Leek is a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

in the county of

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, on the

River Churnet The River Churnet is a river in Staffordshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Dove. Etymology The origins of the name "Churnet" are unknown, though it is thought to derive from the pre-English, British name for the river. Course ...

. It is situated about north east of

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...

. It is an ancient borough and was granted its

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...

in 1214. It is the administrative centre for the

Staffordshire Moorlands Staffordshire Moorlands is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Staffordshire, England. Its council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, is based in Leek, Staffordshire, Leek and is located between the city of Stoke-on- ...

District Council. King John granted Ranulph de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester, the right to hold a weekly Wednesday market and an annual seven-day fair in Leek in 1207. Leek's

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

is made up of a

saltire A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter X in Roman type. The word comes from the Middle French ''sautoir'', Medieval Latin ''saltator ...

shield. On the top is the

Stafford knot The Stafford knot, more commonly known as the Staffordshire knot, is a distinctive three-looped knot that is the traditional symbol of the English county of Staffordshire and of its county town, Stafford. It is a particular representation of the s ...

, either side is the Leek

double sunset A double sunset is a rare astro-geographical phenomenon, in which the sun appears to set twice in the same evening from a specific viewing-point. A double sunrise may also occur in a similar situation. Such phenomena may have been regarded as si ...

and below a gold garb. The crest is a mural crown with three mulberry leaves on a mount of heather on top of which a moorcock is resting his claw on a small-weave shuttle. The motto translates to: Our skill assisting us, we have no cause for despair.

Economy

Leek commercial half penny token of 1793, Staffordshire

The town had a regular cattle market for hundreds of years, reflecting its role as a centre of local

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

. Following the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

it was a major producer of

textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

s, with

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...

working in particular coming to dominate the industrial landscape. However, this industry has now ceased. The mills from the town's textile era remain and many have now been converted into housing.

Britannia Building Society The Britannia Building Society was founded as the Leek & Moorlands Building Society in Leek in 1856. It expanded steadily as a regional society until the late 1950s when it began a major expansion drive, partly through branch openings but also so ...

, had its headquarters in the town and was a large local employer.

Geography

Most of the town is at or above and is surrounded by the higher countryside of the

which is situated on the southern uplands of the

Pennines The Pennines (), also known as the Pennine Chain or Pennine Hills, are a range of uplands running between three regions of Northern England: North West England on the west, North East England and Yorkshire and the Humber on the east. Commo ...

. Leek is built on the slope and crown of a hill which is situated just a few miles south of

the Roaches The Roaches (from the French ''les roches'' - the rocks) is a prominent rocky ridge above Leek and Tittesworth Reservoir in the Staffordshire Peak District of England. The ridge with its rock formations rises steeply to . Along with Ramsha ...

; a

gritstone Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone. This term is especially applied to such sandstones that are quarried for building material. British gritstone was used for millstones to mill flour, to grind wood into pulp for pa ...

escarpment which rises steeply to . Leek is situated at the foot of the

Peak District The Peak District is an upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southe ...

National Park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

and is therefore often referred to as the Gateway to the

, although the town is more often referred to as the Queen of the Moorlands.

History

Leek (Lee, Leike, Leeke) formed part of the great estates of

Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia Ælfgar (died ) was the son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, by his famous mother Godgifu (Lady Godiva). He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on the latter's death in 1057. He gained the additional title of Earl of East Anglia, but a ...

; it

escheat Escheat is a common law doctrine that transfers the real property of a person who has died without heirs to the crown or state. It serves to ensure that property is not left in "limbo" without recognized ownership. It originally applied to a ...

ed to

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

who held it at the time of the

Domesday Survey Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

. Later it passed to the earls Palatine of Chester, remaining in their hands until Ralph de Blundevill, earl of Chester, gave it to the abbey of Dieulacresse, which continued to hold it until its dissolution. The same earl in a charter which he gave to the town (''temp''. John) calls it a borough and grants to his free burgesses various privileges, including freedom from toll throughout Cheshire. These privileges were confirmed by Richard, abbot of Dieulacresse, but the town received no royal charter and failed to establish its burghal position. The Wednesday market which is still held dates from a grant of John to the earl of Chester: in the 17th century it was very considerable. A fair, also granted by John, beginning on the third day before the

Translation Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...

Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066. Edward was the son of Æth ...

is still held. The silk manufacture which can be traced to the latter part of the 17th century is thought to have been aided by the settlement in Leek of some

Huguenots The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss politica ...

after the revocation of the

Edict of Nantes The Edict of Nantes () was signed in April 1598 by King Henry IV and granted the Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was in essence completely Catholic. In the edict, Henry aimed pr ...

. In the 17th and 18th centuries the town was famous for its

ale Ale is a Type of beer, type of beer brewed using a Warm fermentation, warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typicall ...

Prince Charles Edward Stuart Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (20 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, grandson of James II and VII, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland and ...

passed through Leek on his march to Derby (1745) and again on his return journey to Scotland. A story in connexion with the Civil Wars is told to explain the expression "Now thus" occurring on the tombstone of a citizen, who by this meaningless answer to all questions sought escape on the plea of insanity.

Architecture and development

Listed buildings include the original parish church, St Edward the Confessor's, and a Victorian church,

All Saints' All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are kn ...

, designed by

Richard Norman Shaw Richard Norman Shaw RA (7 May 1831 – 17 November 1912), also known as Norman Shaw, was a British architect who worked from the 1870s to the 1900s, known for his country houses and for commercial buildings. He is considered to be among the g ...

. Many Victorian period buildings still stand in the town.

Sugden buildings

Many of Leek's buildings were built by the family architectural practice of the Sugdens. In 1849 William Sugden (b. 1821 in

Keighley Keighley ( ) is a market town and a civil parish in the City of Bradford Borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is the second largest settlement in the borough, after Bradford. Keighley is north-west of Bradford city centre, north-west of Bi ...

) came to Leek. He was an architect and his work on the design of the railway stations for the

Churnet Valley Railway The Churnet Valley Railway is a preserved standard gauge heritage railway in the Staffordshire Moorlands of Staffordshire, England. It operates on part of the former Churnet Valley Line.which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway. ...

brought him to the area. In the following year William's son, Larner Sugden, was born. After schooling in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

, Larner returned to Leek in 1866 to be apprenticed to his father as an architect, and thus was formed the famous Sugden & Son (Architects), whose influence on the town was to be profound. The firm had offices in Derby Street. The building still survives, the ground floor now being occupied by

Boots the Chemist Boots UK Limited (formerly Boots the Chemists), trading as Boots, is a British health and beauty retailer and pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom and other countries and territories including Ireland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Thailand an ...

. Larner was a great supporter of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and so Leek's development was in sympathetic hands. Trinity Church, Leek 1

The architectural output from Sugden & Son was both prolific and varied. Some of the buildings designed by the Sugdens are as follows: *the

Congregational Church Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

with its 130 ft

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are ...

, (now Trinity Church), built in the Victorian

Gothic Revival style Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

(1863) *Myatt’s Mill in Earl Street (1864) *Mill Street Methodist Chapel and Ragged School (1870), *the Cottage Hospital, in memory of silk manufacturer James Allsop (1871), *their own houses in Queen Street, complete with monograms for William, Larner and for Larner's French wife (1877), *West Street School (extended in 1881), *the District Bank, which exhibits a strong Richard Norman Shaw influence (1882) *the Leonard Street Police Station in

Scottish baronial architecture Scottish baronial or Scots baronial is an architectural style of 19th century Gothic Revival which revived the forms and ornaments of historical architecture of Scotland in the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. Reminiscent of Scot ...

(1891). This last was probably the last joint venture of the father-and-son team because William Sugden died in 1892. Nicholson Institute, Leek 2017

The Sugden masterpiece was, perhaps, the Nicholson Institute, built in the Queen Anne style, in 1882. That this building is tucked away behind the 17th-century 'Greystones' is a further indication of Larner's regard for old buildings. Larner would not countenance demolition of the old building, and so, as the Nicholsons owned the land to the rear, that is where the institute was built. Larner cleverly incorporated the busts of Shakespeare, Newton, Reynolds and Tennyson into the building representing 400 years of artistic and scientific achievement from the 16th to the 19th century and embracing literature, science, art and poetry. Leek 2

In 1899 came the Technical Schools and the Co-operative Society Hall. Although the original town centre cattle market was demolished and replaced with a

bus station A bus station or a bus interchange is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. While the term bus depot can also be used to refer to a bus station, it generally refers to a bus garage. A bus station is l ...

and

shopping centre A shopping center (American English) or shopping centre (Commonwealth English), also called a shopping complex, shopping arcade, shopping plaza or galleria, is a group of shops built together, sometimes under one roof. The first known collec ...

in the 1960s, the new cattle market was built on the edge of town adjacent to the

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

. Later, this was one of the stations closed following

Dr Beeching Richard Beeching, Baron Beeching (21 April 1913 – 23 March 1985), commonly known as Dr Beeching, was a physicist and engineer who for a short but very notable time was chairman of British Railways. He became a household name in Britain in the ...

's recommendations, and a

supermarket A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earli ...

(

Morrisons Wm Morrison Supermarkets, trading as Morrisons, is the fifth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. As of 2021, the company had 497 supermarkets across England, Wales and Scotland, as well as one in Gibraltar. The company is headqua ...

) now stands on the site. The Nicholson War Memorial was dedicated in 1925. Leek offers some contemporary architecture, most notably the alterations and refurbishment to Trinity Church on Derby Street (2011) and new teaching building on Horton Street for Leek College (2013).

Notable residents

left, Brindley Water Mill Leek was the home of

James Brindley James Brindley (1716 – 27 September 1772) was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century. Early life Born i ...

, the 18th century

canal engineer A canal engineer is a civil engineer responsible for planning (architectural and otherwise) related to the construction of a canal. Canal engineers include: China * Yu the Great (c.2200BCE-c.2100BCE), first Dynast of China, founder of the fir ...

. He built a water-powered corn mill in 1752. This

watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...

is now preserved as Brindley Water Mill and Museum.

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...

, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement, often visited Leek between 1875 and 1878. He studied dyeing with

Thomas Wardle Sir Thomas Edward Wardle (born 1912 in West Leederville, Western Australia, died in 1997) was a businessman and supermarket proprietor from Western Australia. He was best known for his "Tom the Cheap" supermarket chain as well as revolutionisi ...

, owner of a dyeworks in the town, and it was Leek which provided his firm with silk. It was through the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, which he founded in 1877, that he came into contact with Larner Sugden, the local architect. Sugden would play a part in establishing a "William Morris Labour Church" in Leek, after Morris' death in 1896. Sugden also published a series called "the Bijou of Leek Freethought Reprints". The 7th volume, published 1884, contained a lecture by Morris, entitled ''Art and Socialism.''''Art and Socialism''
online edition
(accessed 2022-05-07). Se
Leek—William Morris Labour Church
in 'British History Online' (accessed 2022-05-07). Dame

Averil Cameron Dame Averil Millicent Cameron ( Sutton; born 8 February 1940), often cited as A. M. Cameron, is a British historian. She was Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine History at the University of Oxford, and the Warden of Keble College, Oxford ...

Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine History in the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

and former Warden of

Keble College Keble College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to th ...

grew up in Leek. Anna Watkins

Dave Hill, vocalist for English

new wave of British heavy metal The new wave of British heavy metal (commonly abbreviated as NWOBHM) was a nationwide musical movement that started in England in the mid-1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. Journalist Geoff Barton coined the term i ...

band

Demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...

, lives in Leek and currently operates rides at Alton Towers.

Jeff Janiak Jeff "JJ" Janiak (born November 4, 1976) is an American/British singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of hardcore punk band Discharge. He was also the vocalist for Broken Bones, Dead Heros and Wasted Life. Janiak has contribute ...

, American born vocalist of influential punk / metal band Discharge and former vocalist of

Broken Bones A bone fracture (abbreviated FRX or Fx, Fx, or #) is a medical condition in which there is a partial or complete break in the continuity of any bone in the body. In more severe cases, the bone may be broken into several fragments, known as a '' ...

currently resides in Leek.Stone, Drew. "The NYHC Chronicles LIVE! Ep. #58 Jeff "JJ" Janiak (Discharge / Broken Bones / Dead Heros") ''YouTube'', uploaded by stonefilmsnyc, Streamed live on 9 Sept 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oExCPVUjUYk . Acsessed March 26, 2021 James Ford, English musical composer, record producer and musician in the band

Simian Mobile Disco Simian Mobile Disco are an English electronic music duo and production team, formed in 2003 by James Ford and Jas Shaw of the band Simian. Musically, they are known for their analogue production. Ford is also known for his production work. ...

was born in

and grew up in Leek "playing bass and singing in bands by the age of ten." Also, he is currently the producer of the Arctic Monkeys and Depeche Mode. Amongst sports people associated with the town, the best known person is former five-time world professional darts champion

Eric Bristow Eric John Bristow, (25 April 1957 – 5 April 2018), nicknamed "The Crafty Cockney", was an English professional darts player. He was ranked World No. 1 by the World Darts Federation a record five times, in 1980, 1981 and 1983–1985. He was ...

who used to live in the town. Anna Watkins, born in Leek, won a gold medal for rowing in the

2012 Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

. Footballer Arthur Hulme (1877–1916) was born in Leek. Former England test cricketer

Kim Barnett Kim John Barnett (born 17 July 1960) is a former English cricketer. Barnett was a batsman who played internationally for England between 1988 and 1989. He was primarily a batsman, but could also deploy effective leg spin, and topped the Engli ...

was born and lives in Leek. ; and *

Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield, (23 July 1666 – 28 April 1732) was an English Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1705 to 1710. He was Lord Chief Justice from 1710 to 1718 and acted briefly as one of the regents befo ...

, PC, FRS (1666 in Leek – 1732) Whig politician, Lord Chief Justice 1710 to 1718, impeached for corruption 1725, fined and placed in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

* William Benton Clulow (1802 in Leek – 1882)

dissenting minister A dissenter (from the Latin ''dissentire'', "to disagree") is one who dissents (disagrees) in matters of opinion, belief, etc. Usage in Christianity Dissent from the Anglican church In the social and religious history of England and Wales, and ...

, tutor and writer. * Thomas Bullock (1816 in Leek – 1885) Mormon pioneer, emigrated to

Nauvoo, Illinois Nauvoo ( ; from the ) is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States, on the Mississippi River near Fort Madison, Iowa. The population of Nauvoo was 950 at the 2020 census. Nauvoo attracts visitors for its historic importance and its ...

in 1843 * Alice Tredwell (1823 in Leek – 1867) railway contractor and photographer, particularly in India *

William Bromfield William Bromfield (24 January 1868 – 3 June 1950) was an English trade unionist and Labour Party politician from Leek in Staffordshire. He was the town's Member of Parliament (MP) for all but four of the years between 1918 and 1945. Bromfi ...

(1868–1950) trade unionist and Labour Party politician, MP for

Leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus ''Alli ...

1918 / 1931 and 1935 / 1945 * John Platt (1886 in Leek – 1967) painter,

woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that ...

artist and head of Leek School of Art 1910 / 1919 * Sir

Philip Brocklehurst Sir Philip Lee Brocklehurst, 2nd Baronet (7 March 1887 – 28 January 1975) is known particularly as a member of the Nimrod Expedition in Antarctica of 1907–1909, led by Ernest Shackleton. Early life He was born at Swythamley Park, Staffordshir ...

(1887 in Swythamley Park – 1975)

Nimrod Expedition The ''Nimrod'' Expedition of 1907–1909, otherwise known as the British Antarctic Expedition, was the first of three successful expeditions to the Antarctic led by Ernest Shackleton and his second expedition to the Antarctic. Its main target, ...

in Antarctica 1907–1909, led by

Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of ...

* Geoffrey Wedgwood, ARCA, RE (1900 in Leek – 1977) etcher and engraver, best known for his architectural

etchings Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

* Cyril Plant, Baron Plant CBE (1910 in Leek – 1986) trade unionist, general secretary of the

Inland Revenue Staff Federation The Inland Revenue Staff Federation (IRSF) was a trade union in the United Kingdom. History The Union was born in the late 19th century, when a group of tax clerks met together to fight for higher pay, higher status and better conditions. At t ...

* Donald Nicholson (1916 in Leek – 2012) scientist, devised charts of

Biochemical Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology an ...

cycles and Methodist lay preacher *

William Bowyer William Bowyer may refer to: Politicians * William Bowyer (15th century MP), in 1411 MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme * William Bowyer (died 1602), MP for Stafford * William Bowyer (Keeper of the Records), MP for Westminster and Keeper of the Records in ...

RA (1926 in Leek - 2015) portrait and landscape painter, his work is "modern traditional" figurative painting * Basil Hayward (1928 in Leek – 1989) footballer and manager, played in 349 league games for

Port Vale F.C. Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley of ...

, 1946 to 1957 *

Ken Coates Kenneth Sidney Coates (16 September 1930 – 27 June 2010) was a British politician and writer. He chaired the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation and edited ''The Spokesman'', the BRPF magazine launched in March 1970. He was a Labour Party Mem ...

(1930 in Leek – 2010) Labour Party

Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...

, 1989 to 1999 * Roy Fowler (1934 in Leek – 2009) long-distance runner, nicknamed "Red Fox" due to his speed and his red hair * Stuart Sharratt (born 1942 in Leek) former football goalkeeper, 152 appearances for

Tony Lacey Anthony John Lacey (born 18 March 1944) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder for Stoke City, Port Vale, Rochdale, and Stafford Rangers. He made 288 league appearances in a ten-year career in the Football League, and won ...

(born 1944 in Leek) former footballer, made 201 appearances for

Tom Levitt Tom Levitt (born 10 April 1954) was a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for High Peak from the 1997 to 2010 general elections. Early life Born in Crewe in 1954, Levitt was raised in Leek, Staffordshire. He w ...

(born 1954) brought up in Leek, Labour Party politician, MP for High Peak 1997 to 2010 *

Wayne Corden Simon Wayne Corden (1 November 1975) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder. He had a fourteen-year career in the Football League, as well as four years in the Northern Premier League. He began his career with Port Vale in ...

(born 1975 in Leek) former midfield footballer, made 471 pro appearances.

Tourist attractions and leisure

In Leek

Leek's "

Double Sunset A double sunset is a rare astro-geographical phenomenon, in which the sun appears to set twice in the same evening from a specific viewing-point. A double sunrise may also occur in a similar situation. Such phenomena may have been regarded as si ...

" on and around the

summer solstice The summer solstice, also called the estival solstice or midsummer, occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the summer ...

attracts many tourists. This event, first recorded by

Robert Plot Robert Plot (13 December 1640 – 30 April 1696) was an English naturalist, first Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford, and the first keeper of the Ashmolean Museum. Early life and education Born in Borden, Kent to parents Robe ...

, occurs when the sun sets behind the Cloud, subsequently partially reappearing in the hollow of the hill's steep northern side, before setting again. Plot's detailed account can be found in his book ''The Natural History of Staffordshire''. Traditionally, the best location for seeing the double sunset was in the grounds of the parish church, but it is no longer visible from there. Currently, the best locations to witness the spectacle are from Lowe Hill, on the outskirts of the town, and from the private road to Pickwood Hall, off Milltown Way. The phenomenon and its possible observation points are described in detail in

Jeff Kent Jeffrey Franklin Kent (born March 7, 1968) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1992–2008 for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, San Francis ...

's book, ''The Mysterious Double Sunset''. Every year in May, Leek Arts Festival takes place, celebrating the cultural heritage of the town. According to the festival's website, it began as a weekly event but soon expanded to last a whole month. Leek came second in the Telegraph's "High Street of the Year 2013", behind winner

Deal A deal, or deals may refer to: Places United States * Deal, New Jersey, a borough * Deal, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * Deal Lake, New Jersey Elsewhere * Deal Island (Tasmania), Australia * Deal, Kent, a town in England * Deal, ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

Parks and gardens

Parks and open spaces in Leek include Westwood Recreation Ground and Woodcroft Recreation Ground west of the town centre, and Pickwood Recreation Ground to the east. Brough Park lies immediately north of the town centre. There is formal landscaping, paths, a variety of trees and a lake. The park originated in 1913 when W. S. Brough, a local businessman, gave 10½ acres of his Ball Haye Hall estate to Leek Urban District Council (LUDC); a further 8½ acres was given in 1921 by Joseph Tatton, and the park was opened in 1924. There were tennis courts and a bandstand; a bowling green was opened in 1923, and swimming baths were opened in 1975. North of the park is Brough Park Fields Nature Reserve, about of open meadows and young woodland; there are walking trails, with views towards

Birch Gardens, by Buxton Road at the junction with Prince Street, is a public garden in Leek. There are flower beds, grassed areas, pathways and a variety of trees and shrubs. It was created by an arrangement in which Mr Birch, a local businessman, gave land to LUDC in return for drainage facilites being provided for his silk manufacturing business; the gardens were laid out by Birch, and LUDC agreed to maintain the gardens. They were opened in December 1935 by Councillor H. Morton, to mark the silver jubilee of King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...

and Queen Mary. On 8 May 2018 there was a ceremony to dedicate Birch Gardens as a Centenary Field, in memory of those who lost their lives in World War I. It was part of the Centenary Fields programme of

Fields in Trust Fields in Trust, is a British charity set up in 1925 as the National Playing Fields Association (NPFA), by Brigadier-General Reginald Kentish and the Duke of York, later King George VI, who was the first president, which protects parks and green s ...

, to safeguard public spaces. A plaque to mark the occasion was unveiled by Councillor Mike Bowen.

Surrounding area

Nearby

Rudyard Lake Rudyard Lake is a reservoir in Rudyard, Staffordshire, located north-west of the town of Leek, Staffordshire. It was constructed in the late 18th century to feed the Caldon Canal. During the 19th century, it was a popular destination for day ...

is a popular tourist attraction and home to the

Rudyard Lake Steam Railway The Rudyard Lake Steam Railway is a ridable miniature railway and the third railway of any gauge to run along the side of Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire, England. Overview The railway runs for on the track bed of an old standard gauge North St ...

, running along its eastern shores. Other nearby local attractions are the local football club Leek Town F.C.,

Alton Towers Alton Towers Resort ( ) (often referred to as Alton Towers) is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water park, ...

, the cultural and leisure facilities of the city of

, and the

Peak District National Park Peak or The Peak may refer to: Basic meanings Geology * Mountain peak ** Pyramidal peak, a mountaintop that has been sculpted by erosion to form a point Mathematics * Peak hour or rush hour, in traffic congestion * Peak (geometry), an (''n''-3)-di ...

. The

at Cheddleton also attracts several thousand passengers a year, and they are currently working in partnership with Moorlands & City Railways to extend the CVR the 1 mile from its current northern terminus at Leekbrook back into Leek itself along the former North Staffordshire Line. Longer term plans include the development of a North Staffordshire museum alongside the new railway station, and a new canal marina. The surrounding countryside of the

and the

makes the area a popular tourist destination. The town is on a key route north to

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.

via the A53 road. Just outside the town is Peak Wildlife Park, which is renowned for its large collection of birds. Also nearby is

Coombes Valley RSPB reserve Coombes Valley RSPB reserve () is a nature reserve, run by the RSPB, near the town of Leek in Staffordshire, England. It is best known for its breeding woodland birds, including common redstart, wood warbler and pied flycatcher. It is also h ...

, an RSPB reserve since 1963, with walks and trails through a wooded valley. Deep Hayes Country Park, created around a former reservoir, is a short distance south-west on the A53 road.

Transport

Buses

The town of Leek is served by

First Potteries First Potteries is a bus company based in Stoke-on-Trent operating services in North Staffordshire, England. It is a part of First Midlands and a subsidiary of FirstGroup. History The company began life as Potteries Motor Traction. As part ...

. There is a generally hourly service on route 18 to Hanley and 16 on an alternative route via Cellarhead. There are also bus services to the nearby towns of

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.

and

Macclesfield Macclesfield is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Bollin in the east of the county, on the edge of the Cheshire Plain, with Macclesfield Forest to its east ...

Railway

Leek no longer has its own national railway station; the nearest is now at

Congleton Congleton is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The town is by the River Dane, south of Manchester and north of Stoke on Trent. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 26,482. Top ...

, for local stopping services to

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, and

for inter-city services to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and Manchester. The former Leek railway station was opened by the

North Staffordshire Railway The North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire. The company was based i ...

on 13 July 1849, but was finally closed in 1965. The Stoke-Leek line lost its passenger service in 1956, whilst the Northern section of the Churnet Valley Line to Macclesfield was closed in 1960; the Southern section to

Uttoxeter Uttoxeter ( , ) is a market town in the East Staffordshire district in the county of Staffordshire, England. It is near to the Derbyshire county border. It is situated from Burton upon Trent, from Stafford, from Stoke-on-Trent, from De ...

closed in 1965. Leek railway station was completely demolished in 1973 and the site is now occupied by a

supermarket.

Heritage

The Churnet Valley line now operates as a heritage railway and is located to the south of the town; services run between Kingsley & Froghall and

Ipstones Ipstones is a village and civil parish in the north of the English county of Staffordshire. Ipstones is part of the Staffordshire Moorlands district; within the boundaries of the civil parish are the hamlets Foxt, Consall Forge and Bottomhouse. ...

. Another 1 1⁄2-mile (2.4 km) section of the former trackbed is occupied by the

, a 10 1⁄4 in (260 mm) gauge tourist line which runs beside

, to the north-west of Leek.

Future

Plans are afoot to build a new station roughly half a mile south of the original, as part of bigger plans to develop the Barnfield area of Leek as a tourist attraction. The re-introduction of a railway service is being directed under the ''Reconnect Leek'' banner, and forms part of proposals to reopen the Stoke - Leek line, which survived as a goods-only line to serve the former sand quarry at

Oakamoor Oakamoor is a small village in north Staffordshire, England. Although it is now a rural area, it has an industrial past which drew on the natural resources of the Churnet valley. Iron was smelted from medieval times. Copper and lumber were also ...

Sport

The town's first known football club was Leek F.C. It was formed in the late 1870s, and wound up in the 1890s. Leek has four

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

clubs. Leek Town F.C., founded in 1946, are based at

Harrison Park Harrison Park may refer to: * Harrison Park (Leek), a stadium in Leek, Staffordshire * Harrison Park (New Jersey), a former baseball ground in Harrison, New Jersey * Municipality of Harrison Park, a rural municipality in Manitoba * Harrison Park ...

and currently play in the

Northern Premier League Division One South The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...

. They were founder members of the

North West Counties Football League The North West Counties Football League is a football league in the North West of England. Since 2019–20, the league has covered the Isle of Man, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cumbria, northern Staffordshire, northern S ...

in 1982 and in 1997 they were

Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...

champions and gained promotion to the

Football Conference The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...

. Leek CSOB, founded in 1945, groundshare with Leek Town at Harrison Park and play in the North West Counties Football League Division One. They were founder members of the Staffordshire County League in 1984, and were league champions in 1996. Ball Haye Green FC founded in 1880 play in the Staffordshire County Senior League and most recently won the Staffordshire FA Vase in 2017. In 2016, Staffordshire Moorlands FC were set up in the town and began their first season in the league pyramid. Leek

Hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

Club is based on Macclesfield Road at the edge of the town where they have a club house and four grass pitches, although all League matches are played on their own astroturf pitch at Leek High School as well as using synthetic pitches at

Westwood College Westwood College was a private for-profit college owned by Alta Colleges Inc. with 15 campus locations in five states and online learning options. Westwood was nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Scho ...

. Previous players have included Olympic gold medallist

Imran Sherwani Imran Ahmed Khan Sherwani (born 9 April 1962) is a former English international field hockey player. International career Sherwani won gold with the Great Britain squad at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. He played on the left wing, and scor ...

and England and GB international Scott Cordon. Leek Archery Club use the Macclesfield Road site for outdoor shooting as well as a private indoor range in the town centre. Leek & District Gun Club previously hosted monthly Clay Pigeon shoots at Westwood Farm, west of Leek. The club closed on 26th December 2020. Leek

Rugby Union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

FC bears the name of the town but is based in nearby

Cheddleton Cheddleton is an ancient parish and village in the Staffordshire Moorlands, near to the town of Leek, Staffordshire, Leek, England. History The village is divided into two distinct communities – the traditional village and the modern Redrow ...

. There are a number of other clubs in the area including Tennis, Swimming, Bowls and Sailing, the full list is available on th
Leek and District Sports Council
website.

Twin town

Leek is twinned with: *

Este, Italy Este () is a town and ''comune'' of the Province of Padua, in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Euganean Hills. The town is a centre for farming, crafts and industry worthy of note. History Este had given its ...

Schools

* All Saints' Church of England First School *Churnet View Middle School Westwood First School *St Edwards Middle School * Leek High School * Westwood College, Leek, Westwood College * Leek School of Art, part of Buxton & Leek College Leek retains the three-tier schooling system. St. Edwards Academy (previously St. Edwards Middle, then St. Edwards Junior High) has the highest student capacity of any 'middle school' in Staffordshire, at 768 students.https://www.getthedata.com/school/st-edwards-church-of-england-academy-139171 Retrieval Date: 15 July 2021.

Notes and references

{{authority control Leek, Staffordshire, Towns in Staffordshire Towns and villages of the Peak District Staffordshire Moorlands