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Photo: D.R Gibson / Aidan Croft at en.wikipedia, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
The Churnet Valley Railway is a preserved standard gauge heritage railway running through the Staffordshire Moorlands and the valley of the River Churnet in Staffordshire, England. It operates along part of the former Churnet Valley Line, which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway in 1849, and the Waterhouses branch line which opened in 1905. The section from Kingsley and Froghall to Leek closed to passengers in January 1965 and to freight from Oakamoor to Stoke-on-Trent in 1988; and the Waterhouses branch closed to passenger traffic in 1935, with the final freight running in 1988. The preservation society began in 1971 with a small demonstration line in the goods yard at Cheddleton, before beginning operations over the former Churnet Valley Line in 1996 following withdrawal of the final freight services in 1988.
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From the 18th century, flints were brought here by barge and loaded directly into kilns. The roasted flints were then easier to crush, to make a slurry for whitening pottery, which went away on the barges. The site was powered by two water wheels. There's also a miller's cottage and a museum display.
Considered by some to be one of the finest churches in England
Built by a wealthy local family to commemorate the death of their son in the I World War, this clock tower is one of the biggest war memorials in the country. Leekensians refer to it as "the monument".
Performance spaces, art gallery & cafe. Regular touring musicians and cinema.
Museum & Art Gallery above town's library hosting a wide variety of works reflecting the local area. Housed in a spectacular red brick building with a copper covered tower set back behind surrounding buildings.