by TS Lowry and Sir Henry Moore.
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Ma Ma Thai
A glamorous new arrival, this posh Thai eatery is decked out with violet upholstery and murals from the doors of Thai monasteries. Food perfectly complements the elegant surroundings.
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Lichfield Heritage Centre
A nicely presented series of exhibits covering 1300 years of Lichfield history, set in the old St Mary's Church. Climb the tower for sweeping city views.
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Lichfield Cathedral
Crowned by three dramatic towers, Lichfield Cathedral is a stunning Gothic fantasy, constructed in stages from 1200 to 1350. The enormous vaulted nave is set slightly off line from the choir, creating a bizarre perspective when viewed from the west door, and carvings inside the cathedral still bear signs of damage caused by soldiers sharpening their swords during the English Civil War.
In the octagonal Chapter House, you can view the illuminated Chad Gospels, created around AD730, and an ornate Anglo-Saxon bas-relief known as the Lichfield Angel. The Lady Chapel features 16th-century Flemish stained glass, and along the north and south aisles are memorials to generations o…
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Erasmus Darwin House
After turning down the job of royal physician to King George III – perhaps a lucky escape, considering the monarch's descent into madness – Erasmus Darwin became a leading light in the Lunar Society, debating the origins of life with such luminaries as Wedgwood, Boulton and Watt, decades before his grandson Charles came up with the theory of evolution. His former house contains some intriguing personal effects, and at the back is a fragrant herb garden leading to Cathedral Close.
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Chapters Cathedral Coffee Shop
A charming 18th-century house with a view onto a 13th-century walled garden, serving morning and afternoon tea and Sunday lunches.
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Chandlers' Grande Brasserie
Set in the old Corn Exchange and decked out with natural wood and polished brass, this is where locals go for a big night out, as much for the ambience as for the Mediterranean-inspired main courses.
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National Forest Maize Maze
Unaware of the maize-maze craze? Puzzle no more at Burton's own Adrian Fisher extravaganza. The maze proper is essentially a big noise-absorbing plot for the relief of parents who've been shushing their kids through England's quieter attractions. A Fun Field is filled with generally boy-centric appeal: football, go-karts, tractors and - out of left field - llamas.
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Museum of Brewing at Coors Visitor Centre
The Coors visitor centre and museum offer a working micro-brewery, exhibits on brewing, a beer-tinged multimedia tour of Burton in 1881, a stable of prize-winning dray horses, vintage vehicles, special events, a restaurant and bar, gift shop... All this and - beer. Marston's Brewery tours also showcase local beer action but they can't compete with all this.
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Branston Water Park
Had enough beer and skittles? Take a break at this languid Burton beauty spot. Locals float model boats, fish and windsurf on the park's 16-ha (40-acre) lake. See weekend Burton-on-water, watch birds and walk to woods on a well-surfaced 1.6km (1mi) lakeside path. Serious walkers can visit the park as part of the 35km (22mi) Branston-Jacksons Bank circuit.
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