The town was created in 1910 from six North Staffordshire pottery towns, each retaining its own town centre and identity. From north to south these were: Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke-upon-Trent, Fenton and Longton. John Wesley first visited Burslem in 1760; his last visit to the area was in March 1790. In 1933, following Methodist Union, there were 87 Methodist chapels within the city in 12 circuits. In 1999 there were 39 chapels in 7 circuits.

In 2013 the Methodist Book Centre was named as the Independent Large Retail Store of the Year, an award sponsored by the publishers IVP.

Entry written by: JHA
Category: Place
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