Keele and the local area
Keele is in North Staffordshire halfway between Manchester and Birmingham. The University is on a hill overlooking the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme (two miles from Keele) with Stoke-on-Trent (and its main shopping area, Hanley) just a couple of miles further.
Keele’s central location means it is easy to get anywhere in the country, with the M6 and rail links close at hand. Manchester and Birmingham are each an hour’s drive away, while London is less than two hours by train.
Newcastle-under-Lyme is the nearest town to the University campus, approximately a ten-minute bus ride away. It is a traditional market town which is now a blend of smaller shops, supermarkets, a leisure centre/swimming pool, the New Vic Theatre, a multi-screen cinema, Laser Quest, restaurants, pubs and clubs.
All the major high street names can be found at the Potteries Shopping Centre in Stoke-on-Trent City Centre (Hanley), along with a multi-screen cinema and a range of restaurants. The City Centre also has a great range of restaurants and bars, and is just a couple of miles from Newcastle.
Within the surrounding area of Stoke-on-Trent, you will also find the Regent Theatre, Repertory Theatre and Victoria Hall. Our local football teams are Stoke City and Port Vale.
Festival Park is the major retail entertainment centre which includes a range of shops, Water World swimming centre, a multi-screen cinema, a dry ski slope, ten pin bowling, and a snooker hall.
Other major local attractions include Alton Towers, the Derbyshire Peak District, Cannock Chase, Churnet Valley Railway, and Trentham Estate and Gardens. There are also some National Trust and English Heritage sites and, of course, several potteries associated with the traditional industries of Stoke-on-Trent. Other attractions include Uttoxeter Racecourse, Burton-on-Trent Breweries, Tamworth SnowDome, Crewe Lyceum Theatre, and Rudyard Lake.
Depending on where you are living, you may want to look at your local Council's webpages to keep up to date on what is happening in your local community, leisure information and information on sports and culture as well as useful phone numbers.
At Keele we have a sports centre on campus offering gym facilities and a range of fitness classes, indoor and outdoor sports.