Leekis amarket townandcivil parishinStaffordshire,England, on theRiver Churnet10 miles (16 km) north east ofStoke-on-Trent.It is an ancient borough and was granted itsroyal charterin 1214.

Leek
Leek town centre
Leek is located in Staffordshire
Leek
Leek
Location withinStaffordshire
Population20,768 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceSJ984565
Civil parish
  • Leek
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLEEK
Postcode districtST13
Dialling code01538
PoliceStaffordshire
FireStaffordshire
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Staffordshire
53°06′29″N2°01′24″W/ 53.108°N 2.0234°W/53.108; -2.0234

It is the administrative centre for theStaffordshire MoorlandsDistrict Council.King JohngrantedRanulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester,the right to hold a weekly Wednesday market and an annual seven-day fair in Leek in 1207.

Leek'scoat of armsis asaltireshield. On the top is theStafford knot,either side is the Leekdouble sunsetand below a gold garb. The crest is a mural crown with three mulberry leaves on a mount of heather on top of which amoorcockis resting his claw on a small-weave shuttle. The mottoArte favente nil desperandumtranslates to: Our skill assisting us, we have no cause for despair.

Economy

edit
1793 Leek commercial half-penny token

The town has had a regular cattle market for hundreds of years,[2]reflecting its role as a centre of localfarming.Following theIndustrial Revolutionit was a major producer oftextiles,withsilkworking in particular coming to dominate the industrial landscape.[2]However, this industry has now ceased.

The mills from the town's textile era remain and many have now been converted into housing.[3]

Britannia Building Societyhad its headquarters in the town and was a large local employer.[citation needed]Irishagricultural cooperativeOrnuahas its UK headquarters located in Leek, producing and purchasing butter and cheese and employing over 700 staff.[4]

Geography

edit
The River Churnet

Most of the town is at or above 600 feet (180 m) and is surrounded by the higher countryside of theStaffordshire Moorlandswhich is situated on the southern uplands of thePennines.

Leek is built on the slope and crown of a hill which is situated just a few miles south ofthe Roaches;agritstoneescarpment which rises steeply to 1,657 feet (505 m).

Leek is situated at the foot of thePeak DistrictNational Parkand is therefore sometimes referred to as the Gateway to thePeak District,although the town is more often referred to as the Queen of the Moorlands.

Climate

edit
Climate data forThorncliffe(1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 5.4
(41.7)
6.0
(42.8)
8.3
(46.9)
11.3
(52.3)
14.4
(57.9)
17.1
(62.8)
18.9
(66.0)
18.6
(65.5)
16.0
(60.8)
12.1
(53.8)
8.3
(46.9)
5.8
(42.4)
11.9
(53.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 0.9
(33.6)
0.8
(33.4)
2.0
(35.6)
3.9
(39.0)
6.5
(43.7)
9.3
(48.7)
11.2
(52.2)
11.2
(52.2)
9.3
(48.7)
6.6
(43.9)
3.5
(38.3)
1.5
(34.7)
5.6
(42.1)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 87.5
(3.44)
72.6
(2.86)
66.6
(2.62)
59.7
(2.35)
68.4
(2.69)
76.5
(3.01)
82.5
(3.25)
82.6
(3.25)
81.7
(3.22)
97.5
(3.84)
98.0
(3.86)
101.1
(3.98)
974.7
(38.37)
Average rainy days(≥ 1 mm) 14.8 13.2 12.5 11.5 10.9 12.3 12.6 13.1 12.1 15.0 15.9 15.6 159.4
Source:Met Office[5]

History

edit

Leek (Lee, Leike, Leeke) formed part of the great estates ofÆlfgar, Earl of Mercia;itescheatedtoWilliam the Conquerorwho held it at the time of theDomesday Survey.Later it passed to theearls Palatine of Chester,remaining in their hands until Ralph de Blundevill, earl of Chester, gave it to theabbey of Dieulacresse,which continued to hold it until its dissolution. The same earl in a charter which he gave to the town (temp.John) calls it a borough and grants to his free burgesses various privileges, including freedom from toll throughout Cheshire. These privileges were confirmed by Richard, abbot of Dieulacresse, but the town received no royal charter and failed to establish its burghal position. The Wednesday market which is still held dates from a grant of John to the earl of Chester: in the 17th century it was very considerable. A fair, also granted by John, beginning on the third day before theTranslationofEdward the Confessoris still held. The silk manufacture which can be traced to the latter part of the 17th century is thought to have been aided by the settlement in Leek of someHuguenotsafter the revocation of theEdict of Nantes.In the 17th and 18th centuries the town was famous for itsale.Prince Charles Edward Stuartpassed through Leek on hismarch to Derby (1745)and again on his return journey to Scotland. A story in connexion with the Civil Wars is told to explain the expression "Now thus" occurring on the tombstone of a citizen, who by this meaningless answer to all questions sought escape on the plea of insanity.[6]

Architecture and development

edit

Listed buildings include the original parish church,St Edward the Confessor's,and a Victorian church,All Saints',designed byRichard Norman Shaw. ManyVictorianperiod buildings still stand in the town.

Sugden buildings

edit

Many of Leek's buildings were built by the family architectural practice of the Sugdens. In 1849 William Sugden (b. 1821 inKeighley) came to Leek. He was an architect and his work on the design of the railway stations for theChurnet Valley Railwaybrought him to the area. In the following year William's son, Larner Sugden, was born. After schooling inYorkshire,Larner returned to Leek in 1866 to be apprenticed to his father as an architect, and thus was formed the famous Sugden & Son (Architects), whose influence on the town was to be profound. The firm had offices in Derby Street. The building still survives, the ground floor now being occupied byBoots the Chemist.Larner was a great supporter of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and so Leek's development was in sympathetic hands.

Trinity Church, Leek

The architectural output from Sugden & Son was both prolific and varied. Some of the buildings designed by the Sugdens are as follows:

  • theCongregational Churchwith its 130-foot (40-metre)spire,(now Trinity Church), built in the VictorianGothic Revival style(1863)
  • Myatt's Mill in Earl Street (1864)
  • Mill Street Methodist Chapel and Ragged School (1870)
  • the Cottage Hospital, in memory of silk manufacturer James Allsop (1871)
  • their own houses in Queen Street, complete with monograms for William, Larner and for Larner'sFrenchwife (1877)
  • West Street School (extended in 1881)
  • the District Bank, which exhibits a strong Richard Norman Shaw influence (1882)
  • the Leonard Street Police Station inScottish baronial architecture(1891); this last was probably the last joint venture of the father-and-son team because William Sugden died in 1892
Nicholson Institute

The Sugden masterpiece was, perhaps, the Nicholson Institute, built in theQueen Anne style,in 1882. That this building is tucked away behind the 17th-century 'Greystones' is a further indication of Larner's regard for old buildings. Larner would not countenance demolition of the old building, and so, as the Nicholsons owned the land to the rear, that is where the institute was built. Larner cleverly incorporated the busts of Shakespeare, Newton, Reynolds and Tennyson into the building representing 400 years of artistic and scientific achievement from the 16th to the 19th century and embracing literature, science, art and poetry.

Market Place, Leek

In 1899 came the Technical Schools and the Co-operative Society Hall. Although the original town centre cattle market was demolished and replaced with abus stationandshopping centrein the 1960s, the new cattle market was built on the edge of town adjacent to therailway station.Later, this was one of the stations closed followingDr Beeching's recommendations, and a supermarket now stands on the site.

TheNicholson War Memorialwas dedicated in 1925.[7]

Leek offers some contemporary architecture, most notably the alterations and refurbishment to Trinity Church on Derby Street (2011) and new teaching building on Horton Street for Leek College (2013).

Notable residents

edit
Brindley Water Mill

Leek was the home ofJames Brindley,[8]the 18th centurycanal engineer.He built a water-powered corn mill in 1752. Thiswatermillis now preserved asBrindley Water Mill and Museum.[9]

William Morris,[10]founder of theArts and Crafts movement,often visited Leek between 1875 and 1878. He studied dyeing withThomas Wardle,[11]owner of a dyeworks in the town, and it was Leek which provided his firm with silk. It was through the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, which he founded in 1877, that he came into contact with Larner Sugden, the local architect. Sugden would play a part in establishing a "William Morris Labour Church" in Leek, after Morris' death in 1896. Sugden also published a series called "the Bijou of Leek Freethought Reprints". The 7th volume, published 1884, contained a lecture by Morris, entitledArt and Socialism.[12]

Dame ProfessorAveril Cameron,[13]Professor of Late Antique and Byzantine History in theUniversity of Oxfordand former Warden ofKeble College,grew up in Leek.

Anna Watkins

Dave Hill,[14]vocalist for Englishnew wave of British heavy metalbandDemon,lives in Leek and operates rides at Alton Towers.Jeff Janiak,American born vocalist of influential punk / metal bandDischargeand former vocalist ofBroken Bonesresides in Leek.[15]James Ford,[16]English musical composer, record producer and musician in the bandSimian Mobile Discowas born inStoke-on-Trentand grew up in Leek "playing bass and singing in bands by the age of ten."[17]Also, he has produced the Arctic Monkeys and Depeche Mode.

Amongst sports people associated with the town, the best known person is former five-time world professional darts championEric Bristow[18]who used to live in the town.Anna Watkins,[19]born in Leek, won a gold medal for rowing in the2012 Olympics.FootballerArthur Hulme(1877–1916)[20]was born in Leek. Former England test cricketerKim Barnett[21]was born and lives in Leek.

Other notable residents include:

Tourist attractions and leisure

edit

In Leek

edit

Leek'sdouble sunseton and around thesummer solsticeattracts many tourists. This event, first recorded byRobert Plot,occurs when the sun sets behindthe Cloud,subsequently partially reappearing in the hollow of the hill's steep northern side, before setting again. Plot's detailed account can be found in his bookThe Natural History of Staffordshire.Traditionally, the best location for seeing the double sunset was in the grounds of the parish church, but it is no longer visible from there. Locations to witness the spectacle are from Lowe Hill, on the outskirts of the town, and from the private road to Pickwood Hall, off Milltown Way. The phenomenon and its possible observation points are described in detail inJeff Kent's book,The Mysterious Double Sunset.[38]

Every year in May, Leek Arts Festival takes place, celebrating the cultural heritage of the town. According to the festival's website, it began as a weekly event but soon expanded to last a whole month.

Leek came second in the Telegraph's "High Street of the Year 2013", behind winnerDealinKent.[39]

Parks and gardens

edit
Brough Park

Parks and open spaces in Leek include Westwood Recreation Ground and Woodcroft Recreation Ground west of the town centre, and Pickwood Recreation Ground to the east.[40]

Brough Park lies immediately north of the town centre. There is formal landscaping, paths, a variety of trees and a lake.[41]The park originated in 1913 when W. S. Brough, a local businessman, gave10+12acres of his Ball Haye Hall estate to Leek Urban District Council (LUDC); a further8+12acres was given in 1921 by Joseph Tatton, and the park was opened in 1924. There were tennis courts and a bandstand; a bowling green was opened in 1923, and swimming baths were opened in 1975.[42]

North of the park is Brough Park Fields Nature Reserve, about 2 hectares (5 acres) of open meadows and young woodland; there are walking trails, with views towardsthe Roaches.[43][44]

Birch Gardens

Birch Gardens, by Buxton Road at the junction with Prince Street, is a public garden in Leek. There are flower beds, grassed areas, pathways and a variety of trees and shrubs.[45]It was created by an arrangement in which Mr Birch, a local businessman, gave land to LUDC in return for drainage facilities being provided for his silk manufacturing business; the gardens were laid out by Birch, and LUDC agreed to maintain the gardens. They were opened in December 1935 by Councillor H. Morton, to mark the silver jubilee of KingGeorge VandQueen Mary.[46]

On 8 May 2018, there was a ceremony to dedicate Birch Gardens as a Centenary Field, in memory of those who died inWorld War I.It was part of the Centenary Fields programme ofFields in Trust,to safeguard public spaces. A plaque to mark the occasion was unveiled by Councillor Mike Bowen.[47][48]

Surrounding area

edit
Leek with the Roaches behind

NearbyRudyard Lakeis a popular tourist attraction and home to theRudyard Lake Steam Railway,running along its eastern shores. Other nearby local attractions are the local football clubLeek Town F.C.,Alton Towers,the cultural and leisure facilities of the city ofStoke-on-Trent,and thePeak District National Park.TheChurnet Valley Railwayat Cheddleton also attracts several thousand passengers a year, and they are working in partnership with Moorlands & City Railways to extend the CVR the one mile (1.5 kilometres) from its current northern terminus at Leekbrook back into Leek itself along the former North Staffordshire Line.[49]Longer term plans include the development of a North Staffordshire museum alongside the new railway station, and a new canal marina.

The surrounding countryside of theStaffordshire Moorlandsand thePeak Districtmakes the area a popular tourist destination. The town is on a key route north toBuxtonvia the A53 road. Just outside the town isPeak Wildlife Park,which is renowned for its large collection of birds. Also nearby isCoombes Valley RSPB reserve,anRSPBreserve since 1963, with walks and trails through a wooded valley.[50]Deep Hayes Country Park,created around a former reservoir, is a short distance south-west on the A53 road.

Transport

edit

Buses

edit

The town of Leek is served byFirst Potteries.There is a generally hourly service on route 18 toHanleyand 16 on an alternative route via Cellarhead. There are also bus services to the nearby towns ofBuxtonandMacclesfield.

Railway

edit

Leek no longer has its own national railway station; the nearest is now atCongleton,for local stopping services toManchester,andStoke-on-Trentfor inter-city services toLondonand Manchester.

The formerLeek railway stationwas opened by theNorth Staffordshire Railwayon 13 July 1849, but was finally closed in 1965. TheStoke–Leek linelost its passenger service in 1956, whilst the Northern section of theChurnet Valley lineto Macclesfield was closed in 1960; the Southern section toUttoxeterclosed in 1965. Leek railway station was completely demolished in 1973 and the site is now occupied by aMorrisonssupermarket.

Heritage

edit

The Churnet Valley line now operates as a heritage railway and is located to the south of the town; services run betweenKingsley and FroghallandIpstones.

Another1+12-mile (2.5-kilometre) section of the former trackbed is occupied by theRudyard Lake Steam Railway,a10+14-inch-gauge (260-millimetre) tourist line which runs besideRudyard Lake,to the north-west of Leek.

Future

edit

Plans are afoot to build anew stationroughly12mile (800 metres) south of the original, as part of bigger plans to develop the Barnfield area of Leek as a tourist attraction.[51]The re-introduction of a railway service is being directed under theReconnect Leekbanner,[49]and forms part of proposals to reopen the Stoke–Leek line, which survived as a goods-only line to serve the former sand quarry atOakamoor.

Local media

edit

Local TV coverage is provided byBBC West MidlandsandITV Central.Television signals are received from theSutton Coldfieldand local relay transmitters.[52][53]BBC North WestandITV Granadacan also be received from theWinter HillTV transmitter.[54]

Local radio stations areBBC Radio Stoke,Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire,andMoorlands Radio,a community based radio station which broadcast from the town.[55]

The Sentinelis the town's local newspaper.[56]

Sport

edit
Harrison Park,home of Leek Town F.C.

The town's first known football club wasLeek F.C.It was formed in the late 1870s, and wound up in the 1890s.[57][58]

Leek has fourfootballclubs.Leek Town F.C.,founded in 1946, are based atHarrison Parkand play in theNorthern Premier LeaguePremier Division. They were founder members of theNorth West Counties Football Leaguein 1982 and in 1997 they wereNorthern Premier Leaguechampions and gained promotion to theFootball Conference.Leek CSOB,founded in 1945, groundshare with Leek Town at Harrison Park and play in theNorth West Counties Football League Division One.They were founder members of the Staffordshire County League in 1984, and were league champions in 1996. Ball Haye Green FC founded in 1880 play in theStaffordshire County Senior Leagueand most recently won the Staffordshire FA Vase in 2017.[59]In 2016, Staffordshire Moorlands FC were set up in the town and began their first season in the league pyramid.[60]

LeekHockeyClub is based on Macclesfield Road, where they have a club house and four grass pitches, although league matches are played on their own astroturf pitch atLeek High Schoolas well as atWestwood College.The club competes in theMidlands Hockey League.[61][62]Previous players have included Olympic gold medallistImran Sherwaniand England and GB international Scott Cordon.

LeekCricketClub is also based on Macclesfield Road.[63]

LeekArcheryClub use the Macclesfield Road site for outdoor shooting as well as a private indoor range in the town centre.[64]

Leek & District Gun Club previously hosted monthly Clay Pigeon shoots at Westwood Farm, west of Leek. The club closed on 26 December 2020.[65][66]

Leek RUFCbears the name of the town but is based in nearbyCheddleton.[67]

There are a number of other clubs in the area including Tennis, Swimming, Bowls and Sailing.[68]

Twin town

edit

Leek is twinned with:[69]

Schools

edit

Leek retains the three-tier schooling system.

St. Edwards Academy (previously St. Edwards Middle, then St. Edwards Junior High) has the highest student capacity of any 'middle school' in Staffordshire, at 768 students.[71]

See also

edit

Notes and references

edit
  1. ^"Town population 2011".Retrieved3 December2015.
  2. ^abA. P. Baggs; Cleverdon, M. F.; D. A. Johnson; N. J. Tringham (1996),"Leek: Leek and Lowe",in Currie, C. R. J.; M. W. Greenslade (eds.),A History of the County of Stafford,vol. 7: Leek and the Moorlands, London, pp.84–169,retrieved29 July2010– viaBritish History Online{{citation}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^Burnett, Tom (5 April 2019)."Regeneration of the mills – what does the future hold for town's past?".The Sentinel.Retrieved29 April2020.
  4. ^Ornua Foods UK,ornua, access-date 2024-04-28
  5. ^"Thornecliffe Leek (Staffordshire) UK climate averages - Met Office".Met Office.Retrieved17 July2024.
  6. ^One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Leek".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 370.
  7. ^"The Memorial".Nicholson War Memorial.Archived fromthe originalon 14 March 2012.Retrieved9 February2012.
  8. ^"Brindley, James".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 04 (11th ed.). 1911.
  9. ^Brindley Mill.Retrieval Date: 22 August 2007.
  10. ^"Morris, William".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 18 (11th ed.). 1911.
  11. ^Lee, Sidney,ed. (1912)."Wardle, Thomas".Dictionary of National Biography(2nd supplement).London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  12. ^Art and Socialism:online edition(accessed 2022-05-07). SeeLeek—William Morris Labour Churchin 'British History Online' (accessed 2022-05-07).
  13. ^Averil Cameron (28 October 1994)."Past Masters".The Times.Retrieved18 December2010.
  14. ^Demon discography at Discogsretrieved 6 March 2018
  15. ^Stone, Drew. "The NYHC Chronicles LIVE! Ep. #58 Jeff" JJ "Janiak (Discharge / Broken Bones / Dead Heros" )YouTube,uploaded by stonefilmsnyc, Streamed live on 9 Sept 2020,https:// youtube /watch?v=oExCPVUjUYk.Acsessed March 26, 2021
  16. ^James Ford, Allmusicretrieved 6 March 2018
  17. ^Mixmag Interview 14 May 2012Archived28 December 2013 at theWayback MachineInterview for Mixmag. Retrieval date: 28 December 2013.
  18. ^Eric Bristow's profile and stats on Darts Databaseretrieved 6 March 2018
  19. ^British Rowing, Profileretrieved 6 March 2018
  20. ^Playing record: Arthur Hulme, Swindon-Town-FC.co.ukretrieved 6 March 2018
  21. ^ESPN cricinfo Databaseretrieved 6 March 2018
  22. ^[1]retrieved 25 May 2024
  23. ^AIM25 project, Parker Manuscriptretrieved 6 March 2018
  24. ^Stephen, Leslie,ed. (1887)."Clulow, William Benton".Dictionary of National Biography.Vol. 11. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  25. ^Alice Tredwell's Photographs, VADSretrieved 6 March 2018
  26. ^Hansard 1803–2005 → People (B), Mr William Bromfieldretrieved 6 March 2018
  27. ^Art UK site, 18 Painting(s) by or after John Plattretrieved 6 March 2018
  28. ^Staffordshire:The Great War, Brocklehurst Brothersretrieved 6 March 2018
  29. ^Visualarts, britishcouncil.org, Geoffrey Heath Wedgwoodretrieved 6 March 2018
  30. ^The Guardian, 29 May 2012, Obituaryretrieved 6 March 2018
  31. ^The Guardian, 19 Mar 2015, William Bowyer, Obituaryretrieved 3 March 2018
  32. ^SoccerBase Databaseretrieved 6 March 2018
  33. ^The Guardian, 29 Jun 2010, Obituaryretrieved 6 March 2018
  34. ^IMDb Databaseretrieved 6 March 2018
  35. ^Stats at Neil Brown stat siteretrieved 6 March 2018
  36. ^TheyWorkForYou, Tom Levitt, former MP, High Peakretrieved 6 March 2018
  37. ^SoccerBase Databaseretrieved 6 March 2018
  38. ^The Mysterious Double Sunset,by Jeff Kent,ISBN0-9529152-5-1.
  39. ^The Daily TelegraphTelegraph online article
  40. ^"Parks and open spaces"Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  41. ^"Brough Park, Leek"Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  42. ^A P Baggs, M F Cleverdon, D A Johnson and N J Tringham, 'Leek: Leek and Lowe', inA History of the County of Stafford: Volume 7, Leek and the Moorlands,ed. C R J Currie and M W Greenslade (London, 1996), pp. 84-169.British History Online. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  43. ^"Brough Park Fields"Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  44. ^"Brough Park Fields"Staffordshire Wildlife Trust,Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  45. ^"Birch Gardens, Leek"Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  46. ^Notice board at Birch Gardens. ImageFile:Notice board at Birch Gardens.jpg.
  47. ^"Centenary Field status for Leek park"Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  48. ^"CENTENARY FIELDS: Birch Gardens latest space in Staffordshire protected"Fields In Trust,14 May 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  49. ^ab"Reconnect Leek".Archived fromthe originalon 12 August 2014.Retrieved6 August2014.
  50. ^"Coombes Valley".Retrieved28 December2017.
  51. ^"£21 million plans for housing, a marina and railway station in Leek | Stoke Sentinel".Archived fromthe originalon 2 April 2015.Retrieved27 January2015.
  52. ^"Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitter".UK Free TV.1 May 2004.Retrieved28 September2023.
  53. ^"Freeview Light on the Leek (Staffordshire, England) transmitter".UK Free TV.1 May 2004.Retrieved28 September2023.
  54. ^"Full Freeview on the Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmitter".UK Free TV. May 2004.Retrieved28 September2023.
  55. ^"Moorlands Radio".Retrieved28 September2023.
  56. ^"The Sentinel".British Papers.22 September 2013.Retrieved28 September2023.
  57. ^Leek Town F. C.Wn. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  58. ^LeekFootball Club History database. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  59. ^"BALL HAYE GREEN 3 - V - 0 NEWCASTLE TOWN U21".Staffordshire FA.Retrieved11 April2022.
  60. ^http:// leek-news.co.uk/8203-introducing-staffordshire-moorlands-fc/story-29715156-detail/story.html[permanent dead link]
  61. ^"Leek Hockey Club".Retrieved9 October2024.
  62. ^"England Hockey - Leek Hockey Club".Retrieved9 October2024.
  63. ^"Leek CC".Retrieved9 October2024.
  64. ^"Home Page - Leek Archery Club".leekarcheryclub.co.uk.Retrieved28 December2017.
  65. ^"LGC Facebook Page".Facebook.Retrieved30 May2022.
  66. ^"LGC Home Page".leekgunclub.Retrieved28 December2017.
  67. ^"Leek RUFC".Retrieved9 October2024.
  68. ^Leek and District Sports Council
  69. ^Leek Town Council, Twinningretrieved 19 January 2019
  70. ^All Saints' Church of England First School.Retrieval Date: 22 August 2007.
  71. ^https:// getthedata /school/st-edwards-church-of-england-academy-139171Retrieval Date: 15 July 2021.