Stoke St Gregory History Pages
Listed Buildings
There are twenty one listed buildings (or parts of buildings) in the village. Apart from the Parish Church (Grade I) all are listed as Grade II
The stables behind the Baptist Chapel. Built in brick with a double Roman tiled roof. It is a single storey 3-bay shelter with an adjoining tackroom. The stables were for the horses of the parishioners attending the service.
An unidentified monument in the churchyard, about 15 m south of chancel. It is a chest or cyst tomb, possibly 16th Century. It has a flat ham stone top and carved panels, with steeply chamfered cornice. North and south sides both with inset rectangular panels bearing coat of arms, said to be those of the Montague family who owned Slough Farm in the Middle Ages. The cyst is tilted towards the south.
Withy boiler at Lovell's Farm, Dark Lane, dated 1906. Red brick, with the top renewed in concrete at some time. The chimney is set square on at the east end to the rectangular brick casing to the metal container for the boiler. Three square metal covers with handles to the top. The west end centre is excavated opening to a hole flanked by 2 square iron doors. The left hand one has the name of Gibley and Son. A brick in the chimney is inscribed JE 1906. Joseph England lived in a cottage at what is now the entrance to the village hall on Dark Lane. He was our ex-vicar Trishia’s great grandfather, and he built the barn at Stoke House in 1908.
The Baptist church was built in 1895, in a red brick English bond with limestone dressings. The roof is covered with slates from Dinorwic Quarry in Snowdonia, although the architect had specified the higher quality Penrhyn slate. An appropriate sum was deducted from the builder’s final payment. Four square panels at plinth level record the date of building and those present when it was opened. A fifth plaque beside the square headed doorway commemorates the opening of the church. Single storey meeting room at rear. Inside, although the ground floor pews have been removed, there remains the canted continuous gallery with cast iron enriched railings, carried on cast iron columns.
Churley Farmhouse. Originally this could have been a Tudor ‘Hall House’, which was enlarged fairly soon in the 17th Century. The south gable end and south-east part of facade were rebuilt in the late 19th Century, when the bay windows were added. The present building is in red brick, English bond, on a squared and coursed lias plinth. There is a Ham stone ashlar doorcase to the entrance with console brackets and a 6-panel door. There is a collar beam roof, but earlier roof trusses may survive within roof space. A note was made when the building was listed: “A most interesting farmhouse that merits a more detailed survey.” Indeed, and wouldn’t we like to be there when it’s carried out?
Crossways Farmhouse (At the bottom of Griggs Hill). A possible 17th Century 3 -cell Hall House which would have had a cross passage. It was altered and enlarged in the late 18th Century, and again in the early 20th Century. Built of red brick with blue lias plinths of differing heights, it has a roughcast facade. The front roof is thatched and the rear slated. The work on the house being carried out by the present owners will hopefully show more light on the history of the building.
The Stocks in the Churchyard. Every parish was bound to provide a pair of stocks, and the Stoke example was probably resited to the Churchyard when alterations took place in the Square towards the end of the 19th Century. Originally, stocks were not to punish, but to keep possible offenders secure until they could conveniently be taken before a Justice of the Peace. Later statutes gave constables power to use them as a punishment for disorderly conduct, drunkenness, etc., especially when occurring late at night. Although much restored, the wood and iron stocks and bench are to a standard plan with 6 circular openings. It is rare to find the bench surviving with the stocks.
More later . . .