The town sits around 5 miles (8 km) west of neighbouring city Stoke-on-Trent and about 10 miles (16 km) north of Stafford.
The town grew up around a 'new' castle which was built in the 12th century, ruins of which still survive, and was named Newcastle-under-Lyme due to it's former proximity to the former Lyme forest.
Like neighboring Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle's economy was based around pottery, and also coal mining, both of which have declined in recent decades.
Newcastle's industries today include: construction materials, apparel, computers, electric motors, and machinery.