A Town Called Burton is a local community website with something for everyone, find out what's on, visit local attractions and meet people from Burton either for fun or for business.

On the site you will find a local business directory, if you would like to add your business to this directory please email us for more information - the local business directory for the local community.

To find out whats on, what local attractions there are to visit or even meet local people, take a look at our pages.  We offer the opportunity to book hotels (both local and further afield) and we are always looking to improve the site so please let us know if there is anything you wish to see on this - your local community website - a towncalled Burton

Burton upon Trent (population approximately 60,000), the largest town in the National Forest, is located in the English Midlands approximately 125 miles northwest of London.  Surrounded by the beautiful, picturesque countryside of Staffordshire, Burton upon Trent is the economic, commercial and administrative heart of East Staffordshire.

The town's history began in the 7th Century, with Saint Modwen's construction of a church on a small island in the Trent River, and written records date back to the founding of the Benedictine Abbey in 1004.  In the following centuries, the growth of the town was associated with its role as a local market town, and with the existence of the Abbey.  However, it was the discovery by the monks, of the special qualities of the local well water for brewing, that established Burtons' worldwide reputation and provided for the continued prosperity of the town.  Inns were built near the Abbey to accomodate travellers, and most innkeepers began brewing their own ale.  When the River Trent was made navigable from the sea, as far as Burton, new markets opened for the high quality ales produced locally.  Soon, Burton brewers were exporting their product across the continent and around the world.  By 1880 more than 40 breweries were located in Burton, including such famous names as Bass and Marstons.

While justifiably proud of its heritage, brewing no longer dominates the local economy as it once did.  Today, Burton has a thriving and diverse economic base that includes automobile assembly, mechanical engineering service, and the production of rubber and plastic goods.  The 1989 arrival of a £1,000,000,000 Toyota assembly plant at Burnaston, just 4 miles away from the town, has attracted such related business as Johnson Controls (seat manufacturers), Automotive Logistics Ltd (automotive components), and Daifuku Europe Ltd (robotics).  Best Foods Ltd, the makers of Bovril and Marmite are also located in Burton, and nearly Uttoexeter is home to major employers JCB (excavators) and Northern Foods (biscuits).

Arts and Leisure activities abound in Burton upon Trent.  The Brew-house Arts Centre offers a varied line-up of entertainment throughout the year, including theatre shows, live music, dance events and exhibitions.  Burton Town Hall provides an elegant gothic setting for a wide range of concerts, shows and feature events and is home to a mighty "Wurlitzer" Organ.  Annual events include a rowing regatta on the River Trent and a ten-day Burton Festival featuring the Burton Beer Festical and the World Barrel Rolling Championships.

Meadowside Leisure Centre and Shobnall Leisure Complex offers a wide range of recreational activities to visitor and resident alike.  Burton is renowned for its beautiful landscapes including Stapenhill Gardens and its floral displays and the more informal Trent Washlands, rich in wildlife and delightful views.  The River Trent and the Trent and Mersey Canal wind their way throught the town.  Nearby Branston Water Park provides 40 acres of wetlands, meadows and woods with hiking trails, picnic tables and play areas for the entire family.

For the shopper, Burton upon Trent offers a number of major shopping facilities, containing many of the country's leading retailers and a good mix of speciality shops, and a colourful open air market held in the heart of the town Thursday through Saturday.  As one would expect from a town with a thousand year history, sightseeing opportunities in and around Burton are almost too numerous to mention.  Located in Burton upon Trent is Saint Modwen's Church, acknowledge to be one of the finest examples of Palladian Gothic Architecture in the world, and parts of the 14th century Abbey Infirmary incorporated into the nearby Abbey Inn.  "The Queens" (18th Centruy) stands on the site of a much older "The Three Queens", a posting house and inn licensed in 1531 and reputedly visited by Mary Queen of Scots.  Burton is also home to the Coors Museum of Brewing with its Shire Horse Stables.

Just a few miles from Burton is the historic village of Tutbury, with its medieval fortress, Tudor, Georgian and Regency homes and a Parish Church which stands on the site of an 11th century monastery.  The friendly market town if Uttoexeter is also located in East Staffordshire and is famous for its popular National Hunt Steeplechase course where each spring the Midlands Grand National is run.  In nearly every direction it seems, beautiful vistas, historic sites and unforgettable experiences await those who take the time to explore the Staffordshire countryside.

Additional information on Burton upon Trent is available by telephoning the East Stafforshire Borough Council Economic Development Service (tel: 44 (0)1283 508000) or the Tourist Information Centre (tel: 44 (0)1283 516609

Special thanks to the Borough of East Staffordshire for sharing their photographs with us.