Gatehouse Theatre, Eastgate Street, Stafford - 01785 619 619 visitorinfo@staffordbc.gov.uk

The original settlement was on an island in the middle of the marshes of the River Sow, a tributary of the River Trent. There is still a large area of marshland northwest of the town, which has always been subject to flooding, such as in 1947, 2000 and 2007.

In 913, it was recorded as Staeth (staith or landing place) on the Rover Sow. A later documant added fordd (crossing place).

In the year 913 Stafford was fortified by Ethelfleda, Lady of Mercia and daughter of Alfred the Great, becoming the new capital of Mercia (the previous capital having been in or near Stone). Queen Ethelfleda ruled Mercia from Stafford for five years as Queen of Mercia, after the death of her father and husband - at around this time the county of Staffordshire was first formed. King Alfred's son Edward, with the crucial aid of Ethelfleda, finally conquered and Christianised the Vikings who had settled in the east of England.

Stafford Castle was built by the Normans on a nearby hilltop in 1070, four years after the invasion of 1066. It was first made of wood, and later rebuilt of stone. It has been rebuilt twice since, but now only 19th century ruins remain atop the impressive earthworks. Illumination of the castle at night-time has made it a landmark for motorists on the M6 motorway and train travellers on the West Coast Main Line. Stafford was considered part of the ancient Pyrehill hundred.

In 1206, King John granted a Royal Charter which created the Borough of Stafford. On 31 March 2006 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited the town to join in the 800th anniversary civic celebrations.

The oldest building in Stafford is St Chad's church with a history reaching back into the twelfth century,[2] and possibly beyond. The main part of the church is richly decorated; patterns and figures have been carved into almost every archway and pillar.It's believed that the carvings were made by a group of stonemasons from the Middle East who came to England during the Crusades. A great deal of the stonework was covered up during the 17th and 18th Centuries, and the church took on a neo-classical style. In the early 19th Century restoration work was carried out on the church and the Norman decoration was rediscovered.

Today the Church hosts Timewalk a computer generated display which relates the journey of history and mystery within the walls of the church. Voices from the past, including one of Stafford's most famous characters - Izaak Walton - guide you through the 900 years of the church's history, while dramatic lighting and sound effects enliven the story. St. Chad's central location opposite the Swan Hotel and near the Ancient High House on Greengate Street places it firmly on the heritage trail. It is often referred to as 'Stafford's Hidden Gem'

Opened in 1908, Victoria Park is a 13 acre (53,000 m2) Edwardian riverside park with an open-air paddling pool, bowling green, bird cages, greenhouses and two play areas.

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre is the town's main entertainment and cultural venue. An Arts centre has also been planned for the town to offer more culture and try and boost tourism in the town.

In the main shopping street, Greengate Street, lies the Elizabethan Ancient High House, the largest timber-framed town house in England. The Ancient High House is now a museum, with changing exhibitions.

Built in 1798 as a court house and office of the Mayor and Clerk of Stafford, The Shire Hall Gallery, found in the very centre of Stafford town, houses the Art Gallery, which shows changing exhibitions. It also contains a cafe and the town's Library.

Stafford Shire HallThe Shire Hall used to be the Court House for the town, and as a Grade 2 listed building, still retains two courtrooms. One of these is open to the general public and has a permanent exhibition showing the history of the building, some high profile cases that were heard there and guided tours are available. Part of the tour includes an old 'holding cell' which is open to public viewing.

The Apollo Cinema shows most big-budget films and has three screens.

The new £15 million Stafford Leisure Centre opened on 12 April 2008, adjacent to the ASDA superstore in Lammascote Road. It replaces the old Riverside Recreation Centre, which has been demolished to make way for a £50 million housing, leisure and retail complex (incorporating a multiplex cinema) along the River Sow. The former Tesco store and Bridge Street multi-storey car park will both be demolished as part of this development.

RAF Stafford was transformed into M.O.D Stafford in late 2007, after the R.A.F left the Town. It is now home to a Gurkha signals regiment and a RAF regiment contingent alongside Tactical supply wing.

Staffordshire University has a large campus in the town focusing heavily on computing and teaching courses.

77,900 new homes are expected to be built in greenfield areas of Staffordshire, with 12,900 expected to be built in Stafford.