Burton Upon Trent - Geography

Geography

Burton is located approximately 109 miles North West of the capital city London, approximately 24 miles North East of Birmingham, the largest city in the United Kingdom (not including London) and approximately 23 miles East of the county town Stafford. It is situated on the Eastern-most border of the county of Staffordshire with Derbyshire, its suburbs and the course of the River Trent forming part of the county boundary. Burton is closer to Derby (approx. 12 miles) than it is to Stafford. It is also near the south-eastern terminus of the Trent and Mersey Canal. Burton lies within the northern boundary of the National Forest. The town centre is situated on the western bank of the River Trent in a valley bottom; its elevation is on average approximately 50 metres above sea level, although its suburbs of Winshill and Stapenhill are, as their names suggest, much higher, rising to 100m above sea level in Stapenhill and 130m in Winshill.

Burton became a centre for the brewing industry due in part to the quality of the local water, which contains a high proportion of dissolved salts, predominantly caused by the gypsum in the surrounding hills. This allowed a greater proportion of hops, a natural preservative, to be included in the beer, thereby allowing the beer to be shipped further afield. Much of the open land within and around the town is protected from chemical treatment to help preserve this water quality.