Crosses, cricket and quiet lanes
Checkley
A small Tean Valley village where early medieval carvings, traditional pubs and an easy-going local rhythm reward a closer look.
- Best for
- Early medieval history and an unhurried village pause
- Give it
- Half a day, or longer with Croxden Abbey
- Don't miss
- The three Anglo-Scandinavian churchyard crosses
The Fox verdict
A quiet village with an exceptional churchyard
Checkley is a compact base for old stonework, village food and low-key local recreation in the River Tean valley.
The church and its three Anglo-Scandinavian crosses provide the strongest reason to stop, while two characterful pubs and the cricket ground make the village useful for a relaxed break. Nearby Croxden Abbey adds a substantial historic outing without turning Checkley into a list of distant attractions.
Where to go
Places in Checkley
Every place below is checked against a published source, listed with what it is and how long to give it.
Local signatures
3 placesSt Mary and All Saints' Church and Churchyard Crosses
A Grade I church with Norman fabric, an ancient carved font and three Anglo-Scandinavian high crosses standing in the churchyard to its south.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 60 minutes
- Locality
- Church Lane, Checkley
The New Broom
A roadside pub and restaurant serving breakfasts and a Sunday carvery, with camping fields and a beer garden with a children's play area.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 90 minutes
- Locality
- Uttoxeter Road, on the village edge
- Access
- The campsite is beside a busy road and road noise can affect stays.
Checkley Cricket Club
The village cricket club at Four Trees provides Checkley's liveliest traditional recreation on a fine weekend when a match is under way.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 60 minutes
- Locality
- Four Trees, Uttoxeter Road
Food & drink
1 placeRed Lion Checkley
A traditional village pub with a real fire, three regular cask ales, a rotating guest ale and a beer garden; dogs are welcome.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 90 minutes
- Locality
- Church Lane, opposite the church
History & heritage
1 placeCroxden Abbey
Ruins of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey, with a 2.5-mile family-friendly field loop to Hollington and a hillier 7.25-mile circuit in the surrounding countryside.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 120 minutes
- Locality
- near Hollington in the Tean valley
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Three ways to explore Checkley
Signature outings
Three Crosses, Two Stories
Study the three Anglo-Scandinavian churchyard crosses, linked by local tradition to three slain bishops and by scholarship to an early preaching site.
The Red Lion's Village Welcome
The pub also has a separate bar, darts and dominoes, and a function room for groups.
Croxden's Abbey Landscape
Look for the road cutting through the former abbey church and walls that survive to a height of 18 metres.
The village story
Checkley's Carved Crosses and Quiet Village Lanes
Three Anglo-Scandinavian churchyard crosses, two village pubs and Checkley Cricket Club give Checkley a compact mix of history and recreation.
Crosses, Carvings and Bells
Three Anglo-Scandinavian stone crosses stand south of St Mary and All Saints' Church. The southern shaft is 1.6 metres high and the central shaft is 1.35 metres high; both carry carved figures and interlace. The northern shaft, at 1.43 metres, has no visible decoration. Local tradition connects the crosses with three bishops killed in a nearby battle. Another interpretation sees the churchyard as an early preaching place.
Inside, the old font bears a worn Lamb and Altar carving that locals say resembles a donkey. The six bells were cast in 1761 and rehung on a new steel frame in 2016. The earlier Elizabethan oak frame remains in the tower.
The Old Road and Village Pub
The village sits in the shallow valley of the River Tean, on what was once the main road between Cheadle and Uttoxeter — traffic ran through until a turnpike was built in 1822, and the A50 bypass in 1985 finished the job of quietening it down.
The Red Lion sits opposite the church on Church Lane, with a real fire near the entrance and a beer garden. It has three regular cask ales and a changing beer, alongside darts, dominoes and a separate bar. The pub won Village Pub of the Year in 2013 and Pub of the Season in autumn 2022.
Food and Village Essentials
The New Broom on Uttoxeter Road was formerly called the Cock Inn and then the New Inn. It has a dining area, camping fields and a beer garden with a children's play area, and serves breakfasts and a Sunday carvery.
Checkley Cricket Club plays at Four Trees on Uttoxeter Road.
Valley Walks and Domesday Roots
For walking, the Tean valley is the obvious start, and a few miles off, the ruined Cistercian abbey at Croxden offers a choice: a 2.5-mile family loop out to Hollington and back, or a hillier 7.25-mile circuit across open farmland.
The Domesday entry calls Checkley Cedla and records a holding associated with Otto, three villagers, land for three and a half ploughs, woodland and two acres of meadow. Its recorded value was five shillings.
Connections Through the Tean Valley
Blythe Bridge is the nearest railway station. A bus route connects Checkley with Hanley and Uttoxeter.
The A522 links Checkley with Upper Tean to the northwest and Fole and Beamhurst to the south.
Stay around Alton Towers
Make a longer stay of it
Travel Fox holiday homes around Alton Towers, linked directly to their property pages.
Checkley
The Old Stables
- Sleeps 4
- 2 bedrooms
Alton
Angel Cottage - 5 mins drive to Alton Towers!
- Sleeps 10
- 4 bedrooms
Alton
Smithy Bank Cottage - with free parking!
- Sleeps 8
- 3 bedrooms
Alton
The Old Post Office: Alton Towers
- Sleeps 8
- 3 bedrooms
Croxden
Zoe's Cottage - 7 mins drive to Alton + Alpacas!
- Sleeps 6
- 2 bedrooms
For homeowners
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A guide with a point of view
Written from research. Edited for real journeys.
Use the Official site links for live practical details, then use this guide for context, ideas and room to explore.
Sources
Every place on this page is checked against a published source. Each entry links the record we used and names who publishes it.
- St Mary and All Saints' Church and Churchyard Crosses — historicengland.org.uk statutory register or public authority record not machine-readable; publisher restricts automated access
- Red Lion Checkley — camra.org.uk operator, sector body or destination organisation
- The New Broom — find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk statutory register or public authority
- Checkley Cricket Club — staffordshireccc.co.uk operator, sector body or destination organisation
- Croxden Abbey — english-heritage.org.uk national body or asset manager