1. The Market Square Stony Stratford was first granted a market byRichard I in 1194. Charles II also granted fourannual fairs in 1662. Hiring Fairs, corn and cattlemarkets were frequently held here. In 1986scenes from the film ‘Withnail and I’ were filmedhere.
Preachers and Prisoners: A magnificent ElmTree once stood in this square. John Wesley, thefounder of the Methodist Church, preachedbeneath it in the 1770s.
The Old Court House: The large brickbuilding in the square was once the Victorianpolice station – possibly erected on the site ofan early lock-up. The Court with the Judge’schambers and even the original cells have nowbeen converted into offices.
2. Church StreetThis attractive row of houses formed the northside of the medieval market place. No 40 (TheSundial House) is a former bakery. The Latininscription on the sundial (dated 1739) translatesas ‘Time and Fire Destroy All Things’. No 36 was,until the 1980’s, part of the former leather worksof Sharp & Woollard, established in 1815 bySamuel Sharpe.
3. The Church of St Mary and St GilesFrom the 15th century, Stony had two churches,in the east St Mary Magdalen, and the medievalchurch of St Giles here in the west, originally inthe Parish of Calverton. The tower which dates from 1487 is the onlypart of the medieval church to have survived therebuilding of the church by Francis Hoirne ofWarwick in 1776. Unusually the nave haswooden pillars supporting a gallery, designed inthe Strawberry Hill Gothic style.
4. The High StreetThis is part of the Roman Watling Street, whichran from London to Chester. During the coachingera (mid 17th to early 19th century) up to 30horse-drawn carriages a day carryingpassengers and mail would stop at one of themany Inns in the town. An ideal ‘service station’for both passengers and horses.
48 High Street, The Shell House: Thisstriking house, with its iron railings and imposingshell canopy, dates from the 17th century. It wasbuilt by the Wilkinson family as the dower housefor Old Wolverton.
5. The Cock and Bull InnsIn 1520 the Cock Inn was bequeathed byThomas Piggott of Beachampton to set up a‘Charitable Trust’ in the town. Profits were tomaintain the bridge and the causeway over theRiver Great Ouse. The Great Fire started at theBull in 1742. Both Inns feature impressive facades (theCock is 18th century and the Bull 19th) andornate brackets which carry their decorativesigns. The saying ‘A Cock and Bull story’originates here.
6. Burgage StripsThe buildings fronting the High Street date fromthe medieval layout of the town. Each property(Burgage) had a frontage on the main street anda long narrow plot extending to a ‘back accesslane’.
7. Signs of the TimesMany of the former Inns now have new uses, butretain marks of their original purpose, such as thelarge archways leading to stables at the rear. On the left, 97 High Street, ‘The Cross Keys’is one of the oldest surviving buildings in thetown. It still bears its old sign, and medievaltimber roof structure, circa 1480; retaining itsoriginal moulded archway. Once the town’s ‘GuildHall’, it later became the first Court Room. In 1697the murderers of Grace Bennet, Lady of theManor of Calverton, were tried here.
8. 107 High StreetDesigned and built in 1892 in his highly individualstyle by local architect Edward Swinfen Harris forhis own use. The inscription over the door NISIDOMINUS is from the first words of Psalm 127 –‘Except the Lord build the house, they labour invain that buildeth it....’
9. St Paul’s CourtThis Victorian building was lavishly constructed,by the Rev W. T. Sankey in 1863 between ‘TheMallets’ and ‘Pudding Bag Lane. It was a privateschool and chapel then for a short time thebuilding was a cigar factory after closing in 1895.It was then purchased by Mr Fegan from Londonto be used as a boy’s orphanage. For over 60years Fegan’s ‘Boys’ went to school there until itclosed in 1962. One of these ‘Boys’ was TomMcClean. His record-breaking feats appear onthe Heritage Board. The school chapel is now arestaurant.
10. Tower of St Mary MagdaleneThis church, built in 1450, was largely destroyedby the Great Fire in 1742. However the tower wassaved and restored by Browne Willis, a localhistorian.
11. ‘Ancell Trust’ Sports GroundOn your left is the town’s own Sports Ground, theland was purchased with funds left by FrederickAncell in 1919.
12. Vicarage RoadThis was the ‘back lane’ on the eastern edge ofthe medieval town. Opposite No 16, look to theright to see the old bus garage and Clarestables at the rear of The Bull Inn. The Victorianvicarage, built in 1861, used to stand oppositethe junction with New Street.
13. New StreetIn 1862-3 the Rev W.T. Sankey re-developed thisroad to create “Ram Alley”, Stony’s equivalent tothe Shambles in York, to connect his newVicarage with the High Street and St GilesChurch. The date can be seen on the rainwaterheads, and in the brickwork of No 2.
14. The Old GeorgeThis is one of the oldest surviving inns in thetown. A former Posting House, it dates back to1609, and has 18th century two storey baywindows. Note the floor level showing how theroad has been built up over time.
15. 26 & 28 High Street. A Royal Kidnap in 1483Formally the Rose and Crown Inn, it was herethe ‘Boy King’, Edward V, was kidnapped byHenry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, andRichard, Duke of Gloucester (later King RichardIII). He was taken to the Tower of London, whereit is believed he and his 10 year old brotherRichard were murdered. In 1674 the remains oftwo children were found when the White Towerwas being renovated. Charles II decreed theirremains should be buried in Westminster Abbey.
16. British School and famous Stream TramIn 1844 the British School opened here for bothgirls and boys who were not permitted to enterthe Church of England schools! It closed in1907, was the Public Hall of the town for anumber of years, and is now a Dance Studio.
In this building was the ticket office for thefamous steam tram. It operated from 1887 untilthe General Strike in 1926 brought its closure.They were the largest tramcars in the world,each carried 100 passengers to the railwayWorks at Wolverton. One has now been restoredto its former glory and can be seen at The MiltonKeynes Museum.
17. Plough InnIn 1867 the Radcliffe Trust donated this land, 36perches (size), to build Wolverton End Schooland School House. This church school for thepoor was financed by Mrs Russell ofBeachampton and designed by local architect ESwinfen Harris. Over 280 pupils attended in theearly 1890s. It became The Plough Inn in 1937.
18. Horsefair GreenThis pleasant green space edged with limetrees, was originally used from 1480s for weeklyhorse fairs, hence its name. The Baptist Chapel,now the ‘Community Church’, was built in 1657.The older houses (late 17th century) are thoseon the north side, formerly the edge of the town.The white building No 35 & Dene Cottage wereonce a ‘Cottage Hospital’. No’s 8 & 9 wereformer Maltings. The ‘Green’ is still used forevents, notably ‘Folk on the Green’ in June, andthe ‘Town Fayre’ in August.
19. Silver StreetFormerly ‘Cow Lane’, it was re-named in 1887 inhonour of Queen Victoria’s Silver Jubilee. Thiswas the medieval ‘back lane’ along the westernedge of the old town. Here, until WWI, you couldsee women and children making lace, animportant cottage industry in the town. Stonyeven had its own pattern, named ‘Butterfly Lace’.
20. Fire Engine HouseThis intriguing little building, (14 Silver Street)was built in 1864 to house Stony Stratford’s fireengine. The horses to pull it were kept in apaddock in Horn Lane. It was staffed byvolunteer firemen from the town until 1958. Walkalong to the Market Square to complete thewalk.
Stony Stratford
H e r i t a g e w a l k s i n a n d a r o u n d M i l t o n K e y n e s
These panels can be downloaded fromthe Discover Milton Keynes website:www.discovermiltonkeynes.co.ukor scan the QR code.
