Croxden Abbey

Croxden is a village in the county of Staffordshire, England, south of Alton and north of Uttoxeter. The population of the civil parish as taken at the 2011 census was 255. The village is the site of Croxden Abbey, founded in 1176 by the Cistercians, but now ruined. It is privately owned and in the care of English Heritage. The manor was formerly in the ownership of the Earl of Macclesfield.

Hollington is a village in the Staffordshire Moorlands in English county of Staffordshire. There are several villages of this same name, and there is a Hollington, Derbyshire a few miles to the east in Derbyshire. The population taken at the 2011 census was 212.The village has a church and two pubs, The Star and The Raddle. There is a village hall. There used to be a village shop, but this closed in 1992. The nearest town to Hollington is the market town of Uttoxeter just under five miles to the south east, or Cheadle to the north west. The village is situated on the south eastern corner of high ground, with a ridge extending to the south and deep valleys to the north, and enjoys beautiful views. The hamlet of Great Gate lies a mile to the north east. It is close to Croxden Abbey, Rocester and Alton Towers. An ancient Roman road runs through the village, from through Rocester and Derby (Roman Derventio) in the east, the Derbyshire section being called Long Lane, and onwards to the north west through the village of Upper Tean. The quarries at Hollington produce the notable pink-red and white "Hollington stone" (a type of sandstone) which has been used for centuries in the construction of churches and stately homes. It was used for the construction of the new Coventry Cathedral in the 1950s.

Bradley in the Moors is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Alton, in the Staffordshire Moorlands district, in the county of Staffordshire, England. It is situated between the villages of Gallows Green and Great Gate and consists of no more than eight cottages as well as two farms and a small B&B cottage. In 1931 the parish had a population of 77. On 1 April 1934 the parish was abolished and merged with Alton, part also went to Croxden.Musician Pete McArdle was born on a farm in Bradley in the Moors, before moving to Birkenhead.

Farley is a hamlet and civil parish in the Staffordshire Moorlands district, in the English county of Staffordshire. It is near to the villages of Alton and Oakamoor. Alton Towers theme park is within the parish boundary. To the west of the hamlet stands the privately owned 17th century Farley Hall, which has been both a youth hostel and the residence of Anthony Bamford, Managing Director of JCB.

Alton (UK: OL-tən) is a village in Staffordshire, England. It is noted for the theme park Alton Towers, built around the site of Alton Mansion, which was owned by the Earls of Shrewsbury, and designed by Augustus Pugin. In the 1914 map by Whiston, there were copper works in the village.The village is on the eastern side of the Churnet. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book, and contains numerous buildings of architectural interest; the Round-House, Alton Castle (now a Catholic youth retreat centre), St Peter's Church, The Malt House, St John's Church and Alton Towers.Alton was served by the Alton railway station which was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway on 13 July 1849 and closed in January 1965.The Chained Oak in Alton has been made famous by the ride Hex – The Legend of the Towers at Alton Towers and the legend involving the Earl of Shrewsbury.

John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, 16th Earl of Waterford (18 March 1791 – 9 November 1852) was a British peer and aristocrat. Sometimes known as "Good Earl John", he has been described as "the most prominent British Catholic of his day", although he was the last Earl of Shrewsbury to follow the Catholic faith. John was also Lord High Steward of Ireland, an office the Earls of Shrewsbury have held since 1446.

Alton railway station is a former railway station in Staffordshire. Opened in 1849 by the North Staffordshire Railway and called Alton, the station was part of the Churnet Valley line and served the village of Alton and the country estate at Alton Towers. In 1954, the station was renamed Alton Towers. After being closed in 1965, the station site was purchased by Staffordshire County Council in 1969 to curtail persistent vandalism of the station building, and in 1979 was sold to the Landmark Trust, who renamed the site to Alton Station and converted the former station buildings into holiday accommodation.

Alton Castle is a Gothic-revival castle, on a hill above the Churnet Valley, in the village of Alton, Staffordshire, England. The site has been fortified in wood since Saxon times, with a stone castle dating from the 12th century. The current castle was constructed in the mid-19th century by John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, of nearby Alton Towers. Since 1967 the castle has been designated a Grade I listed building. It is also a scheduled monument.

Twirling Toadstool (previously known as Wave Swinger and Ug Swinger) was a ride at the British theme park Alton Towers. The ride was made up of 48 hanging seats suspended by chains. When the ride began, the chairs were lifted several metres off the ground, then they began to rotate. Once the chairs had been lifted to a certain height, and were rotating fast enough, the chairs were banked as the ride tilted. The ride did not reopen for the 2017 season and was advertised as being closed for refurbishment. However, this never happened and the ride remained in its location and deteriorated over the next 2 years. As of February 2019, it was removed from Alton Towers website confirming it will not return.

Beamhurst is a village in Staffordshire, England. For population details taken at the 2011 census see Croxden.

The Chained Oak is an oak tree, tied in chains, near to the village of Alton, Staffordshire, England. The tree, referred to as "The Old Oak", is the subject of a local legend involving the Earl of Shrewsbury and an old beggar woman. It is located on a public footpath to the left of the Chained Oak B&B. The legend was adapted and fancifully elaborated to form the back-story for the ride Hex – the Legend of the Towers at the nearby Alton Towers theme park. The ride tells the tale of the old oak tree.

The Cuckoo Cars Driving School (originally opened as Peugeot 207 Driving School) is a ride at Alton Towers for young children. It is styled as a mock driving institution where young children learn how to drive small cars. Riders are allowed to drive around a miniature course, where they are overseen by marshals. The track is mainly built and themed around the area, Cloud Cuckoo Land. It is decorated with colourful statues and quirky scenery.