Love it or hate it? (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
From a fairytale in York, to artsy Bristol and beautiful Edinburgh, the UK has plenty of vibrant cities for a fun-filled weekend away.
But one town that is unlikely to be on your radar is Stoke-on-Trent.
The West Midlands city, famed for being the birthplace of Robbie Williams and The Great Pottery Throw Down, was recently named in a list of the UK’s most underrated city breaks.
Time Out cited the ‘nationally-renowned pottery museum’ and ‘six distinct city centres’, as well as ‘peerless access to nature’ as clear reasons why tourists ought to give this historic town a try.
But not everyone agrees.
‘I honestly find it to be a place of almost no redeeming features,’ wrote on Redditor. ‘The place is sad and run down.’
Prettier than you might think (Picture: Getty Images)
While another summed it up as: ‘Bleak, terrible and pointless.’
Even popular TikToker Luke Hamnett admitted his home town was a ‘sh*t hole’. With one commenter adding: ‘I live in Stoke, but I never admit it.’
Ok, we can’t deny, on the surface, Stoke isn’t exactly aesthetically pleasing, especially compared to other names on the list, such as Durham and Canterbury.
The main high-streets are in various states of disrepair, with closed down shops and crumbling factories.
But do a bit of digging, and you might be surprised.
Stoke has a rich history in pottery (hence its nickname the Potteries) which dates back to the 17th century. At the time, there was abundance of clay in the area, which meant it soon became the ceramics capital of the world.
The Gladstone Pottery Museum is an old Victorian pottery (Picture: DeAgostini/Getty Images)
Today, you can still visit Gladstone Pottery Museum, the only complete Victorian pottery factory left. You can watch the demonstrations of traditional skills, and even give them a go yourself.
For something a little more modern, Emma Bridgewater, famed for her colourful, polka dot ceramics, moved her factory just outside Stoke city centre in the mid-90s. You can try your handing a painting a design onto a piece of pottery in the Decorating Studio and go on a tour too. Their Kitchen Café is also a great spot for a bite to eat.
Or, if you want to branch out from pottery, the Barewall Gallery sells pieces by local artists.
The official town centre of Stoke-on-Trent is in Hanley (Stoke is actually made up of six towns: Stoke, Hanley, Fenton, Tunstall, Burslem and Longton), is also worth a visit.
Hanley is getting a makeover (Picture: Getty Images)
Back in 2018, the Business Improvement District was established here in an attempt to improve the area.
As such festivals and streets parties have been introduced, such as The Big Feast, and Beats & Eats. They’ve also improved the look and feel of the area with artwork projects and murals.
Stoke’s brand trendy new neighbourhood, The Goods Yard, near to the railway station is also set to open next year. …read more
Source:: Metro
