The Staffordshire market town of Newcastle-under-Lyme owes its existence and its name to the building of a new castle there in the twelfth century. The town's status grew from the twelfth to the eighteenth centuries, with industries and trades including hat-making, brick manufacturing and engineering. During that period it was referred to as the `Capital of North Staffordshire'. Throughout the last century `progress' has wrought huge changes on the town and few buildings of note remain in comparison with what was standing at the beginning of the 1960s.

In Newcastle-under-Lyme History Tour, author Neil Collingwood guides the reader through the streets of the town to show how it has transformed across the decades. With the help of a handy location map, readers can discover for themselves the changing face of the town and the way of life there.