Talk Pits is a former mining village located off the A34 Newcastle Road near the junction with the A500 in Stoke-on-Trent, close to the Cheshire border and the village of Talke.
The village is surrounded by farm land, it has a number of small businesses, and an industrial estate on the edge of the village. A post office, convenience shops, hair dressers, cafe, funeral directors, clinic and village hall are located on High Street.
Talke Pits is also home to the Affinity Shopping Outlet (formerly known as Freeport), where there are 40 famous name stores selling a range of men's, women's and children's fashions, footwear, gifts, homeware and accessories all at amazingly low prices. (
visit link) (
visit link)
Parrots Drumble, a nature reserve with carpets of bluebells in the spring, is located just a short walk from the shopping outlet and centre of the village.
This is a small reserve covering about 12.00 hectares with a circular trail. The name derives from the previous owner – Richard Parrott who owned the land in the 1700’s and ‘drumble’ which is a local term for a stream running through a wooded valley.
It is one of the the Trust’s finest ancient woodland nature reserves. Ancient woodland is an area that has been continuously covered by trees since the 1600’s. Trees in the reserve include oak, ash, hazel, birch, rowan, willow and alder. (
visit link)
Arbour Farm, located on the edge of the village, has a popular farm shop and also sells a variety of plants, hanging baskets and compost.
Opening Times.
Monday - Saturday: 9am - 6pm
Sunday : 10am - 4pm
History
'Windy Arbour farm is still to be found in its original location although the building is not original. According to Parrot in 1733, the scenic walk to one side of the farm used to be the main Tunstall post road, which was two carts wide and so busy that it hollowed out with banks rising on either side and had to be turnpiked. It ran from what is now Tollgate Close up towards Red Street and beyond. At its end is the remains of the railway bridge, owned by Ralph Sneyd in the 1860s, which carried coal from the collieries up to Chatterley Valley. It was also likely to be a Roman road originally, as names that have arbour in tend to have Roman origins.' (
visit link)