A Glimpse of Bygone Tunstall
In 1986, Joan Baggaley, who wrote The City of the Six Towns: Stoke-on-Trent and Seven Pillars of Wisdom, visited Tunstall. She had come to see The Coach and Horses, an inn on Oldcourt Street, which overlooked the Chatterley Valley.
On the opposite side of the street, there were houses, bungalows and a school. This side of the street had recently been developed. There were still traces of the terraced houses that had been demolished, along with the cobblestone back entries behind them.
The sun was shining, and Joan looked westward across the valley. In the distance, she saw Bradwell Wood and the hills behind Newcastle.
The inn was open, and Joan was welcomed by the landlady, who took her inside. They went into the lounge, which had been created when two small rooms had been enlarged.
Many years ago, the inn had been a coach house and a resting place for horses. On the north side of the inn, there was a large yard with stables and a hay loft. The stables and the hay loft had been converted into a room where dances and wedding receptions were held. On the east side of the inn was a former school building that was occupied by social services.
North Staffordshire Heritage 