bet365 Stadium

The bet365 Stadium is Stoke-on-Trent's football ground, home to Stoke City FC since 1997. It's a proper modern arena - 30,000 capacity, red brick construction, the kind of place where you can feel the weight of the club's history mixed with contemporary comfort. If you're a football fan, a matchday here is genuinely worth planning around. The atmosphere on game days is electric, especially when Stoke are playing rivals. Tours are available on non-match days, letting you wander the pitch, see the changing rooms, and stand in the dugout - that sort of thing appeals to kids far more than you'd expect.

Walkers and casual visitors? It's less compelling. You're looking at a stadium car park and surroundings that are functional rather than inspiring. A tour takes about an hour. Families with younger children might find it a bit much unless they're already football-mad.

If you're basing yourself at one of the nearby caravan sites - Luzlow is particularly well-rated, just under five miles away - a matchday visit makes real sense. The stadium's accessible enough from Glamping at Holly Grove Farm or Stone Wall Farm CL for an afternoon fixture. Check the fixture list before you book your holiday though; turning up hoping for a tour on a random Tuesday can mean disappointment. Admission and tour costs aren't fixed, so ring ahead. Stoke-on-Trent has enough pottery museums and canal walks to fill a proper break, but the stadium works best as part of a sporting pilgrimage rather than a standalone attraction.