At first sight, nothing seems to distinguish the North Staffordshire villages of Knutton, Silverdale and Chesterton. They all have the appearance of residential, dormitory areas of that town. However, within the pages of this book, a rich store of photographs and information detailing the past point to a fascinating history. These three villages in fact played a major part in the development of North Staffordshire's industrial strength in the nineteenth century. The area, once rich in the essential ingredients of industrial change - coal and iron - has developed in many ways over recent...

At the northern end of the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Kidsgrove and Butt Lane were quiet and rural areas of scattered settlements that became an industrial centre of great importance in the economy of North Staffordshire. Today, the areas are largely residential, with housing belonging mainly from the post-war era onwards. Coal mines and ironworks changed the landscape and population and housing increased; development by the Trent and Mersey Canal and the arrival of the railway allowed the area to flourish. Nowadays, most of the heavy industry has declined and many once-familiar sights...