Historical Landmarks
The town has a richness of historical landmarks. Perhaps the most prominent is Stafford Castle, two miles west of Stafford and an important Gothic Revival Keep. The building you can visit today sits on the foundations of its medieval predecessor and indeed uses much of the original stonework. The very first structure here was a classic wooden motte and bailey style development, dating from the Norman period, and some of the fort's defences can still be seen. This timber and earth fortification was replaced by a stone-built castle in the 14th century, which was in turn demolished during the English Civil War by victorious Parliamentarians after a ferocious siege. The castle was left in ruins until rising again from 1813 in the grand Gothic Revival Style, although work was never fully completed due to lack of funds.
The keep was occupied until well into the 20th century before once more falling into disrepair, until the 1970s when archaeological excavations began to reveal the layers of important history and habitation. In the 1980s a proper heritage trail was established with a dedicated museum and gift shop, so that today it a flourishing visitors attraction and summer venue for Shakespearian performances.
From Stafford hotels you can enjoy the Elizabethan Ancient High House, which is the largest timber-framed town house in England and an excellent museum. The oldest building of all in the town is St Chad's Church, dating back to the 12th century. This is a richly decorated church with some very fine carvings, which may have been made by stonemasons from the Middle East who came to England during the crusades. Like so many of Stafford's architectural highlights, it's well worth exploring.
Highlights
Nearby you can enjoy the glorious Shugborough Estate. Set in 900 acres of peaceful parkland and riverside gardens, with an elegant mansion house at its heart, the whole estate is brought to life by costumed ‘living history' characters. Explore working Victorian Servants' Quarters, a Georgian farm, dairy and mill, plus a lovely restored walled garden.
Highlighting very different times, the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford houses one of the UK's largest aviation collections in two awesome wartime hangars and in the fascinating National Cold War Exhibition. Outstanding features of this excellent museum include the three V-Bombers, the Vulcan, Victor, and Valiant, and the world's oldest Spitfire. There's good food, snacks and drinks to be had both in the Refuel Restaurant and Checkpoint Charlie Café. Papers don't have to be shown to gain entry!
