Our local guide to Stonehouse
Take a walk through the bustling town of Stonehouse, with its many shops, restaurants and cafes, and you’ll find it hard to believe that the town was once noted in the Domesday Book simply because it had two water mills and a vineyard!
Today, we think it is a great place to live, with a wide range of housing, a railway with a direct service to London, primary and secondary schools and a location just 2.5 miles from the M5 motorway.
With a population of just over 8,000, Stonehouse has all the facilities one would expect of a small town, including a doctor’s surgery, a Co-op, several pubs and a long High Street filled with independent shops.
But in keeping with the rest of Stroud district area, you are, of course, never far from stunning scenery. The town sits on the doorstep of some gorgeous countryside …. Yomp up Doverow Hill for some of the best views in the area or enjoy the peaceful setting of the Stroudwater Canal, which runs quietly through Stonehouse.
In fact those in search of the picturesque will find one of the most photographed scenes in the whole Cotswolds at Stonehouse – the lovely church of St Cyr’s, which sits peacefully overlooking the area of water known as The Ocean, near the charming listed Nutshell Bridge and house. The church is also next to the beautiful old
Stonehouse Court Hotel, which was originally a Medieval manor house – the fact it was built of stone rather than the usual wattle and daub actually gave rise to the town’s name would you believe!?
The manor has a thrilling history and has been at the centre of much intrigue over the years. In 1327, one of the manor’s masters fled abroad after being implicated in the murder of Edward II at nearby Berkeley Castle. He later found favour with Edward III and the Stonehouse manor was restored to him for ‘a rose per annum’. The rose was a symbol of loyalty to the Crown – and this may have been the origin of the modern day emblem of Stonehouse, the Tudor rose. Who knew?
Also did you know that bits of Stonehouse have ended up all over the world? The town was once an important centre for brick-making – and bricks made in Stonehouse have been used as far away as Cape Town, Gibraltar and Buenos Aires.
Today, Stonehouse is still an important centre for industry and has a number of business and industrial parks, with the largest of these in Oldends Lane – home to the Muller factory and other large companies (it’s where your favourite yogurt is probably made!).
The town has seen large scale building to the west with the creation of a major new housing estate and school at Great Oldbury, near the motorway. Permission has also been granted for a new football stadium for Forest Green Rovers.
However, despite all this growth, we can testify that Stonehouse has remained a friendly little town – with a big heart and a proud community spirit.
Factfile
- Shopping and Eating: The town has a good range of shops, pubs, cafes, restaurants and takeways, as well as a Co-op supermarket.
- Facilities: a railway link to London, doctors’ and dentists’ surgeries, a library, three public recreation grounds; close to the M5 motorway.
- Schools: two primary schools, Maidenhill. comprehensive (secondary) and Wycliffe College (independent).
- Churches: the town has churches of several different denominations.
Local tips...
“The fish and chip shops and takeways are great in Stonehouse – I love the Tudor Tandoori for an Indian takeway with a twist, thanks to the tikka king burger!”