Skip to content
Stoke Poges Parish Council

Heritage and history

Over 1000 years of village life


Stoke Poges is a semi-rural Buckinghamshire village, located in the south of the county, about three miles north of Slough and one mile east of Farnham Common.

The village name 'Stoke' is one of the most common in the United Kingdom and means 'hamlet'. In the Domesday Book of 1086 the village was recorded as Stoche. The affix 'Poges' came later, and refers to the family that owned the manor in the village in the Thirteenth century.

The manor in Stoke Poges was once a very grand place, and Queen Elizabeth I was entertained here in 1601 by Sir Edward Coke. He was the 1st Lord Chief Justice of England and considered by many, even to this day, to be the greatest jurist in the Commonwealth.

In 1647, the Manor House was the place where King Charles I was imprisoned before his execution.

Later, in 1760, the Manor House was bought by Thomas Penn, son of William Penn (who founded Pennsylvania in the uSA) and remained in his family for at least two generations.

Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard is believed to have been written in the churchyard of the St Giles' Church in Stoke Poges, although there are other local claimants. Certainly, the poet frequently visited close family members in Stoke Poges and is buried at St Giles'. Stoke Poges is also mentioned in 20th century literature, in the book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, where it is the location of a frequently visited golf course.

In the late 20th century, scenes for the James Bond film 'Goldfinger' featuring a golf match played between the principal characters, James Bond and Auric Goldfinger, were filmed at Stoke Park. It has also been the setting for scenes from the films Layer Cake, Wimbledon, Bridget Jones' Diary and the Netflix series 'The Crown'.

The Parish of Stoke Poges used to be much larger with land going south to the A4 Bath Road, now in Slough. This land included Baylis House and estate which was the home of the Dukes of Leeds. An island of land forming the Ditton Park estate (between Langley and Datchet) was also in the parish. Ditton Park was the home of the Dukes of Montagu.


Heritage

A portrait of Thomas Gray, painted by by John Giles Eccardt

Thomas Gray

Romantic poet with a close association to Stoke Poges

Find out more
The monument to Sir Edward Coke at Stoke Park

Sir Edward Coke

First Lord Chief Justice of England who lived in the Manor House

Find out more
A wooden signpost, carved with the letters HW

Heritage Walk

Stunning views of great historical interest

Find out more

Historic buildings

Exterior of The Red Lion pub, a brick building covered in wisteria

Public houses

The historical hostelries of Stoke Poges

Find out more
St Giles' Church, with gravestones in the foreground

St Giles' Church

Parish church dating from Saxon times

Find out more
Sefton Park, with a fountain in the foreground

Sefton Park

Country seat and polio vaccine laboratory

Find out more
Exterior of Stoke Court, a stone building with tall chimneys

Stoke Court

From simple cottage to magnificent mansion

Find out more
Stoke Park and its domed observatory, with a golf course in the foreground

Stoke Park

Georgian mansion set in historic parkland

Find out more
A large lawn in front of Stoke Place, surrounded by trees

Stoke Place

Home of a royal cook from the 17th Century

Find out more
The Clock House, a long, red brick building with many windows, covered in climbing plants and with a large clock at one end

The Clock House

Former alms house, now a private residence

Find out more
The Manor House with its tall chimneys, lawn, topiary and sculptures

The Manor House

Grade I listed manor house with a rich history

Find out more
Uplands, a brick built building with white columns framing the front door

Uplands

Picturesque former lace factory and workhouse

Find out more
The First School on School Lane, a brick building with arched windows

Village schools

Educational establishments since the 1750s

Find out more

With thanks to Harvey Whittam, Chairman of The Stoke Poges Society, for reviewing and updating these pages and providing some of the photos.