About Leek

Leek lies within the Staffordshire Moorlands Parliamentary constituency. The area is administered by the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and Leek Town Council

The North Staffordshire market town of Leek is located some 12 miles north-east of the city of Stoke-on-Trent in the Staffordshire Moorlands, bordering on Derbyshire, Cheshire and the Peak National Park.

It is an area of outstanding beauty with a mixture of rugged crags, meandering river valleys, lakes, woodlands and rolling pasture land. Farming is prevalent within the area, particularly with livestock. The town’s charm and the area’s beauty are the cause of an expanding tourist industry discovering this part of England.

Leek is fiercely proud of its autonomy and boasts a mixture of commerce and light industry providing employment for the 20,000 inhabitants. Historically a mill town, in recent years the dyeing and manufacturing mills have reduced to be replaced by commerce and other light industry. The town is the home of Britannia Building Society, a nationally known company which is the largest employer in the town. It is also the UK head office of the Irish dairy company Kerrygold, another substantial employer, along with Leek United Building Society, and several nationally known textile concerns.

Each Wednesday, and latterly on a Saturday, a market that dates back to King John is held in the town square. The livestock market is held also on Wednesday but now on the outskirts of the town. The shopping areas have a variety of shops catering for every requirement with a healthy balance of independents and nationally known multiples.

The education system gives results higher than the national average. It has First, Middle and High School system, ages of transfer being 9 and 13 years, with both of the two high schools, Westwood and Leek High, running successful 6th Forms. The town also has a vibrant college offering a range of courses both full time and vocational.

Read news about Leek at www.LeekOnline.co.uk