Leek, Staffordshire

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Leek
Leek town centre
Leek Location within Staffordshire
Population	20,768 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid reference	SJ984565
Civil parish	Leek
District	Staffordshire Moorlands
Shire county	Staffordshire
Region	West Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LEEK
Postcode district	ST13
Dialling code	01538
Police	Staffordshire
Fire	Staffordshire
Ambulance	West Midlands
UK Parliament	Staffordshire Moorlands
List of places UK England Staffordshire 53°06′29″N 2°01′24″W / 53.108°N 2.0234°W / 53.108; -2.0234

Leek is a market town and civil parish in Staffordshire, England, on the River Churnet 10 miles (16 km) north east of Stoke-on-Trent. It is an ancient borough and was granted its royal charter in 1214.

It is the administrative centre for the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. King John granted Ranulph de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester, the right to hold a weekly Wednesday market and an annual seven-day fair in Leek in 1207.

Leek's coat of arms is a saltire shield. On the top is the Stafford knot, either side is the Leek double sunset and below a gold garb. The crest is a mural crown with three mulberry leaves on a mount of heather on top of which a moorcock is resting his claw on a small-weave shuttle. The motto Arte favente nil desperandum translates to: Our skill assisting us, we have no cause for despair.