Madeley guidebook

Madeley is a village with a dual personality – it's officially in Staffordshire yet it has a Cheshire postcode.

What's more, it's split into three, arguably four, parts: Madeley, Middle Madeley and Little Madeley officially make up the district, but many insist that Madeley Heath is also part of the village.

Madeley Heath is best described as an attractive hamlet, and is the gateway for the three official sections of Madeley, the border being roughly in line with the large bridge which carries the M6 motorway.

Entering Madeley from the east, visitors will see a large modern housing development which was built on the site of the former Madeley College, previously a teacher training centre.

The village's workingmen's club is nearby and there is a busy parade of shops, including a newsagent and off-licence, with a convenient parking area outside.

There are three landmarks at the heart of the village: a large pool which once served Madeley Mill; the Offley Arms pub and restaurant, opposite the pool; and the historic All Saints Church.

Records show a place of worship on the site as early as the 10th century and there is evidence of remains here dating from 1170. Much of the current building dates from major restoration in 1872.

Madeley's village hall offers a lively programme of events including indoor bowling, a mother and toddler club, a flower club and a Darby and Joan club. The building itself is a bit dated, however, and residents are campaigning to have it replaced with more modern facilities.

Further evidence of the strong community spirit here are the thriving Neighbourhood Watch scheme and the Community First Responders first aid group.

There are three schools in the village: Meadows Primary, Sir John Offley Primary and Madeley High, which serves both Madeley and the surrounding area. The village is also very close to Keele University, and is home to many staff and lecturers.

Madeley stretches along the A525 as far as the West Coast Main Line railway, which roughly forms the village boundary.

Neighbouring Villages

The parish of Madeley also contains the small villages of Leycett to the east and Onneley to the west.

Leycett is a former mining area near Silverdale with an attractive cricket ground at its centre. Many locals will know the village for the household waste site on Leycett Lane which serves Newcastle borough.

Onneley is in between Madeley and Woore on the A525, and is close to the Staffordshire border with Shropshire.  Like Leycett, Onneley is dominated by its sporting facilities, with a cricket ground at the heart of the village and a golf course.

Madeley is part of the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, and is around five miles from the attractive market town of Newcastle with its many facilities.

It's closer still to the pleasant Cheshire villages of Betley and Wrinehill, along with Woore in Shropshire.

Property Market in Madeley

The Newcastle Borough Council ward of Madeley has a population of nearly 4,400 people living in 1,800 households.

Unemployment is lower than the national average and the number of people owning their home is high.

Madeley Heath and Little Madeley are fairly rural in character and have many good-sized older properties. The former Madeley College teacher training site has been developed as a modern family estate.

The centre of Madeley includes a former Newcastle Borough Council housing estate. Many homes have been bought by their former tenants and others were transferred by the council to Newcastle-based Aspire Housing, which is now responsible for around 200 homes in the village.

There is also an attractive courtyard style development utilising old farm buildings close to the parish church, and the former Madeley Mill has been converted into attractive apartments.

Madeley is an ideal destination for people seeking employment in Crewe, Newcastle, or nearby Keele University and Science Park.

Living Here

Transport:

Trains: The West Coast Main Line runs through the village but there has been no railway station at Madeley for many years.

However, both Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe rail stations are easily reachable and provide direct links to London and Manchester, as well as cross country trains to other destinations such as Chester and Liverpool (from Crewe) and Derby (from Stoke).

Buses: D & G Coach and Bus Services provide a regular service, 85A, linking Madeley with Crewe and Newcastle.

The service also travels through the villages of Weston, Balterley Heath, Betley and Wrinehill in Cheshire.

After stopping at Madeley and Madeley Heath, it continues on to Newcastle bus station through the village of Keele and the areas of Westlands, Poolfields and Thistleberry on the outskirts of Newcastle.

First Bus runs service 51 between Newcastle and Woore which stops at Madeley, as well as Knutton, Silverdale, Scot Hay, Leycett, Keele and Onneley.

Roads: Madeley is five miles from Newcastle town centre which has good links to the M6 via the A34.

The village also has good road links with Crewe and Nantwich.

Air: Manchester, Liverpool John Lennon and East Midlands airports are all within a 90-minute drive. Manchester Airport can be accessed via train from Crewe.

Eating and drinking:

Many pubs serve food including the Offley Arms and the Wheatsheaf in Onneley, which is licensed for weddings.

Madeley is a short drive from the towns of Newcastle, Crewe, Nantwich and the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and there are pubs with restaurants in nearby Betley and Woore.

Sports: 

Madeley Pool is popular with anglers.

Local amateur football clubs include Madeley White Star for boys and Madeley Swans for girls.

Onneley and Leycett have clubs playing in the local cricket leagues.

Onneley has a golf club, and there is a pay-and-play course at nearby Keele.

Newcastle Borough Council provides gyms at Knutton, Kidsgrove and Newcastle, and swimming baths at Newcastle, Chesterton and Kidsgrove.

Excellent sports facilities are available to hire at Keele University.

The Stoke Potters speedway team is based at Loomer Road Stadium, Chesterton.

Leisure and Entertainment (Newcastle borough):

Madeley's workingmen's club and village hall have regular entertainment.

Many well known pop and rock bands play gigs at Keele University.

Excellent facilities in Newcastle borough include the New Victoria Theatre - a unique theatre in the round - at Basford, and a town centre multi-screen cinema.

Venues in nearby Stoke-on-Trent include The Regent, one of the country's finest regional theatres, and the Victoria Hall.

The Lyceum Theatre, Crewe, is also easily reachable for Madeley residents, and the Limelight, also in Crewe, is a well known live music venue.

Nantwich offers a pleasant rural shopping experience during the day and lively nightlife.

Festival Park, close to Stoke-on-Trent city centre, has a multiplex cinema, bowling alley, dry ski slope - featuring a rollercoaster toboggan ride - and Waterworld, the country's most popular indoor water park.

The busy tourist attractions of Bridgemere Garden World and Stapeley Water Gardens are nearby.

Parks and open spaces:

Local people use the attractive Manor Road playing fields for organised and informal sports and games.

There are also play facilities at College Gardens.