Positive Visit

Achieve all your resolutions in one little get-away to Staffordshire!

A recent street survey carried out by Enjoy Staffordshire, looking into New Years resolutions, highlighted five promises that kept cropping up. The most prominent of these annual declarations was to get fit and keep healthy, closely followed by making quality time for the whole family. Also in the top five were starting a hobby, finally getting round to house and garden DIY and learning to cook home cooked dishes!

While we can all struggle to keep to our resolutions, the glorious county of Staffordshire provides visitors with the possibility to face their promises head on, any time of the year.

Outdoors and active

Determined to get fit this year? Then ditch the idea of joining the gym and embrace the fresh air of beautiful British countryside. Staffordshire is home to some really stunning walks, perfect for any time of year and delightful in the winter with the shimmer or a fresh sprinkle of frost and the bright winter sunshine. The Staffordshire Way is a long distance footpath from Mow Cop in the North through 92 miles of glorious scenery to Kinver Edge in the South, while Cannock Chase is a delightful forest, designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty and is home to Britain’s largest herd of fallow deer. If you aren’t up for walking, cycling is another ideal way to get healthy this New Year - why not hire a bike at the Conkers centre in the National Forest where you can ride along the gorgeous Sustrans route?

Family time

If you have promised to dedicate time to hang out with the children and enjoy real family entertainment there is plenty on offer in Staffordshire. The whole family will love the thrill of the Tamworth Snow Dome, where you can enjoy fun filled activities on real snow, including snowmobiling, tobogganing, tubing and sledging along with skiing and snowboarding and ice-skating. Stoke-on-Trent Waterworld is the UK's number one aqua park with its own thrilling water ride, the Twister and the UK’s first indoor water roller coaster, the Nucleus along with many other wet and wild crazy activities - ideal for livening up any family weekend get-away!

If you aren’t quite so active but still want to get out and about there are some wonderful family treats in store for you. Trentham Monkey Forest is is an unforgettable journey to meet 140 Barbary Macaques living in total freedom on 60 acres of forest. Walking in the park you are transported into a different world through direct contact with the monkeys and guides are positioned along the paths to help with any questions the kids may have. Amerton Farm also offers plenty to see and do in lovely surroundings, with a fun filled indoor adventure play area, wonderful farm yard, wildlife centre and a craft centre where the whole family can get creative. Best of all, entry is free!
Art attacks

Perhaps this year you want to finally take up a hobby - or maybe you want to get your creative juices flowing. If so Staffordshire has a grand tradition of creativity. You can join in a residential weaving course at The Loom Room or visit the Potteries where the whole family can get hands on with Staffordshire’s finest tradition - china works. The internationally acclaimed visitor centres at Wedgwood and Spode have everything needed to fire your imaginations with craft demonstrations, factory tours and pottery painting workshops.

Green fingered promises

You might have made a promise to yourself and your garden that you will get green fingered this year and so if you are in need of a little inspiration Staffordshire’s gardens provide an odyssey to some of the country's finest treasures as well as some of its best-kept secrets. Biddulph Grange is a rare and exciting survival of a Victorian garden restored by the National Trust and divided into a series of uniquely themed gardens, whilst Trentham is one of the largest garden regeneration projects in Britain. The Dorothy Clive Garden offers a wonderful array of interest and beauty throughout the seasons and the gardens on the estates of Weston Park and Shugbrough are a delight to walk through.

Food matters

If you have made the decision to become a whiz in the kitchen - cooking home made dishes served up with tantalising and perfectly matched wines - then once again Staffordshire can come to your rescue. As a largely rural county with excellent local produce at hand the county is home to all manner of delicious organic and locally produced treats, perfect for menu inspiration. The landscape and heritage of Staffordshire have lent a unique style and flavour to the food and drink that you will try there - some of Britain’s favourite beers are brewed from the distinctive well water below Burton upon Trent; there are award winning cheeses and succulent meats from flocks and herd that graze the Peak District’s Moorlands and the Trent’s lush lowland pastures and wine can be sampled from the vineyards of the Staffordshire Parklands and traditional oatcakes made form original North Staffordshire recipes are still relished. You will be amazed at what you will learn and the educational process will be the most fun (and delicious) lesson that you have ever had!