What are the top attractions in Staffordshire? We list 10 of the county's must-visit sites

Staffordshire has become a popular place for visitors, with millions of people flocking to the creative county and figures increasing rapidly since the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the most recent data available around tourism, 2023 saw the county’s busiest year since the pandemic, with more than 37 million people from home and abroad enjoying a day out or overnight stay, an increase of 30 per cent since 2019.

Visitors helped generate more than £2.3 billion on accommodation, entertainment, travel, shopping and food and drink, and the tourism and hospitality sector now supports more than 24,000 jobs in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

What are some of the highlights of any visit to Staffordshire? Where are the places that people must see on a visit across the county?

We've picked out 10 of the most notable, most popular or most historic places that visitors should see when visiting Staffordshire. This list is in no particular order.

Is there an attraction that we've missed or you think should be on this list? Please let us know in the comments below.

Alton Towers Resort

Farley Lane, Alton, Stoke-on-Trent, ST10 4DB

One of the biggest and most popular theme parks in the country, this theme park brings in millions of people each year, including 2.3 million people in 2023.

Alton Towers opened as a theme park in April, 1980 and has been open each summer season since. Inspired by Disneyland, the modern park was designed to be home to multiple, other-worldly spaces, grounded in English Heritage. 

Among the most popular rides are Wicker Man, known for its immersive experience and fast-paced wooden roller coaster, Galactica, a flying rollercoaster where you glide through the air, Nemesis, A classic coaster known for its intense g-forces and Oblivion, a ride featuring a 180ft plunge.

The theme park is open seasonally from mid-March to early November, whilst many of its hotels and amenities are open year-round, with special events hosted throughout the year, including Alton Towers Scarefest, Oktoberfest, Fireworks, and Christmas.

National Memorial Arboretum

Croxall Road, Alrewas, Burton-on-Trent, DE13 7AR

The nation's place of peace and remembrance sees more than 300,000 people come to Alrewas every year to take a walk around the atmospheric grounds of 150-acres.

The Arboretum is an evolving, maturing woodland landscape featuring 25,000 trees and a large collection of more than 400 memorials and is a living, growing tribute to those who have served and continue to serve the country.

The memorials are diverse in nature, rich in symbolism and represent a broad population of society, from military associations and charities to the emergency services, fraternity groups and individuals. 

Each year new memorials are added so there's always something new to see.

Lichfield Cathedral

The Close, Lichfield, WS13 7LD

Lichfield Cathedral is a significant landmark and place of worship in the centre of the city and welcomes around 120,000 visitors each year.

The cathedral is the only medieval three-spired Cathedral in the UK, and is considered a treasured landmark in the heart of England, one of the oldest places of Christian worship, and the burial place of the great Anglo-Saxon missionary Bishop, St Chad. 

Visitors can see a medieval wall painting, the famous Herkenrode stained glass, the Lichfield Gospels (700AD) and Lichfield Angel, as well as a packed and diverse programme of services, concerts and exhibitions, as well as opportunities to explore the Cathedral and its chapels, learn about the treasures and enjoy a stroll around the picturesque Cathedral Close.

Kinver Edge Rock Houses

Holy Austin Rock House, Compton Road, Kinver, Stourbridge, DY7 6DL

The National Trust’s Kinver Edge is a remnant of the Mercian forest and contains two Iron Age hillforts, while also being home to the last troglodyte dwellings occupied in England, with a set of complete cave-houses excavated into the local sandstone. 

The Holy Austin rock houses were inhabited until the 1960s and are now restored and open to visitors. There are stoves, furniture, windows and doors, all set into the sandstone, just as they were when the houses were lived in.

Nanny’s Rock and Vale’s Rock aren’t restored but they can be seen from the Rock Houses walking trail, which is close to 600 acres of land across the south Staffordshire countryside, with around 250,000 visitors a year.

Trentham Estate

Stone Road, Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 8JG

The Trentham Estate is 725 acres of natural beauty and home to award-winning gardens, ancient woodland, a unique outdoor shopping village and event space perfect for festivals.

More than 3.2 million people come to the estate on the outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent to take in the tranquillity of the garden and wildlife walks and the wonder of the Monkey Forest or to be entertained at one of the many festivals on the estate.

The Monkey Forest itself is worth the visit along, with a forest habitat home to 140 Barbary macaques with nature trails, willow maze, and picnic areas, with visitors able to enjoy close encounters with free-roaming monkeys and informative feeding sessions.

McArthurGlen Designer Outlet West Midlands

Eastern Way, Lichfield Road, Cannock, WS11 7JZ

More than 10 million people have visited the retail outlet on the outskirts on Cannock since it first opened in April 2021 and it is an eye-catching feature for drivers on the nearby A460.

The retail outlet features 65 designer brands, including Sketchers, Boss, Nike and Calvin Klein, as well as 10 restaurants and cafes featuring a range from burgers and fries to coffee and churros.

With long walkways and plenty of spaces to park and walk around, the retail outlet is a good place to take a walk and pick up a bargain from one of the stores.

Cannock Chase Forest

Birches Valley, Rugeley, WS15 2UQ

Cannock Chase is a mixed area of countryside which has been designated as the Cannock Chase National Landscape, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and much of it is managed by Forestry England for its important ecology and for recreational use.

Spread over eight miles of land, the Chase is a great place to take a walk amid the trees of Birches Valley, which also contains a Go-Ape centre for those wanting a more adrenaline-fuelled trip and plenty of mountain bike tracks, including the track used for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The massive natural bowl is also the setting for the annual Forest Live concert series, a series which has seen performances by Madness, Texas and Paul Weller, and sees around 2.5 million people visit each year.

Chasewater Country Park

Pool Lane, Burntwood, WS8 7NL

Chasewater Country Park extends to more than 237 hectares, which includes a 96 hectare reservoir and is in easy walking distance (1km) to 20,000 people. 

Chasewater Country Park is situated in a part of Staffordshire that has some of the most deprived wards in the county and is a valued community amenity, attracting around 600,000 visitors a year.

It is a great place for people who love watersports, with plenty of facilities around the bank, as well as for dog walkers, plus an annual Boxing Day swim and other open water swimming events.

Stafford Castle

Newport Road, Stafford, ST16 1DJ.

After recent restoration work and a programme of archaeological investigation, Stafford Castle is considered one of the best surviving examples of Norman earthworks in the country. 

Visitors can follow an informative trail of interpretation panels to discover the castle's history and, today, the remains of the castle, together with the surrounding grounds, give visitors a fascinating insight to the 900 year history of this important site.

The site itself extends to more than 26 acres and consists of Keep, inner bailey, outer bailey, woodland, herb garden, visitor centre and car park. The Keep is open to the public during Visitor Centre opening hours.

Drayton Manor

Drayton Manor Drive, Fazeley, Mile Oak, Tamworth, B78 3TW

Bringing in more than one million visitors every year, Drayton Manor has become one of the most popular theme parks in the country.

Sitting on the site of the former stately home, the resort and theme park features more than 50 rides across the 113 hectares of space, as well as a zoo full of carefully curated exhibits showcasing a diverse range of creatures, from majestic big cats to playful primates. 

Lovers of Thomas the Tank Engine can also take in the splendour of the Isle of Sodor at Thomasland, while the park also provides a number of events for lovers of Halloween and a Viking-themed area full of rides and attractions.