Meir

Situated to the west of Longton, Meir was originally a small rural community, part of the larger parish of Caverswall. It is now a busy town in the City of Stoke on Trent, known to those who live there as “the Meir”. 

Meir was the site of the City of Stoke on Trent’s aerodrome, opened in 1935. This provided the facility for internal flights to Birmingham and London and to Manchester, Liverpool, Belfast and Glasgow. In 1937 a Royal Air Force Flying School was also housed at the aerodrome. The airfield saw extensive development during the Second World War when a new aircraft factory was built adjacent to the airfield. This was known as a ‘shadow’ factory and the production of the Bristol Blenheim was transferred here from Speke. Following the end of the war, the factory’s production was changed to refrigerators and colliery equipment. The aerodrome continued to be used by local businesses and for gliding for some time but was eventually closed in the 1970s. 

Since the introduction of the new Meir tunnel and the increased traffic the town has seen significant changes, from the loss of all public houses to the demise of the high street. The community however continues to move forward and the volunteers of Meir Matters bring many great activities, events and welcomed changes to improve the lives of residents in a highly deprived area.