Hanley guidebook

Go to Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent's city centre, on any day of the week and you'll find people, lots and lots of people.  During the day they shop until they drop and after dark they frequent the ever growing number of restaurants, pubs and clubs.

For decades, Hanley has received more investment than any of the other Potteries towns, and it's the place where people from across North Staffordshire come to spend their money.

You'll find all the big high street brands here, including more than 90 under cover in the Potteries Shopping Centre.  Here there is a Debenhams department store, a bustling indoor market and plenty of interesting, independent shops.
 
Hanley has an arts scene to rival the likes of Birmingham and Manchester.

The cultural quarter includes the beautifully restored, art deco Regent Theatre where you can catch big budget touring productions such as 'Cats' and 'Chicago'; don't forget to look up and feast your eyes on the ornate ceiling.

Just around the corner, the Victoria Hall, also recently refurbished, is a renowned concert hall with a programme encompassing classical music, stand-up comedians and popular bands.

So many good quality bars and eateries have opened in this part of town in  recent years that you'll invariably round off an evening at the theatre with a drink in one of the tempting venues afterwards.

You can discover more about Hanley's heritage at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, in Bethesda Street.

Here you'll find the world's greatest collection of Staffordshire ceramics, including Ozzy the owl who was uncovered on The Antiques Roadshow, plus a restored Spitfire.

The Spitfire links back to one of the region's most famous sons, its designer Reginald Mitchell.

Look out, too, for historic buildings such as the Grade II-listed former meat market in Tontine Street, now a bookshop.

And the city's Bethesda Methodist Chapel, Albion Street, is in the midst of a £2.5 million project after being highlighted in the BBC Restoration series as a nationally important building in danger of being lost forever.

Hanley is a green place with lots of parks and open spaces to explore, such as Central Forest Park, which has Europe's largest street-style skate park, and historic Hanley Park.

Property in Hanley

According to the last census there are more terraced homes, almost 48 per cent, than any other type of property in Hanley. Almost 31 per cent of properties are semi-detached, 12.6 per cent are flats and just 8.7 per cent are detached.

Almost 62 per cent of properties are owner-occupied, with 19.7 per cent socially rented.

At the moment, great swathes of Hanley have run-down properties which often sell for a lot less than the average national house price.

But large scale clearances of old housing stock which are to be replaced by expensive new developments means the property market is likely to change dramatically.

Much of the attention is being focused on the 'Waterside', a long-term plan to create a vibrant community alongside the Caldon Canal.

Hanley is following in the urban cool footsteps trod by the likes of Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool; come back in a decade and city centre living won't be the economic choice, it'll be the fashionable choice.

Here is a brief run through what's on offer in the Hanley property market:

  pic: New build, Hanley
Centre: Here you will find row after row of 1930s terraces. Some are beautifully maintained, others are in a poor state of repair.

House prices tend to be quite low, and attract a mix of local homebuyers including FTBs, and investors from outside the area.

There is a strong ethnic minority community, and a number of Staffordshire University students choose to live in rented properties here.

The Waterside: Around 1,600 new homes are to be built alongside the Caldon Canal over the next decade as part of a major redevelopment of the city centre.

The aim is to create high-quality, affordable housing alongside leisure facilities and work spaces for new and existing businesses.

This is likely to attract young urban professionals and investors into the area, but affordability quotas will ensure it also goes some way to meeting the needs of local people.

Parts of the development are already in progress, and future waves will include the conversion of the Emma Bridgewater Pottery into homes.

Hanley Park: Heading out of the centre there is an increasing proportion of three-bedroomed semi-detached and detached properties.

The area immediately around Hanley Park is popular with families and attracts higher prices.

Birches Head and Bucknall: These two residential areas outside the centre have a good choice of traditional semis and are popular with families.

Prices have tended to be higher and the condition of properties often better than other parts of the city centre.

Cliff Vale: A major development of around 150 modern apartments on the banks of the Trent and Mersey Canal is helping to revitalise this area.

The development has included new-builds and the sympathetic conversion of the former Twyfords factory. High affordable homes quotas have ensured many of these properties have been made available to some first-time buyers.

Living Here

Transport:

Trains: Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station is about 10 minutes away by bus and has mainline services.

Buses: Hanley Bus Station has excellent connections out to all of the neighbouring towns.

Road: Good road links include the A500, A53, A52, A50 and M6.

Air: Manchester, Birmingham International, East Midlands and Liverpool John Lennon airports are all within a one hour drive.

Shopping:

Hanley is a great place for shopping, particularly in the Potteries Shopping Centre which features national chains, Debenhams department store, and independent shops.

The indoor market in the basement of the Potteries is open Monday to Saturday and has around 130 stalls with an extensive range of goods.

There is a small outdoor market in Market Square on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and in Fountain Square on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

A large outdoor market and car boot sale is held in Clough Street on Sundays but may be moving to a different location nearby.

It is worth mentioning that Hanley has plenty of parking, and compared to other city centres it is very well priced. Expect to pay in the region of £1 an hour, and some of the city centre's car parks are set to be free in the evenings.

Eating and drinking:

There are lots of restaurants of all nationalities, and cafes, wine bars and nightclubs.

Some venues cater for the student scene, others are more geared towards sophisticated theatregoers.

Sports:

Stoke Skate Plaza, based in Central Forest Park off Chell Street, is Europe's largest street-style skate park.

Nearby Festival Park has a dry ski slope, Waterworld swimming centre and ten-pin bowling.

Leisure and entertainment:

The Regent Theatre, Piccadilly, and Victoria Hall, Bagnall Street, both attract big name stars and travelling productions.

The Mitchell Memorial Theatre, Broad Street, is an amateur performing arts centre.

Airspace, Broad Street, is the city's first contemporary art gallery.

There is an Odeon multiplex cinema at nearby Festival Park, and a small Forum cinema within the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.

Parks and open spaces:

Hanley is well-blessed for greenery, with parks and open spaces including Hanley Park and Central Forest Park.