town and borough (district), administrative and historic county of Staffordshire, west-central England. It borders the city of Stoke-on-Trent and occupies the northwestern corner of Staffordshire. Newcastle-under-Lyme takes its name from the new castle erected about 1145 by Ranulf de Gernons, the earl of Chester, in the proximity of the Lyme Forest. The castle became obsolete in Tudor times. The town received its first royal charter of incorporation in 1173. The borough, which is partly urban or suburban and partly rural, includes the towns of Chesterton, Clayton, Keele, Kidsgrove, Knutton, Silverdale, and Wolstanton. Local industries include brick and tile making, electronics, and engineering. The University College of North Staffordshire (1949) became the University of Keele in 1962. Area 81 square miles (211 square km). Pop. (2001) town, 74,427; borough, 122,040.