Leek, Staffordshire
Encyclopedia
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. King John
granted Ranulph de Blundeville, Earl of Chester
, the right to hold a weekly Wednesday market and an annual seven-day fair in Leek in 1207.
Leek's coat of arms
is made up of a Saltire
Shield. On the top is the Staffordshire Knot, either side is the famous Leek "Double Sunset" and below a gold garb. The crest is a mural crown with three Mulberry leaves on a Mount of Heather on top of which a Moorcock
is resting his claw on a small-weave Shuttle. The motto 'ARTE FAVENTE NIL DESPERANDUM' translates to: Our skill assisting us, we have no cause for despair. The Coat of Arms was granted on 7 May 1956.
it became a major producer of textiles, with silk
working in particular coming to dominate the industrial landscape. Though this industry has declined somewhat, it has continued through the large number of clothing
manufacturers in the town, and the prominence of dyeing
and allied trades.
The mills from the town's textile era still remain. Many are currently being converted into houses. The town's markets still remain active to this day.
Britannia
- the former Building Society - has its headquarters based in the town and is a major local employer. Britannia is now part of the Co-Operative Financial Services since the merger of the two companies on 1 August 2009.
Alton Towers
is situated in the Staffordshire Moorlands
district and therefore employs a large number of people from Leek and the surrounding area.
Most of the town is at or above 600 feet (182.9 m) and is surrounded by the even higher countryside of the Staffordshire Moorlands
which is situated on the southern uplands of the Pennines
.
Leek is built on the slope and crown of a hill which is situated just a few miles south of The Roaches
; a gritsone escarpment which rises steeply to 505m.
Leek is situated at the foot of the Peak District
National Park
and is therefore often referred to as the Gateway to the Peak District
, although the town is more often referred to as the Queen of the Moorlands.
period, and older, buildings still stand in the town, many built by the family architectural practice of the Sugdens. In 1849 William Sugden (b. 1821 in Keighley
) came to Leek. He was an architect and his work on the design of the stations for the Churnet Valley Railway brought him to the area. In the following year William’s son, Larner Sugden, was born. After schooling in Yorkshire
, Larner returned to Leek in 1866 to be apprenticed to his father as an architect, and thus was formed the famous Sugden & Son (Architects), whose influence on the town was to be profound. The firm had offices in Derby Street. The building still survives, the ground floor now being occupied by Boots the Chemist. Larner was a great supporter of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and so Leek’s development was in sympathetic hands.
The architectural output from Sugden & Son was both prolific and varied. Some of the buildings designed by the Sugdens are as follows: the Congregational Church
with its 130’ spire
, (now Trinity Church), built in the Victorian Gothic Revival style
(1863), Myatt’s Mill in Earl Street (1864), Mill Street Methodist Chapel and Ragged School (1870), the Cottage Hospital, in memory of silk manufacturer James Allsop (1871), their own houses in Queen Street, complete with monograms for William, Larner and for Larner’s French
wife (1877), West Street School (extended in 1881), the District Bank, which exhibits a strong Richard Norman Shaw influence (1882) and the Leonard Street Police Station in Scottish Baronial style (1891). This last was probably the last joint venture of the father-and-son team because William Sugden died in 1892.
The Sugden masterpiece was, perhaps, the Nicholson Institute, built in the Queen Anne style
, in 1882. The fact that this building is tucked away behind the 17th century ‘Greystones’ is a further indication of Larner’s regard for old buildings. Larner would not countenance demolition of the old building, and so, as the Nicholson’s owned the land to the rear, that is where the Institute was built. Larner cleverly incorporated the busts of Shakespeare, Newton, Reynolds and Tennyson into the building representing 400 years of artistic and scientific achievement from the 16th to the 19th century and embracing literature, science, art and poetry.
In 1899 came the Technical Schools and the Co-operative Society Hall. Although the original town centre cattle market was demolished and replaced with a bus station
and shopping centre in the 1960s. The new cattle market was built on the edge of town adjacent to the railway station. Later, this was one of the stations closed following Dr. Beeching
's recommendations. It was later replaced with a supermarket
now owned by Morrisons
.
, the 18th century canal engineer
. He built a water-powered corn mill in 1752. This watermill
is now preserved as Brindley Water Mill and Museum
.
William Morris
, founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement
, lived and worked in Leek between 1875 and 1878. He studied dyeing and it was Leek which provided his firm with silk.
Local rumour suggests that he founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
in 1877 as a result of his successful campaign to prevent the demolition of the building that now houses Greystones tearoom, winner of the Tea Council's Tea Room of the Year award for 2000. It was through the SPAB that he came into contact with Larner Sugden, the local architect, who went on to publish some of Morris' speeches and essays in a series called the Bijour of Leek.
Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine History in the University of Oxford
and former Warden of Keble College
Averil Cameron
grew up in Leek.
Dave Hill, vocalist for English New Wave of British Heavy Metal
band Demon
, lives and works in Leek.
Former 5 time world professional darts champion Eric Bristow
lives in the town.
James Ford
, English musical composer, record producer and musician in the band Simian Mobile Disco
was born in Leek.
Nearby Rudyard Lake
is a popular tourist attraction and home to the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway
, running along its eastern shores. Other nearby local attractions are the local football club Leek Town F.C.
, Alton Towers
, the cultural and leisure facilities of the city of Stoke-on-Trent
, and the Peak District National Park.
Leek's "Double Sunset" on Midsummer Day also attracts many tourists. This event, first recognised by Robert Plot
, occurs when the sun appears to set behind Bosley Cloud, subsequently reappearing in the hollow of the hill's vertical northern side, before setting again. It occurs three or four days before the summer solstice. The best location for seeing the double sunset is said to be the grounds of the parish church. Plot's detailed account can be found in his book The Natural History of Staffordshire.
In May of every year, Leek Arts Festival takes place, celebrating the cultural heritage of the town. According to the festival's website, it began as a weekly event but soon expanded to last a whole month.
The surrounding countryside of the Staffordshire Moorlands
and the Peak District
makes the area a popular tourist destination. Just outside the town is Blackbrook Zoological Park
, which is renowned for its large collection of birds.
and the nearby town of Buxton
using 118 bus.
Leek was served by Leek railway station
which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway
on July 13, 1849, but has since been closed.
Leek is home to two football clubs. Leek Town F.C.
, founded in 1946, are based at Harrison Park
and currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One South
. The club played in a variety of local leagues, including the Staffordshire County League
, Manchester League
, Mid-Cheshire League and Cheshire County League
, before becoming founder members of the North West Counties Football League
in 1982 and from there progressing to the Northern Premier League
in 1987. In 1997 they were Northern Premier League champions and gained promotion to the Football Conference
, the highest level of English non-league football, although they only spent two seasons at that level before being relegated.
Leek CSOB, founded in 1945, groundshare with Leek Town at Harrison Park and play in the North West Counties Football League Division One. They were founder members of the Staffordshire County League in 1984, and were league champions in 1996. In 2005 the club announced plans to build their own stadium.
Leek is also home to Leek Hockey
Club, based at Leek High Specialist Technology School
. Leek Rugby Union
FC bears the name of the town but is based in nearby Cheddleton.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in the county of 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...
, on the River Churnet
River Churnet
The River Churnet is a river that flows in Staffordshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Dove.- Etymology :The origins of the name "Churnet" are unknown, though it is thought to derive from the pre-English, British name for the river.- Course :...
. It is an ancient borough and was granted its royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in 1214.
It is the administrative centre for the Staffordshire Moorlands
Staffordshire Moorlands
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...
District Council. King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
granted Ranulph de Blundeville, Earl of Chester
Earl of Chester
The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs-apparent to the English throne, and from the late 14th century it has been given only in conjunction with that of Prince of Wales.- Honour of Chester :The...
, the right to hold a weekly Wednesday market and an annual seven-day fair in Leek in 1207.
Leek's coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is made up of a Saltire
Saltire
A saltire, or Saint Andrew's Cross, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross or letter ex . Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred on such a cross....
Shield. On the top is the Staffordshire Knot, either side is the famous Leek "Double Sunset" and below a gold garb. The crest is a mural crown with three Mulberry leaves on a Mount of Heather on top of which a Moorcock
Red grouse
The Red Grouse is a medium sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the Willow Grouse but is sometimes considered to be a separate species Lagopus scoticus...
is resting his claw on a small-weave Shuttle. The motto 'ARTE FAVENTE NIL DESPERANDUM' translates to: Our skill assisting us, we have no cause for despair. The Coat of Arms was granted on 7 May 1956.
Economy
The town has had a regular cattle market for hundreds of years, reflecting its role as a centre of local farming. Following the industrial revolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
it became a major producer of textiles, with silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
working in particular coming to dominate the industrial landscape. Though this industry has declined somewhat, it has continued through the large number of clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
manufacturers in the town, and the prominence of dyeing
Dyeing
Dyeing is the process of adding color to textile products like fibers, yarns, and fabrics. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular chemical material. After dyeing, dye molecules have uncut Chemical bond with fiber molecules. The temperature and time controlling...
and allied trades.
The mills from the town's textile era still remain. Many are currently being converted into houses. The town's markets still remain active to this day.
Britannia
Britannia
Britannia is an ancient term for Great Britain, and also a female personification of the island. The name is Latin, and derives from the Greek form Prettanike or Brettaniai, which originally designated a collection of islands with individual names, including Albion or Great Britain. However, by the...
- the former Building Society - has its headquarters based in the town and is a major local employer. Britannia is now part of the Co-Operative Financial Services since the merger of the two companies on 1 August 2009.
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...
is situated in the Staffordshire Moorlands
Staffordshire Moorlands
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...
district and therefore employs a large number of people from Leek and the surrounding area.
Geography
Staffordshire Moorlands
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...
which is situated on the southern uplands of the Pennines
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
.
Leek is built on the slope and crown of a hill which is situated just a few miles south of 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 gritsone escarpment which rises steeply to 505m.
Leek is situated at the foot of the Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
National Park
National parks of England and Wales
The national parks of England and Wales are areas of relatively undeveloped and scenic landscape that are designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949...
and is therefore often referred to as the Gateway to the Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
, although the town is more often referred to as the Queen of the Moorlands.
Architecture and development
Many VictorianVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
period, and older, buildings still stand in the town, many built by the family architectural practice of the Sugdens. In 1849 William Sugden (b. 1821 in Keighley
Keighley
Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...
) came to Leek. He was an architect and his work on the design of the stations for the Churnet Valley Railway brought him to the area. In the following year William’s son, Larner Sugden, was born. After schooling in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, Larner returned to Leek in 1866 to be apprenticed to his father as an architect, and thus was formed the famous Sugden & Son (Architects), whose influence on the town was to be profound. The firm had offices in Derby Street. The building still survives, the ground floor now being occupied by Boots the Chemist. Larner was a great supporter of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and so Leek’s development was in sympathetic hands.
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
with its 130’ spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
, (now Trinity Church), built in the Victorian Gothic Revival style
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
(1863), Myatt’s Mill in Earl Street (1864), Mill Street Methodist Chapel and Ragged School (1870), the Cottage Hospital, in memory of silk manufacturer James Allsop (1871), their own houses in Queen Street, complete with monograms for William, Larner and for Larner’s French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
wife (1877), West Street School (extended in 1881), the District Bank, which exhibits a strong Richard Norman Shaw influence (1882) and the Leonard Street Police Station in Scottish Baronial style (1891). This last was probably the last joint venture of the father-and-son team because William Sugden died in 1892.
The Sugden masterpiece was, perhaps, the Nicholson Institute, built in the Queen Anne style
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
, in 1882. The fact that this building is tucked away behind the 17th century ‘Greystones’ is a further indication of Larner’s regard for old buildings. Larner would not countenance demolition of the old building, and so, as the Nicholson’s owned the land to the rear, that is where the Institute was built. Larner cleverly incorporated the busts of Shakespeare, Newton, Reynolds and Tennyson into the building representing 400 years of artistic and scientific achievement from the 16th to the 19th century and embracing literature, science, art and poetry.
In 1899 came the Technical Schools and the Co-operative Society Hall. Although the original town centre cattle market was demolished and replaced with a bus station
Bus station
A bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can stop...
and shopping centre in the 1960s. The new cattle market was built on the edge of town adjacent to the railway station. Later, this was one of the stations closed following Dr. Beeching
Richard Beeching
Richard Beeching, Baron Beeching , commonly known as Doctor Beeching, was chairman of British Railways and a physicist and engineer...
's recommendations. It was later replaced with a supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
now owned by Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
.
Notable residents
Leek was the home of James BrindleyJames Brindley
James Brindley was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century.-Early life:...
, the 18th century canal engineer
Canal engineer
A canal engineer is a civil engineer responsible for planning related to the construction of a canal.The names of canal engineers include:* James Brindley* James Dadford* John Dadford* Thomas Dadford* Thomas Dadford, Jr....
. He built a water-powered corn mill in 1752. This watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
is now preserved as Brindley Water Mill and Museum
Brindley Water Mill
The Brindley Water Mill is a water mill situated in the town of Leek in the English county of Staffordshire. The current mill was used for grinding corn and was built by James Brindley, the famous canal builder, in 1752, although previous mills existed on the site several centuries earlier...
.
William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
, founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
, lived and worked in Leek between 1875 and 1878. He studied dyeing and it was Leek which provided his firm with silk.
Local rumour suggests that he founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings was founded by William Morris, Philip Webb and J.J.Stevenson, and other notable members of the Pre Raphaelite brotherhood, in 1877, to oppose what they saw as the insensitive renovation of ancient buildings then occurring in Victorian...
in 1877 as a result of his successful campaign to prevent the demolition of the building that now houses Greystones tearoom, winner of the Tea Council's Tea Room of the Year award for 2000. It was through the SPAB that he came into contact with Larner Sugden, the local architect, who went on to publish some of Morris' speeches and essays in a series called the Bijour of Leek.
Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine History in the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and former Warden of Keble College
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
Averil Cameron
Averil Cameron
Dame Averil Millicent Cameron, DBE, FBA is Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine History in the University of Oxford, and was formerly the Warden of Keble College, Oxford between 1994 and 2010....
grew up in Leek.
Dave Hill, vocalist for English New Wave of British Heavy Metal
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
band Demon
Demon (band)
Demon are an English rock/metal group, formed in 1979 by vocalist Dave Hill and guitarist Mal Spooner, both hailing from Leek, Staffordshire. They drew their initial audience from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement in 1980....
, lives and works in Leek.
Former 5 time world professional darts champion Eric Bristow
Eric Bristow
Eric Bristow MBE is a British darts player, whose skill at the game in the 1980s helped turn it into a worldwide spectator sport.- Early career :...
lives in the town.
James Ford
James Ford
James Ford may refer to:*James A. Ford, American archaeologist*James Ford , benefactor of the Ford Lectures at Oxford University*James Ford , cricketer*James Ford , American newsreader and journalist for WPIX...
, English musical composer, record producer and musician in the band Simian Mobile Disco
Simian Mobile Disco
Simian Mobile Disco are a United Kingdom-based production and remix team formed in 2005 by James Ford and Jas Shaw of the band Simian. Musically, they are known for their analogue production...
was born in Leek.
Tourist attractions and leisure
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....
is a popular tourist attraction and home to the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway
Rudyard Lake Steam Railway
The Rudyard Lake Steam Railway is a minimum gauge railway and the third railway of any gauge to run along the side of Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire. The railway runs for on the track bed of an old standard gauge North Staffordshire Railway line. After the NSR line closed down, a small narrow gauge...
, running along its eastern shores. Other nearby local attractions are the local football club Leek Town F.C.
Leek Town F.C.
Leek Town Football Club is an English football club based in Leek, Staffordshire, currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One South...
, 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...
, the cultural and leisure facilities of 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.
Leek's "Double Sunset" on Midsummer Day also attracts many tourists. This event, first recognised by Robert Plot
Robert Plot
Robert Plot was an English naturalist, first Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford, and the first keeper of the Ashmolean Museum....
, occurs when the sun appears to set behind Bosley Cloud, subsequently reappearing in the hollow of the hill's vertical northern side, before setting again. It occurs three or four days before the summer solstice. The best location for seeing the double sunset is said to be the grounds of the parish church. Plot's detailed account can be found in his book The Natural History of Staffordshire.
In May of every year, Leek Arts Festival takes place, celebrating the cultural heritage of the town. According to the festival's website, it began as a weekly event but soon expanded to last a whole month.
The surrounding countryside of the Staffordshire Moorlands
Staffordshire Moorlands
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...
and the Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
makes the area a popular tourist destination. Just outside the town is Blackbrook Zoological Park
Blackbrook Zoological Park
Blackbrook Zoological Park is a wildlife attraction in central England which exhibits the largest collection of birds in the country. It is known for its excellent breeding record with many rare bird species, with over 300 successfully breeding species to date. The zoo also has a growing collection...
, which is renowned for its large collection of birds.
Local transport
The town of Leek is served by First with a regular number 18 bus service (or 16 on an alternative route via Cellarhead). There are also frequent bus services to SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
and the nearby town of Buxton
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
using 118 bus.
Leek was served by Leek railway station
Leek railway station
Leek railway station was a railway station that served the town of Leek, Staffordshire. It was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway in 1849....
which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway
North Staffordshire Railway
The North Staffordshire Railway was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire....
on July 13, 1849, but has since been closed.
Sport
Leek Town F.C.
Leek Town Football Club is an English football club based in Leek, Staffordshire, currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One South...
, founded in 1946, are based at Harrison Park
Harrison Park
Harrison Park is a stadium in Leek, Staffordshire. It is home to Leek Town F.C. currently of the Northern Premier League, and Leek C.S.O.B.. Capacity is 3,600.-Overview:...
and currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One South
Northern Premier League Division One South
Division One South is one of the two second-tier divisions of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 4 of the National League System, placing it seven divisions below the Premier League...
. The club played in a variety of local leagues, including the Staffordshire County League
Staffordshire County League
The Staffordshire County League was an English football competition based in the county of Staffordshire. It existed from at least 1957 until 2005, when it merged with the Midland League to form the new Staffordshire County Senior League, with the former County League teams forming Divisions One...
, Manchester League
Manchester Football League
The Manchester Football League, currently known under terms of sponsorship as Bridgewater Office Supplies Football League, is a football league in England, covering a 20-mile radius from Manchester Town Hall. It was formed in 1893, although play ceased between 1912 and 1920. The 2010–11 champions...
, Mid-Cheshire League and Cheshire County League
Cheshire County League
The Cheshire County League was a football league founded in the north west of England in 1919, drawing its teams largely from Cheshire, surrounding English counties and North Wales....
, before becoming founder members of the North West Counties Football League
North West Counties Football League
The North West Counties Football League is a football league in North west of England. As of 2011, the league covers Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Southern Cumbria, Northern Staffordshire, the High Peak area of Derbyshire, and the far west of West Yorkshire. In the past, the...
in 1982 and from there progressing to the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
in 1987. In 1997 they were Northern Premier League champions and gained promotion to the Football Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
, the highest level of English non-league football, although they only spent two seasons at that level before being relegated.
Leek CSOB, founded in 1945, groundshare with Leek Town at Harrison Park and play in the North West Counties Football League Division One. They were founder members of the Staffordshire County League in 1984, and were league champions in 1996. In 2005 the club announced plans to build their own stadium.
Leek is also home to Leek Hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
Club, based at Leek High Specialist Technology School
Leek High Specialist Technology School
Leek High Specialist Technology School is an English high school in Leek, Staffordshire. The school achieved specialist Technology College status in 2004.-External links:* – official website...
. Leek Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
FC bears the name of the town but is based in nearby Cheddleton.
Schools
- All Saints' Church of England First School
- Beresford Memorial Church of England First School
- Churnet View Middle School
- Leek First School
- Leek High Specialist Technology School
- Springfield Community Special School
- St. Edward's Junior High School
- St. Mary's Catholic Primary School
- St. Michael's Church of England First School
- The Meadows School
- Westwood College
- Westwood First School
- Woodcroft First School