RENTHAM has a split personality. Much of it lies in the Potteries, but its borders with the more rural boroughs of Stafford and Newcastle give the area a feel of the countryside.

It's an ideal location for the commuter looking for a pleasant home in easy reach of the motorway network or the city of Stoke-on-Trent.

The town of Stoke, which is known as the administrative centre of Stoke-on-Trent, is just over a mile away, while the commercial centre, Hanley, is just a little further down the A500.

Home owners looking to commute further afield will appreciate the close proximity of the M6, and Trentham is also within easy reach of the A50, which provides a link to the East Midlands and the M1.

But Trentham is much more than a commuter suburb.

Pubs in the area include the oddly named Man In Space and the Trentham Hotel, which has rooms to let and is also a Toby Carvery.

The Poachers Cottage, meanwhile, is being turned into a Harvester Pub And Grill, and Trentham Rugby Club also has a bar and is home to many social events.

Community facilities include a library, run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in Trentley Road, and St Mary And All Saints Church, in Park Drive. Trentham Methodist Church is situated on Barlaston Old Road.

There is a high school, Trentham High, in Allerton Road, and two primary schools, Ash Green, off Brough Lane, and Priory C Of E, in Jubilee Road.

St Teresa's Catholic Primary, in nearby Trent Vale, is also popular with parents in Trentham, as is St Joseph's College, a Catholic high school, also in Trent Vale.

Standing on the edge of Trentham, close to the A34, is the Trentham Estate.

This was the home of the Dukes of Sutherland and is now a major draw for both tourists and shoppers.

The Trentham Estate features a spectacular Italian-style garden and the ruins of Trentham Hall.

The leisure park offers a shopping village that is home to a large garden centre, art and craft shops, and restaurants.

And another attraction is the Monkey Forest, where visitors can walk among a colony of 140 Barbary macaques.