Burton upon Trent
The 'Capital' of British brewing towns due to the quality of 'Burton Water'. Northeast of Birmingham, Burton upon Trent is a former cotton-spinning town. Brewing is the principal industry, with five major breweries in operation; marmite savoury spread is produced from the yeast by-products. Engineering, food-processing, and the manufacture of tyres and rubber goods are also important. The Benedictine monks of Burton Abbey (founded in 1002) began the town's tradition of brewing in the 11th century.
Gypsum deposits in the area make the local well water high in calcium sulphate, which is particularly good for the production of beer. The earliest-known reference to Burton ale was in 1295, it was noted in London in 1630, and commercial production began in the mid-18th century. The history of brewing in Burton is illustrated at the Bass Museum. Marmite was first produced in 1902.
The town expanded rapidly following the opening of the Midland Railway in 1839. A number of Burton's public buildings, including the town hall (1894), were presented to the town by Michael Bass (1799-1884), who became Lord Burton.
Lichfield
Cathedral city in the Trent Valley, 25 km / 16 miles northeast of Birmingham. It offers financial and banking services, and has a mixed industrial base. Substantial military barracks are located on the edge of the city. The cathedral (13th-14th century) is the only English example of its kind with three spires. The writer Samuel Johnson was born here in 1709.
The Early English and Decorated-style cathedral contains the Lichfield Gospels (a manuscript dating from the 8th century) and The Sleeping Children (1817) of Francis Chantrey. The birthplace of Samuel Johnson is now a museum. On the edge of Stowe Pool is the church and well of St Chad, who settled here in 669 and became the first bishop of Lichfield. There is a statue to Capt Edward Smith of the Titanic in the city park.

Shugborough
17th-century superb colonnaded mansion house with 18th-century alterations set in beautiful grounds., contains plasterwork by Vassali and Joseph Rose (1745-99). Shugborough was acquired by the National Trust, with about 365 ha / 902 acres of land, through the Treasury in 1966.
A group of neo-Grecian monuments in the park was built by James ` Athenian´ Stuart.
It has been the home of the Anson family, later to become Earls of Lichfield, from 1624 until the present day.
The largest surviving timber-framed house in Britain can be found in Stafford. The Ancient High House was built in the late 16th century at the heart of this important county town. During the Civil War, in 1642, King Charles I had a meeting here with his army commander Prince Rupert. Today it is a museum, with period rooms showing how the house would have looked in various stages of its history.
There are Castles at Chartley, Tamworth, and Tutbury; Keele University (1962) ; Staffordshire bull terriers

Weston Park
Dating back to 1671, this classical red-brick house was designed by Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham, wife of the owner. It houses a rich collection of works of art, including paintings by Holbein, Lely and Gainsborough, and Gobelin tapestries from Paris. The extensive grounds are used for many different activities from country shows to sporting events such as the R.A.C. rally. There are formal gardens, an arboretum, and attractions for children that include a miniature railway and a “pets' corner”.