The re-use of the farm buildings began in 1985 and continues to this day. Working with sympathetic architects and builders, the Heart of the Country Shopping Village has grown from a single farm & craft shop to twelve stores and two award-winning restaurants, including courtyards and gardens.

In 1991, the Village was awarded the Arthur Brown Trophy, given in recognition of projects that have made a significant contribution to the preservation of Staffordshire’s built heritage. In 1995, the Village won a ‘Country Landowners Association Farm Buildings’ award; this award recognizes projects that play an important role in developing rural economy and reflect a high quality in design and workmanship.

In this age when High Streets all over the country tend to look and feel exactly the same; be it shops, eating places or car parks with high fees; Heart of the Country Shopping Village provides a welcome alternative and in a way, a step back in time. Individual shops and distinctive restaurants, free parking, a safe, attractive and vehicle-free environment are the backdrop to a relaxed experience for our visitors.

The Village strives to maintain the rural feel, and the buildings are unmistakably a former farmstead. The Village is particularly proud of the biodiversity in and around the buildings, quite apart from the adjoining woodland and hedgerows. There are 10 species of birds, including goldfinches and pied wagtails nesting in and on the buildings, and a colony of 40-50 bats breeding in one of the roofs. With the planned Farm Shop and Microbrewery, we feel we will complete the village scene and provide a cause to linger and savour for every visitor.

Frequently Asked Questions- Useful answers to questions regularly asked by new visitors