Stories of Kidsgrove’s coal mining and canal-building days still live on in its landscapes and landmarks.
The headless ghost, the Boggart, is supposed to haunt Harecastle Tunnel in the town. She was a poor woman murdered on a narrowboat, and apparently her shrieks ring through the neighbouring woods still.
The canals often run red at Kidsgrove... but it's not blood. It's the iron ore from years of mining that colours the water.
Kidsgrove’s town centre is compact, friendly, and full of character. Discover cosy cafés, friendly florists, family-run bakeries, and everything in between. If you love to shop local and support small businesses, you’ll feel right at home here.
Food and drink options in Kidsgrove are warm and generous. Whether you’re after a full English breakfast, a warm scone with jam, or a glass of cider, there are welcoming cafés, eateries, and traditional pubs.
You’re close to everything the countryside offers in Kidsgrove. Take the Kidsgrove to Mow Cop Trail, a scenic route up to Mow Cop Castle, a dramatic hilltop folly with panoramic views stretching across Staffordshire and Cheshire. Ideal for walkers, photographers, and daydreamers alike. Or why not stride out along the Gritstone Trail, a more challenging route which starts at Kidsgrove station and stretches 34 miles to Disley in Cheshire. It’s called the Gritstone Trail because of the local rock type which is 300 million years old millstone grit.
Reginald Mitchell, inventor of the Spitfire, was born in Kidsgrove, with a plaque commemorating his birth at Congleton Road, Butt Lane. He remains regarded as a local hero to this day
