Stafford

Stafford district sits in Staffordshire and centres on the county town of Stafford, with towns such as Stone and Eccleshall and a wide rural hinterland. The River Sow runs through Stafford and the Trent and Mersey Canal passes Stone, shaping the pattern of settlements and old industrial sites. A low sandstone ridge beneath Stafford Castle is visible above the town, and the castle keep that crowns it has been a local landmark for centuries. The town centre retains a market square and civic buildings linked to the county administration.

The district combines agriculture, light manufacturing and a transport role served by Stafford railway station on the national north–south route and local road links. Canalside wharves, mills and former wharves in Stone are now mixed uses alongside traditional markets in the towns. Local green spaces and village commons sit close to historic churches and manor houses, and community events tend to focus on markets, canal festivals and town-centre programmes.