The county has an area of 1,713 square kilometres (661 sq mi) and a population of 1,131,052. After Stoke-on-Trent (258,366), the largest settlements are Tamworth (78,646), Newcastle-under-Lyme (75,082), Burton upon Trent (72,299) and Stafford (71,673); the city of Lichfield has a population of 33,816. For local government purposes Staffordshire comprises a non-metropolitan county, with nine districts, and the unitary authority area of Stoke-on-Trent. The county historically included the northwest of the West Midlands county, including Walsall, West Bromwich, and Wolverhampton.
Staffordshire is hilly to the north and south. The southern end of the Pennines is in the north, containing part of the Peak DistrictNational Park, while the Cannock ChaseAONB and part of the National Forest are in the south. The River Trent and its tributaries drain most of the county. From its source, near Biddulph, the river flows through Staffordshire in a southwesterly direction, meeting the Sow just east of Stafford; it then meets the River Tame and turns north-east, exiting into Derbyshire immediately downstream of Burton upon Trent. (Full article...)
The diocese of Mercia was created in 656, and a cathedral was consecrated on the present site in 700. The relics of the fifth bishop, Chad of Mercia, were housed at the cathedral until being removed in 1538 during the English Reformation. In 1075 the seat of the diocese was moved to St John the Baptist's Church, Chester and then from there to St Mary's Priory in Coventry. Lichfield gained co-cathedral status in 1148, and became the sole cathedral in the diocese after St Mary's Priory was dissolved in 1539 and the new diocese of Chester created in 1541. During the English Civil War the cathedral close was beseiged three times; the church was severely damaged, losing all of its medieval glass and many monuments. (Full article...)
Lichfield Cathedral is a late 12th century medieval cathedral situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire. The cathedral is dedicated to saints Chad and Mary and is the only medieval church in England with three spires.
Image 20Vale Park, home of Port Vale. Completed in 1950, at the time of its construction it was nicknamed 'The Wembley of the North'. (from Stoke-on-Trent)
Image 21Colclough China Longton, a factory typical of the mid 20th century (from Stoke-on-Trent)
... that the Staffordshire County League (South) was originally formed as the Walsall & District Junior League after a meeting of football club representatives at the People's Coffee House in Walsall?
The Staffordshire Portal 
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