Behind the scenes in The Potteries

11/20/2009 9:46:00 AM

Stoke-on-Trent has launched a series of innovative behind-the-scenes tours, which are set to give group visitors to The Potteries an entirely different perspective of the city.

Focusing on some world-class fine china attractions including the award winning Wedgwood Museum, Wedgwood Visitor Centre, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery and Gladstone Pottery Museum the full range of suggested itineraries and tours also feature the hugely popular Trentham, Biddulph Grange and Dorothy Clive gardens.

"We¹ve been working very hard to put together a number of behind the scenes specialist tours, which have both the keen gardener and those interested in history and heritage in mind,² explains Stoke-on-Trent Tourism¹s Samantha Hall.

³And we have now launched a small selection on our website. These provide a taste of what we can do. But if any group organisers or coach operators would like something a little different for their group, all they need do is get in touch and we will help to put together a special bespoke itinerary suitable for their own needs.²

The behind-the-scenes tours will also be a key feature of the new City of Stoke-on-Trent Group Guide, which will be published in January 2010.

Examples of the kind of experience now available to groups in Stoke-on-Trent include a Wedgwood Museum Personal Guidebook Day. Photography is not normally allowed in the Museum - but this tour allows visitors on this group visit to make their own digital guidebook of their favourite objects from the galleries. Costing just £10 per person, the day includes coffee/tea on arrival; introductory talk; personal guidebook workshop; and time in the award-winning Museum.

A Hidden Treasures Tour of The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, meanwhile, includes tea and coffee on arrival followed by a tour behind the scenes with specialist Ceramic curators to view an extensive Ceramic collection not usually on public display.

The World of Biddulph Grange is a special out-of-hours tour with one of the garden¹s knowledgeable guides, who will reveal the history and fascinating story behind the creation of Biddulph Grange with its geographically themed gardens.

And the Behind The Scenes Tour of Trentham will be led by one of the estate¹s experienced garden team, looking in detail at the schemes designed by Tom Stuart Smith & Piet Oudolf, with a chance to view the original plans and planting. The tour will also feature Trentham's growing areas, with a chance to find out about the day to day maintenance of the garden¹s extensive perennial collections.

For full details of the new group tours, log on to www.visitstoke.co.uk/groups <http://www.visitstoke.co.uk/groups> . Or, order copies of the 2010 City of Stoke-on-Trent Group Guide by e-mailing tourism@stoke.gov.uk <mailto:tourism@stoke.gov.uk> . Tel: 01782-232817.

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