134-399: Stoke Poges ( / ˈ s t oʊ k ˈ p oʊ dʒ ɪ z / ) is a village and civil parish in south-east Buckinghamshire , England. It is centred 3 miles (4.8 km) north-north-east of Slough , its post town , and 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of Farnham Common . In the name Stoke Poges, stoke means " stockaded (place)" that is staked with more than just boundary-marking stakes. In
268-513: A London borough . (Since the new county was beforehand a mixture of metropolitan boroughs , municipal boroughs and urban districts, no extant parish councils were abolished.) In 1974, the Local Government Act 1972 retained rural parishes, but abolished most urban parishes, as well as the urban districts and boroughs which had administered them. Provision was made for smaller urban districts and boroughs to become successor parishes , with
402-616: A Special Area of Conservation and is included, at Grade I, on Historic England 's Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England . It was created by Charles I in 1634 as a deer park and now has 630 red and fallow deer that roam freely through much of the park. The park has a number of traffic and pedestrian gates leading to the surrounding areas of Sheen , Roehampton , Putney , Kingston and Ham . The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, with Richmond North and Richmond South as two of its wards , has
536-515: A Special Expense, to residents of the unparished area to fund those activities. If the district council does not opt to make a Special Expenses charge, there is an element of double taxation of residents of parished areas, because services provided to residents of the unparished area are funded by council tax paid by residents of the whole district, rather than only by residents of the unparished area. Parish councils comprise volunteer councillors who are elected to serve for four years. Decisions of
670-576: A boundary coterminous with an existing urban district or borough or, if divided by a new district boundary, as much as was comprised in a single district. There were 300 such successor parishes established. In urban areas that were considered too large to be single parishes, the parishes were simply abolished, and they became unparished areas . The distinction between types of parish was no longer made; whether parishes continued by virtue of being retained rural parishes or were created as successor parishes, they were all simply termed parishes. The 1972 act allowed
804-422: A city council (though most cities are not parishes but principal areas, or in England specifically metropolitan boroughs or non-metropolitan districts ). The chairman of a town council will have the title "town mayor" and that of a parish council which is a city will usually have the title of mayor . When a city or town has been abolished as a borough, and it is considered desirable to maintain continuity of
938-456: A city council. According to the Department for Communities and Local Government , in England in 2011 there were 9,946 parishes. Since 1997 around 100 new civil parishes have been created, in some cases by splitting existing civil parishes, but mostly by creating new ones from unparished areas. Parish or town councils have very few statutory duties (things they are required to do by law) but have
1072-548: A city was Hereford , whose city council was merged in 1998 to form a unitary Herefordshire . The area of the city of Hereford remained unparished until 2000 when a parish council was created for the city. As another example, the charter trustees for the City of Bath make up the majority of the councillors on Bath and North East Somerset Council. Civil parishes cover 35% of England's population, with one in Greater London and few in
1206-481: A civil parish which has no parish council, the parish meeting may levy a council tax precept for expenditure relating to specific functions, powers and rights which have been conferred on it by legislation. In places where there is no civil parish ( unparished areas ), the administration of the activities normally undertaken by the parish becomes the responsibility of the district or borough council. The district council may make an additional council tax charge, known as
1340-457: A converted primary school. The 172-seat theatre was built specifically as a theatre in the round . Exclusively presenting its own productions, it has acquired a national reputation for the quality of its work for staging new plays, and for discovering undeservedly forgotten old plays and neglected classics. The town has two cinemas, the arthouse Curzon in Water Lane and an Odeon cinema with
1474-805: A cricket club in the early 20th century, playing home matches in Farnham Royal. Darts: In 2023 darts teams from the Village Centre and the Rose and Crown public house in Stoke Poges, compete in the Chalfont and District Darts League. Football: Stoke Poges Football Club plays on the Bells Hill recreation ground. Golf: Stoke Park golf course was designed by Harry Colt for Nicholas Lane Jackson who founded it in 1908 as part of England's first golf and country club. It
SECTION 10
#17328478097311608-414: A fair amount of vehicle parking for both residents and visitors. The south corner leads into the main shopping area of the town; at the west corner is the old gatehouse which leads through to other remaining buildings of the palace; at the north corner is pedestrian access to Old Deer Park (plus vehicle access for municipal use). The park is a 360-acre (1.5 km ) Crown Estate landscape extending from
1742-518: A monument which is a Grade II* listed building . It bears lines from the Elegy. The monument stands adjacent to St Giles' church and owned by the National Trust . A lychgate which is now located in the middle of the churchyard was designed by John Oldrid Scott and completed in 1887. In 2022 it became a national heritage asset being Listed Grade II. A gothic style rectory having a battlemented parapet
1876-539: A new borough, the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Richmond sits opposite East Twickenham on what is technically the south bank of the River Thames , but because of the bends of the river, the town is immediately north and north-east of its nearest stretch of river. The Thames curves around the town, and then Kew, in its course; starting from Petersham , it returns to a more direct west–east direction. The river
2010-517: A new code. In either case the code must comply with the Nolan Principles of Public Life . A parish can be granted city status by the Crown . As of 2020 , eight parishes in England have city status, each having a long-established Anglican cathedral: Chichester , Ely , Hereford , Lichfield , Ripon , Salisbury , Truro and Wells . The council of an ungrouped parish may pass a resolution giving
2144-431: A new smaller manor, there was a means of making a chapel which, if generating or endowed with enough funds, would generally justify foundation of a parish, with its own parish priest (and in latter centuries vestry ). This consistency was a result of canon law which prized the status quo in issues between local churches and so made boundary changes and sub-division difficult. The consistency of these boundaries until
2278-679: A parish (a "detached part") was in a different county . In other cases, counties surrounded a whole parish meaning it was in an unconnected, "alien" county. These anomalies resulted in a highly localised difference in applicable representatives on the national level , justices of the peace , sheriffs, bailiffs with inconvenience to the inhabitants. If a parish was split then churchwardens, highway wardens and constables would also spend more time or money travelling large distances. Some parishes straddled two or more counties, such as Todmorden in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Richmond, London Richmond
2412-416: A parish council, and instead will only have a parish meeting : an example of direct democracy . Alternatively several small parishes can be grouped together and share a common parish council, or even a common parish meeting. A parish council may decide to call itself a town council, village council, community council, neighbourhood council, or if the parish has city status, the parish council may call itself
2546-431: A population in excess of 100,000 . This scope is similar to that of municipalities in continental Europe, such as the communes of France . However, unlike their continental European counterparts, parish councils are not principal authorities , and in most cases have a relatively minor role in local government. As of September 2023 , there are 10,464 parishes in England, and in 2020 they covered approximately 40% of
2680-525: A population of 4,839. The ethnicity was 93.3% white, 1.3% mixed race, 4.8% Asian, 0.3% black and 0.3% other. The place of birth of residents was 88.1% United Kingdom, 1.6% Republic of Ireland, 2.5% other Western European countries, and 7.8% elsewhere. Religion was recorded as 76.5% Christian, 0.2% Buddhist, 0.7% Hindu, 2.7% Sikh, 0.5% Jewish, and 1.1% Muslim. 10.6% were recorded as having no religion, 0.2% had an alternative religion and 7.6% did not state their religion. The economic activity of residents aged 16–74
2814-503: A population of between 100 and 300 could request their county council to establish a parish council. Provision was also made for a grouped parish council to be established covering two or more rural parishes. In such groups, each parish retained its own parish meeting which could vote to leave the group, but otherwise the grouped parish council acted across the combined area of the parishes included. Urban civil parishes were not given their own parish councils, but were directly administered by
SECTION 20
#17328478097312948-488: A positive contribution to Richmond. It also organises meetings on topics of local interest and a programme of guided walks and visits, and publishes a quarterly newsletter. Anita Anand , Professor Ian Bruce , John, Lord Lee of Trafford , Sir Trevor McDonald , Ronny, Baroness van Dedem and Lord Watson of Richmond are the Society's patrons. With a third of the borough being green and open space, Richmond has much to offer in
3082-1079: A range of discretionary powers which they may exercise voluntarily. These powers have been defined by various pieces of legislation. The role they play can vary significantly depending on the size, resources and ability of the council, but their activities can include any of the following: Parish councils have powers to provide and manage various local facilities; these can include allotments , cemeteries, parks, playgrounds, playing fields and village greens , village halls or community centres , bus shelters, street lighting, roadside verges, car parks, footpaths, litter bins and war memorials. Larger parish councils may also be involved in running markets , public toilets and public clocks, museums and leisure centres . Parish councils may spend money on various things they deem to be beneficial to their communities, such as providing grants to local community groups or local projects, or fund things such as public events, crime prevention measures, community transport schemes, traffic calming or tourism promotion. Parish councils have
3216-409: A role in the planning system; they have a statutory right to be consulted on any planning applications in their areas. They may also produce a neighbourhood plan to influence local development. The Localism Act 2011 allowed eligible parish councils to be granted a " general power of competence " which allows them within certain limits the freedom to do anything an individual can do provided it
3350-492: A school trip. Their bereaved parents were angered by Buckinghamshire County Council 's offer of £3500 compensation per child. A Sikh faith secondary school called Pioneer Secondary Academy opened in 2022. On the site had been Khalsa Secondary Academy which had been rated 'Inadequate ' by Ofsted in 2019 and subsequently closed. Larchmoor School in Gerrards Cross Road was a major school in England for deaf children which
3484-589: A set number of guardians for each parish, hence a final purpose of urban civil parishes. With the abolition of the Poor Law system in 1930, urban parishes became a geographical division only with no administrative power; that was exercised at the urban district or borough council level. In 1965 civil parishes in London were formally abolished when Greater London was created, as the legislative framework for Greater London did not make provision for any local government body below
3618-938: A small village or town ward to a large tract of mostly uninhabited moorland in the Cheviots, Pennines or Dartmoor. The two largest as at December 2023 are Stanhope (County Durham) at 98.6 square miles (255 km ), and Dartmoor Forest (Devon) at 79.07 square miles (204.8 km ). The two smallest are parcels of shared rural land: Lands Common to Axminster and Kilmington (Devon) at 0.012 square miles (0.031 km ; 3.1 ha; 7.7 acres), and Lands Common to Brancepeth and Brandon and Byshottles (County Durham) at 0.0165 square miles (0.043 km ; 4.3 ha; 10.6 acres). The next two smallest are parishes in built up areas: Chester Castle (Cheshire) at 0.0168 square miles (0.044 km ; 4.4 ha; 10.8 acres) (no recorded population) and Hamilton Lea (Leicestershire) at 0.07 square miles (0.18 km ; 18 ha; 45 acres) (1,021 residents at
3752-514: A spur to the creation of new parishes in some larger towns which were previously unparished, in order to retain a local tier of government; examples include Shrewsbury (2009), Salisbury (2009), Crewe (2013) and Weymouth (2019). In 2003 seven new parish councils were set up for Burton upon Trent , and in 2001 the Milton Keynes urban area became entirely parished, with ten new parishes being created. Parishes can also be abolished where there
3886-534: A time. She died at Oxford in 1645 at the court of King Charles I . Charles I himself was imprisoned at Stoke Poges Manor in 1647 before his execution . Later the manor came into the possession of Thomas Penn , a son of William Penn who founded Pennsylvania and was its first proprietor. Thomas Penn held three-fourths of the proprietorship. The manor property remained in his family for at least two generations, as his son John Penn "of Stoke" also lived there. Thomas Gray 's 1750 poem "A Long Story" describes
4020-514: A total of seven screens in two locations, the foyer of one having the accolade of being the only high street building visible from Richmond Bridge, and the second set being situated nearby in Red Lion Street. The Odeon on Hill Street, built in 1930, is in Art Deco style and is Grade II listed. Numerous public houses and bars scattered throughout Richmond's town centre, and along the river and up
4154-416: Is a civic society and conservation group which was founded in 1957 by a group of local residents, originally to fight against the proposal to install modern lamp posts around Richmond Green. It acts as a pressure group concerned with preserving Richmond's natural and built environment, monitoring and influencing development proposals and presenting annual awards for buildings and other schemes which make
Stoke Poges - Misplaced Pages Continue
4288-534: Is a Christmas and New Year pantomime tradition and many of Britain's greatest music hall and pantomime performers have appeared here. Close to Richmond railway station is the Orange Tree Theatre which was founded in 1971 in a room above the Orange Tree pub . As audience numbers increased, there was pressure to find a more accommodating space and, in 1991, the company moved to its current premises within
4422-439: Is a town in south-west London, 8.2 miles (13.2 km) west-southwest of Charing Cross . It stands on the River Thames , and features many parks and open spaces , including Richmond Park , and many protected conservation areas , which include much of Richmond Hill . A specific Act of Parliament protects the scenic view of the River Thames from Richmond. Richmond was founded following King Henry VII 's building in
4556-507: Is at present the only part of England where civil parishes cannot be created. If enough electors in the area of a proposed new parish (ranging from 50% in an area with less than 500 electors to 10% in one with more than 2,500) sign a petition demanding its creation, then the local district council or unitary authority must consider the proposal. Since the beginning of the 21st century, numerous parish councils have been created, including some relatively large urban ones. The main driver has been
4690-539: Is evidence that this is in response to "justified, clear and sustained local support" from the area's inhabitants. Examples are Birtley , which was abolished in 2006, and Southsea , abolished in 2010. Every civil parish has a parish meeting, which all the electors of the parish are entitled to attend. Generally a meeting is held once a year. A civil parish may have a parish council which exercises various local responsibilities prescribed by statute. Parishes with fewer than 200 electors are usually deemed too small to have
4824-411: Is in a Grade II listed building dating from about 1760. The Richmond Local History Society explores the local history of Richmond, Kew, Petersham and Ham. It organises a programme of talks on history topics and visits to buildings of historical interest. The Society publishes a newsletter three times a year, an indexed journal ( Richmond History ) and other publications. The Richmond Society
4958-501: Is near Stoke Poges. Thomas Gray 's " Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard " is believed to have been written in the churchyard of Saint Giles . The church is a Grade I listed building . Other churches have claimed the honour, including St Laurence's Church, Upton-cum-Chalvey and St Mary's in Everdon , Northamptonshire. Gray is buried in a tomb with his mother and aunt in the churchyard. John Penn commissioned James Wyatt to design
5092-405: Is not prohibited by other legislation, as opposed to being limited to the powers explicitly granted to them by law. To be eligible for this, a parish council must meet certain conditions such as having a clerk with suitable qualifications. Parish councils receive funding by levying a " precept " on the council tax paid by the residents of the parish (or parishes) served by the parish council. In
5226-657: Is now known, however, that an earlier match between Kent and Surrey took place in Dartford in 1709. To the west of the Green is Old Palace Lane , running gently down to the river. One of the oldest roads in Richmond, it was originally a route from the river, where goods were loaded and unloaded by crane, to the "tradesmen's entrance" to Richmond Palace. Adjoining to the left is the renowned terrace of well-preserved three-storey houses known as Maids of Honour Row. These were built in 1724 for
5360-565: Is set back off the road, lined with benches, allowing pedestrians an uninterrupted view across the Thames valley with visitors' information boards describing points of interest. Sloping down to the River Thames are the Terrace Gardens that were laid out in the 1880s and were extended to the river some 40 years later. A commanding feature on the hill is the former Royal Star and Garter Home ; in
5494-400: Is still tidal at Richmond, so, to allow major passenger and goods traffic to continue to operate during low tide, a half-tide lock was opened in 1894 and is used when the adjacent weir is in position. This weir ensures that there is always a minimum depth of water of 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) toward the middle of the river between Richmond and Teddington , whatever the state of the tide. Above
Stoke Poges - Misplaced Pages Continue
5628-453: Is the highest point within the park. From the mound there is a protected view, established in 1710, of St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London over 10 miles (16 km) to the east. At various times the mound's name has been connected with Henry VIII or with his father Henry VII. However, there is no evidence to support the legend that Henry VIII stood on the mound to watch for the sign from St Paul's that Anne Boleyn had been executed at
5762-504: The 'Standards Board regime' with local monitoring by district, unitary or equivalent authorities. Under new regulations which came into effect in 2012 all parish councils in England are required to adopt a code of conduct with which parish councillors must comply, and to promote and maintain high standards. A new criminal offence of failing to comply with statutory requirements was introduced. More than one 'model code' has been published, and councils are free to modify an existing code or adopt
5896-563: The Domesday Book of 1086, the village was recorded as Stoche . William Fitz-Ansculf , who held the manor in 1086 (in the grounds of which the Norman parish church was built), later became known as William Stoches or William of Stoke. Amicia of Stoke, heiress to the manor, married Robert Pogeys, Knight of the Shire 200 years later, and the village eventually became known as Stoke Poges. Robert Poges
6030-1010: The Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) to become the smallest geographical area for local government in rural areas. The act abolished the civil (non-ecclesiastical) duties of vestries . Parishes which straddled county boundaries or sanitary districts had to be split so that the part in each urban or rural sanitary district became a separate parish (see List of county exclaves in England and Wales 1844–1974 ). The sanitary districts were then reconstituted as urban districts and rural districts , with parishes that fell within urban districts classed as urban parishes, and parishes that fell within rural districts were classed as rural parishes. The 1894 act established elected civil parish councils as to all rural parishes with more than 300 electors, and established annual parish meetings in all rural parishes. Civil parishes were grouped to form either rural or urban districts which are thereafter classified as either type. The parish meetings for parishes with
6164-534: The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames . As of 2011 it had a population of 21,469 (in the North Richmond and South Richmond wards). It has a significant commercial and retail centre with a developed day and evening economy. The name "Richmond upon Thames" often refers, incorrectly, to the town of Richmond: in fact (unlike the case of nearby Kingston upon Thames ), the suffixed form should properly apply only to
6298-513: The Old Ship and the Britannia . Many of the major restaurant chains can be found within 500 metres of Richmond Bridge. There are also plenty of privately owned restaurants with culinary offerings from around the world, including French, German, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Thai. The Bingham Riverhouse hotel was awarded its first Michelin star in 2010. Overlooking the Thames, it
6432-494: The Richmond Gate entrance to Richmond Park . The park is a national nature reserve , a Site of Special Scientific Interest , and a Special Area of Conservation . The largest of London's Royal Parks , it was created by Charles I in 1634 as a deer park and now has over 600 red and fallow deer . Richmond Gate remains open to traffic between dawn and dusk. King Henry's Mound , a Grade II listed Neolithic burial barrow ,
6566-480: The Tower and that he was then free to marry Jane Seymour . King Henry's Mound is in the grounds of Pembroke Lodge , which is Grade II listed. In 1847 this house became the home of the then Prime Minister , Lord John Russell , who conducted much government business there and entertained Queen Victoria , foreign royalty, aristocrats, writers ( Dickens , Thackeray , Longfellow , Tennyson ) and other notable people of
6700-531: The Yorkshire Dales . Apart from the great rugby stadium at Twickenham and the aircraft landing and taking off from Heathrow , the scene has changed little in two hundred years. The view from Richmond Hill now forms part of the Thames Landscape Strategy which aims to protect and enhance this section of the river corridor into London. A broad, gravelled walk runs along the crest of the hill and
6834-472: The break with Rome , parishes managed ecclesiastical matters, while the manor was the principal unit of local administration and justice. Later, the church replaced the manor court as the rural administrative centre, and levied a local tax on produce known as a tithe . In the medieval period, responsibilities such as relief of the poor passed increasingly from the lord of the manor to the parish's rector , who in practice would delegate tasks among his vestry or
SECTION 50
#17328478097316968-588: The lord of the manor , but not all were willing and able to provide, so residents would be expected to attend the church of the nearest manor with a church. Later, the churches and priests became to a greater extent the responsibility of the Catholic Church thus this was formalised; the grouping of manors into one parish was recorded, as was a manor-parish existing in its own right. Boundaries changed little, and for centuries after 1180 'froze', despite changes to manors' extents. However, by subinfeudation , making
7102-542: The maids of honour (trusted royal wardrobe servants) of Queen Caroline , the queen consort of George II . As a child, the Victorian explorer Richard Burton lived at No. 2. Today the northern, western and southern sides of the Green are residential while the eastern side, linking with George Street, is largely retail and commercial. Public buildings line the eastern side of the Little Green and pubs and cafés cluster in
7236-403: The monarch ). A civil parish may be equally known as and confirmed as a town, village, neighbourhood or community by resolution of its parish council, a right not conferred on other units of English local government. The governing body of a civil parish is usually an elected parish council (which can decide to call itself a town, village, community or neighbourhood council, or a city council if
7370-463: The (often well-endowed) monasteries. After the dissolution of the monasteries , the power to levy a rate to fund relief of the poor was conferred on the parish authorities by the Poor Relief Act 1601 . Both before and after this optional social change, local (vestry-administered) charities are well-documented. The parish authorities were known as vestries and consisted of all the ratepayers of
7504-407: The 16th century of Richmond Palace (so-named in 1501), from which the town derives its name. (The palace's manor itself took its name from King Henry's earldom of Richmond, North Yorkshire , the original Richmond.) The town and palace became particularly associated with Queen Elizabeth I ( r. 1558–1603 ), who spent her last days there. During the 18th century, Richmond Bridge connected
7638-403: The 19th century and are now entirely separate. Civil parishes in their modern form came into being through the Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73), which established elected parish councils to take on the secular functions of the parish vestry . A civil parish can range in size from a sparsely populated rural area with fewer than a hundred inhabitants, to a large town with
7772-564: The 19th century is useful to historians, and is also of cultural significance in terms of shaping local identities; reinforced by the use of grouped parish boundaries, often, by successive local authority areas; and in a very rough, operations-geared way by most postcode districts. There was (and is) wide disparity in parish size. Writtle , Essex traditionally measures 13,568 acres (21 sq mi) – two parishes neighbouring are Shellow Bowells at 469 acres (0.7 sq mi), and Chignall Smealy at 476 acres (0.7 sq mi) Until
7906-489: The 2010s it was sold for development and converted into residential apartments. During World War I an old hotel on this site, the Star and Garter , which had been a popular place of entertainment in the 18th and 19th centuries but had closed in 1906, was taken over and used as a military hospital . After the war it was replaced by a new building providing accommodation and nursing facilities for 180 seriously injured servicemen. This
8040-584: The 2011 census, Newland with Woodhouse Moor and Beaumont Chase reported inhabitants, and there were no new deserted parishes recorded. Nearly all instances of detached parts of civil parishes (areas not contiguous with the main part of the parish) and of those straddling counties have been ended. 14 examples remain in England as at 2022, including Barnby Moor and Wallingwells , both in Nottinghamshire. Direct predecessors of civil parishes are most often known as "ancient parishes", although many date only from
8174-505: The 2021 census). The 2001 census recorded several parishes with no inhabitants. These were Chester Castle (in the middle of Chester city centre), Newland with Woodhouse Moor , Beaumont Chase , Martinsthorpe , Meering , Stanground North (subsequently abolished), Sturston , Tottington , and Tyneham (subsequently merged). The lands of the last three were taken over by the Armed Forces during World War II and remain deserted. In
SECTION 60
#17328478097318308-565: The English population. For historical reasons, civil parishes predominantly cover rural areas and smaller urban areas, with most larger urban areas being wholly or partly unparished ; but since 1997 it has been possible for civil parishes to be created within unparished areas if demanded by local residents . In 2007 the right to create civil parishes was extended to London boroughs , although only one, Queen's Park , has so far been created. Eight parishes also have city status (a status granted by
8442-449: The Green attracts many residents and visitors. It has a long history of hosting sporting events; from the 16th century onwards tournaments and archery contests have taken place on the Green, and there have been cricket matches since the mid-18th century, continuing to the present day. Until recently, the first recorded inter-county cricket match was believed to have been played on Richmond Green in 1730 between Surrey and Middlesex . It
8576-655: The London Assembly , which has been represented by Nicholas Rogers from the Conservative Party since 2021. Richmond, earlier known as Shene , was part of the large ancient parish of Kingston upon Thames in the Kingston hundred of Surrey . Split off from Kingston upon Thames from an early time, the parish of Richmond St Mary Magdalene formed the Municipal Borough of Richmond from 1890. The municipal borough
8710-619: The London borough. The area was known in the medieval period as Shene, a name first recorded (as Sceon ) in the 10th century, and which survives in the neighbouring districts of East Sheen (also known as Sheen) and North Sheen . The manor entered royal hands, and the manor house eventually became known as Sheen Palace, before being largely destroyed by fire in 1497. Henry VII rebuilt it and in 1501 named it Richmond Palace , in allusion to his earldom of Richmond and his ancestral honour of Richmond in Yorkshire . The associated settlement took
8844-563: The Royal Family. The future king Edward VIII was born at White Lodge in 1894; his brother Prince Albert, Duke of York (the future George VI) and the Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) lived there in the 1920s. The Royal Ballet School (formerly Sadler's Wells Ballet) has been based since 1955 at the lodge, where younger ballet students continue to be trained. Also in
8978-540: The South Buckinghamshire Golf Course. Table Tennis: Stoke Poges Table Tennis Club was founded in 1950. Play used to take place in the pavilion at Sefton Park. In the 21st century it plays at St Andrew's Church Centre in Rogers Lane. Tennis: Stoke Poges Lawn Tennis Club operates on Bells Hill recreation ground and commenced there in 1949. At the 2001 UK census, the Stoke Poges electoral ward had
9112-626: The Village Centre. Bowls: Stoke Poges Bowls Club was founded in 1978 and closed in 2020. The bowling green was situated in the grounds of the Polish Association in Church Lane. The bowling green had opened in 1949 by St. Helens Cable and Wire Company. Cricket: Stoke Green Cricket Club in Stoke Green has been playing there since 1879 with support of the then landowner, Howard-Vyse of Stoke Place. Stoke Poges Golf Club at Stoke Park used to run
9246-610: The Wardrobe, Trumpeters' House (built around 1700), and the Gate House, built in 1501. This has five bedrooms and was made available on a 65-year lease by the Crown Estate Commissioners in 1986. Beyond the grounds of the old palace, Richmond remained mostly agricultural land until the 18th century. White Lodge , in the middle of what is now Richmond Park , was built as a hunting lodge for George II , and during this period
9380-724: The administration of the poor laws was the main civil function of parishes, the Poor Law Amendment Act 1866 , which received royal assent on 10 August 1866, declared all areas that levied a separate rate or had their own overseer of the poor to be parishes. This included the Church of England parishes (until then simply known as "parishes"), extra-parochial areas , townships and chapelries . To have collected rates this means these beforehand had their own vestries, boards or equivalent bodies. Parishes using this definition subsequently became known as "civil parishes" to distinguish them from
9514-483: The architect Quinlan Terry , who was commissioned to restore the area (1984–87). Within the river itself at this point are the leafy Corporation Island and the two small Flowerpot Islands . The Thames-side walkway provides access to residences, pubs and terraces, and various greens , lanes and footpaths through Richmond. The stretch of the Thames below Richmond Hill is known as Horse Reach and includes Glover's Island . There are towpaths and tracks along both sides of
9648-399: The charter, the charter may be transferred to a parish council for its area. Where there is no such parish council, the district council may appoint charter trustees to whom the charter and the arms of the former borough will belong. The charter trustees (who consist of the councillor or councillors for the area of the former borough) maintain traditions such as mayoralty . An example of such
9782-475: The corner by Paved Court and Golden Court – two of a number of alleys that lead from the Green to the main commercial thoroughfare of George Street. These alleys are lined with mostly privately owned boutiques . Partway up Richmond Hill is the Poppy Factory , staffed mainly by disabled ex-servicemen and women, which produces the remembrance poppies sold each November for Remembrance Day . The view from
9916-529: The council are carried out by a paid officer, typically known as a parish clerk. Councils may employ additional people (including bodies corporate, provided where necessary, by tender) to carry out specific tasks dictated by the council. Some councils have chosen to pay their elected members an allowance, as permitted under part 5 of the Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003. The number of councillors varies roughly in proportion to
10050-464: The council of the urban district or borough in which they were contained. Many urban parishes were coterminous (geographically identical) with the urban district or municipal borough in which they lay. Towns which included multiple urban parishes often consolidated the urban parishes into one. The urban parishes continued to be used as an electoral area for electing guardians to the poor law unions . The unions took in areas in multiple parishes and had
10184-466: The council will an election be held. However, sometimes there are fewer candidates than seats. When this happens, the vacant seats have to be filled by co-option by the council. If a vacancy arises for a seat mid-term, an election is only held if a certain number (usually ten) of parish residents request an election. Otherwise the council will co-opt someone to be the replacement councillor. The Localism Act 2011 introduced new arrangements which replaced
10318-694: The council. Richmond town is divided into two wards – North Richmond, which has three Liberal Democrat councillors, and South Richmond, with two Liberal Democrat councillors and one from the Green Party . Richmond town forms part of the Richmond Park constituency for the UK Parliament . The MP , since 2019, is Sarah Olney from the Liberal Democrats. Richmond is also part of the South West constituency for
10452-517: The course: South Buckinghamshire Golf Club and Farnham Park Golf Club. The latter was established at the course in 1977. Wexham Park Golf Centre in Wexham Street, straddles Stoke Poges and Wexham Parishes. It has a variety of golf facilities with a nine hole course being located in Stoke Poges Parish. Padel: In 2023 Buckinghamshire Council submitted plans to build two padel tennis courts at
10586-511: The creation of town and parish councils is encouraged in unparished areas . The Local Government and Rating Act 1997 created a procedure which gave residents in unparished areas the right to demand that a new parish and parish council be created. This right was extended to London boroughs by the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 – with this, the City of London
10720-637: The demolition of 297 houses. The Richmond War Memorial , which now commemorates both wars, was installed in 1921 at the end of Whittaker Avenue, between the Old Town Hall and the Riverside. The town of Richmond is in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, which is governed by Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council . The most recent election was in May 2022 when the Liberal Democrats retained control of
10854-463: The desire to have a more local tier of government when new larger authorities have been created, which are felt to be remote from local concerns and identity. A number of parishes have been created in places which used to have their own borough or district council; examples include Daventry (2003), Folkestone (2004), Kidderminster (2015) and Sutton Coldfield (2016). The trend towards the creation of geographically large unitary authorities has been
10988-406: The east bank with its neighbouring district of East Twickenham . Today, this bridge, together with the well-preserved Georgian terraces that surround Richmond Green and line Richmond Hill to its crest, now has listed building status. As Richmond continued to prosper and expand during the 19th century, much luxurious housing was built on the streets that line Richmond Hill, as well as shops in
11122-571: The east of the town near North Sheen railway station. A range of convenience shopping, restaurants and cafes can be found on the crest of Richmond Hill lining Friars Stile Road, as well as along Kew Road towards the Botanical Gardens , and on Sheen Road. Richmond also offers a wide variety of office accommodation and is the UK/European headquarters of several multi-national companies, including eBay , PayPal and The Securitas Group , as well as
11256-439: The ecclesiastical parishes. The Church of England parishes, which cover more than 99% of England, have become officially (and to avoid ambiguity) termed ecclesiastical parishes . The limits of many of these have diverged; most greatly through changes in population and church attendance (these factors can cause churches to be opened or closed). Since 1921, each has been the responsibility of its own parochial church council . In
11390-521: The established English Church, which for a few years after Henry VIII alternated between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England , before settling on the latter on the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558. By the 18th century, religious membership was becoming more fractured in some places, due in part to the progress of Methodism . The legitimacy of the parish vestry came into question, and
11524-423: The former kings of this land, being wearie of the citie, used customarily thither to resort as to a place of pleasure, and serving highly to their recreation". It was rebuilt between 1414 and 1422, but destroyed by fire in 1497. Following that fire, Henry VII built a new residence at Sheen, and in 1501 he named it Richmond Palace. The theatre company to which Shakespeare belonged performed some plays there during
11658-455: The government at the time of the Local Government Act 1972 discouraged their creation for large towns or their suburbs, but there is generally nothing to stop their establishment. For example, Birmingham has two parishes ( New Frankley and Sutton Coldfield ), Oxford has four, and the Milton Keynes urban area has 24. Parishes could not however be established in London until the law was changed in 2007. A civil parish can range in area from
11792-432: The head offices of a number of national, regional and local businesses. London's Evening Standard has described Richmond as "the beating heart of London's growing technology industry". The Thames is a major contributor to the interest that Richmond inspires in many people. It has an extensive frontage around Richmond Bridge, containing many bars and restaurants. Richmond Riverside owes much of its neo-Georgian style to
11926-516: The hill, with enough variety to cater to most tastes. One of the oldest is The Cricketers, serving beer since 1770, though the original building was burned down in 1844. It was soon replaced by the present building. Samuel Whitbread , founder of Whitbread Brewery , part-owned it with the Collins family who had a brewery in Water Lane, close to the old palace. Grade II listed pubs include the White Cross ,
12060-447: The history of Richmond, Ham, Petersham and Kew. Its rotating exhibitions , education activities and a programme of events cover the whole of the modern borough. The museum's highlights include 16th-century glass from Richmond Palace and a painting, The Terrace and View from Richmond Hill, Surrey by Dutch draughtsman and painter Leonard Knyff (1650–1722), which is part of the Richmond upon Thames Borough Art Collection. Admission to
12194-551: The house and its occupants. Sir Edwin Henry Landseer was a frequent visitor to the house and rented it as a studio for some time. His most famous painting, The Monarch of the Glen (1851), is said to have been created at Stoke Poges, with the deer in the park used as models. Stoke Poges has a primary school called The Stoke Poges School. It was rated 'Good' by Ofsted in 2022. On 6 May 1985 four pupils drowned at Land's End during
12328-485: The largest of which are Marks & Spencer , Boots , Tesco Metro and Waitrose . The remaining town centre stores are largely single units. Mostly independent businesses line the narrow alleyways running off George Street towards Richmond Green and up Richmond Hill, and there is a farmers' market in Heron Square on Saturdays. Richmond has one large stand-alone supermarket, Sainsbury's , with parking for 420 cars, to
12462-471: The late 19th century, most of the "ancient" (a legal term equivalent to time immemorial ) irregularities inherited by the civil parish system were cleaned up, and the majority of exclaves were abolished. The census of 1911 noted that 8,322 (58%) of "parishes" in England and Wales were not geographically identical when comparing the civil to the ecclesiastical form. In 1894, civil parishes were reformed by
12596-471: The least poverty in London. The town of Richmond has the largest commercial centre in the borough and is classified as a major centre according to the London Plan . It is an established up-market shopping destination. Its compact centre has approximately 50,000 m of retail floor-space that is largely focused on George Street , The Quadrant and Hill Street. It comprises almost exclusively high street chains,
12730-410: The lock and weir there is a small footbridge . Richmond is well endowed with green and open spaces accessible to the public. At the heart of the town sits Richmond Green , which is roughly square in shape and together with the Little Green, a smaller green space stretching from its southeast corner, is 12 acres (5 hectares) in area. The Green is surrounded by well-used metalled roads that provide for
12864-399: The married lady of the manor, Frances Coke, Viscountess Purbeck , the daughter of Sir Edward Coke, had a love affair with Robert Howard , a member of parliament. The affair's discovery was received as a scandal upon the three people involved, and in 1635 Lady Frances was imprisoned for adultery. She later escaped from prison to France, and eventually returned and lived at Stoke Poges Manor for
12998-465: The mid 19th century. Using a longer historical lens the better terms are "pre-separation (civil and ecclesiastical) parish", "original medieval parishes" and "new parishes". The Victoria County History , a landmark collaborative work mostly written in the 20th century (although incomplete), summarises the history of each English "parish", roughly meaning late medieval parish. A minority of these had exclaves , which could be: In some cases an exclave of
13132-402: The middle of the work, Edward himself died at the manor, in 1377. Richard II was the first English king to make Sheen his main residence, which he did in 1383. Twelve years later, Richard was so distraught at the death of his wife Anne of Bohemia at the age of 28 that, according to Holinshed , the 16th-century English chronicler, he "caused it [the manor] to be thrown down and defaced; whereas
13266-521: The museum is free. The Riverside Gallery , also at the Old Town Hall, features temporary exhibitions by local artists including paintings, prints and photographs. Admission is free. Richmond has two theatres. Richmond Theatre on Little Green is a late Victorian structure designed by Frank Matcham and restored and extended by Carl Toms in 1990. The theatre has a weekly schedule of plays and musicals, usually given by professional touring companies, and pre- West End shows can sometimes be seen. There
13400-465: The new district councils (outside London) to review their parishes, and many areas left unparished in 1972 have since been made parishes, either in whole or part. For example, Hinckley , whilst entirely unparished in 1974, now has four civil parishes, which together cover part of its area, whilst the central part of the town remains unparished. Some parishes were sub-divided into smaller territories known as hamlets , tithings or townships . Nowadays
13534-447: The number of large houses in their own grounds – such as Asgill House and Pembroke Lodge – increased significantly. These were followed by the building of further important houses, including Downe House , Wick House and The Wick on Richmond Hill , as this area became an increasingly fashionable place in which to live. Richmond Bridge was completed in 1777 to replace a ferry crossing that connected Richmond town centre on
13668-488: The other conurbations. Civil parishes vary greatly in population: some have populations below 100 and have no settlement larger than a hamlet , while others cover towns with populations of tens of thousands. Weston-super-Mare , with a population of 71,758, is the most populous civil parish. In many cases small settlements, today popularly termed villages , localities or suburbs, are in a single parish which originally had one church. Large urban areas are mostly unparished, as
13802-448: The parish has city status). Alternatively, in parishes with small populations (typically fewer than 150 electors) governance may be by a parish meeting which all electors may attend; alternatively, parishes with small populations may be grouped with one or more neighbours under a common parish council. Wales was also divided into civil parishes until 1974, when they were replaced by communities , which are similar to English parishes in
13936-401: The parish the status of a town, at which point the council becomes a town council . Around 400 parish councils are called town councils. Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 , a civil parish may be given one of the following alternative styles: As a result, a parish council can be called a town council, a community council, a village council or occasionally
14070-404: The parish. As the number of ratepayers of some parishes grew, it became increasingly difficult to convene meetings as an open vestry. In some, mostly built-up, areas the select vestry took over responsibility from the entire body of ratepayers. This innovation improved efficiency, but allowed governance by a self-perpetuating elite. The administration of the parish system relied on the monopoly of
14204-562: The parish; the church rate ceased to be levied in many parishes and became voluntary from 1868. During the 17th century it was found that the 1601 Poor Law did not work well for very large parishes, which were particularly common in northern England. Such parishes were typically subdivided into multiple townships , which levied their rates separately. The Poor Relief Act 1662 therefore directed that for poor law purposes 'parish' meant any place which maintained its own poor, thereby converting many townships into separate 'poor law parishes'. As
14338-614: The park and Grade II listed is Thatched House Lodge , which is still a royal residence. Since 1963 it has been the home of Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy , a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II . General Dwight D Eisenhower , who later became President of the United States , lived there during the Second World War . The Museum of Richmond , in Richmond's Old Town Hall , close to Richmond Bridge, has displays relating to
14472-499: The perceived inefficiency and corruption inherent in the system became a source for concern in some places. For this reason, during the early 19th century the parish progressively lost its powers to ad hoc boards and other organisations, such as the boards of guardians given responsibility for poor relief through the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 . Sanitary districts covered England in 1875 and Ireland three years later. The replacement boards were each entitled to levy their own rate in
14606-411: The population of the parish. Most rural parish councillors are elected to represent the entire parish, though in parishes with larger populations or those that cover larger areas, the parish can be divided into wards. Each of these wards then returns councillors to the parish council (the numbers depending on their population). Only if there are more candidates standing for election than there are seats on
14740-436: The reign of Elizabeth I . As Queen, Elizabeth spent much of her time at Richmond, as she enjoyed hunting stags in the "Newe Parke of Richmonde" (now Old Deer Park). She died at the palace on 24 March 1603. The palace was no longer in residential use after 1649, but in 1688, James II ordered its partial reconstruction, this time as a royal nursery . The bulk of the palace had decayed by 1779, but surviving structures include
14874-537: The river, and they are much used by pedestrians, joggers and cyclists. Westminster Passenger Services Association boats, licensed by London River Services , sail daily between Kew and Hampton Court Palace , calling at Richmond in each direction. Richmond Green has been described as "one of the most beautiful urban greens surviving anywhere in England". It is roughly square in shape, and its open grassland, framed with broadleaf trees , extends to roughly twelve acres (5 hectares). On summer weekends and public holidays
15008-495: The same name, although for some years the two names were often used in conjunction (for example, "Shene otherwise called Richemount"). Henry I lived briefly in the King's house in "Sheanes". In 1299, Edward I , the "Hammer of the Scots", took his whole court to the manor house at Sheen, a little east of the bridge and on the riverside, and it thus became a royal residence; William Wallace
15142-605: The third richest village in Buckinghamshire. Hamlets within Stoke Poges parish include: Civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government . It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes , which for centuries were the principal unit of secular and religious administration in most of England and Wales. Civil and religious parishes were formally split into two types in
15276-466: The time, including Giuseppe Garibaldi . It was later the childhood home of Lord John Russell's grandson, the philosopher, mathematician and social critic Bertrand Russell . It is now a popular restaurant with views across the Thames Valley. Built as a hunting lodge for George II by the architect Roger Morris , White Lodge was completed in 1730. Its many famous residents have included members of
15410-555: The top westward to Windsor has long been famous, inspiring paintings by masters such as J. M. W. Turner and Sir Joshua Reynolds and also poetry. One particularly grand description of the view can be found in Sir Walter Scott 's novel The Heart of Midlothian (1818). It is a common misconception that the folk song " Lass of Richmond Hill " relates to this hill, but the young woman in the song lived in Hill House at Richmond in
15544-534: The town along the riverside as far as the boundary with the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, a UNESCO World Heritage Site . This contains wide green lawns and sports facilities, and the Grade I listed former King's Observatory erected for George III in 1769. The town's main shopping street, George Street , is also named after the king. The town centre lies just below 33 ft (10 m) above sea level. South of
15678-635: The town centre to serve the increasing population. In July 1892, the Corporation formed a joint-stock company , the Richmond (Surrey) Electric Light and Power Company, and this wired the town for electricity by around 1896. Like many other large towns in Britain, Richmond lost many young people in the First and Second World Wars . In the Second World War, 96 people were killed in air raids , which also resulted in
15812-409: The town centre, rising from Richmond Bridge to an elevation of 165 ft (50 m), is Richmond Hill. Just beyond the summit of Richmond Hill is Richmond Park , an area of 2,360 acres (9.55 km ; 3.7 sq mi) of wild heath and woodland originally enclosed for hunting, and now forming London's largest royal park . The park is a national nature reserve , a Site of Special Scientific Interest and
15946-420: The town of Richmond, formerly part of the ancient parish of Kingston upon Thames in the county of Surrey , became a municipal borough , which later extended to include Kew , Ham , Petersham and part of Mortlake ( North Sheen ). The municipal borough was abolished in 1965, when local-government reorganisation transferred Richmond from Surrey to Greater London . Since 1965, Richmond has formed part of
16080-432: The two banks of the Thames, and many Georgian terraces were built, particularly around Richmond Green and on Richmond Hill. Those that have survived remain well-preserved and many have been designated listed buildings on account of their architectural or historic significance. The opening of Richmond railway station in 1846 was a significant event in the absorption of the town into a rapidly expanding London. In 1890,
16214-599: The ward had a relatively high proportion of workers in real estate, transport and communications. According to Office for National Statistics estimates, during the period of April 2001 to March 2002 the average gross weekly income of households was £870, compared with an average of £660 in South East England . Of the ward's residents aged 16–74, 28.4% had a higher education qualification or the equivalent, compared with 19.9% nationwide. In 2011, The Daily Telegraph deemed Stoke Poges as Britain's eighth richest village and
16348-524: The way of leisure activities. Skiffs (fixed seat boats) can be hired by the hour from local boat builders close to the bridge, with opportunities to row upstream towards the historic properties Ham House and Marble Hill House . Richmond Canoe Club, founded in 1944 and now Britain's biggest canoe club, is also on the towpath south of Richmond Bridge. Richmond is part of the London Cycle Network , offering on and off-road cycle paths throughout
16482-644: The way they operate. Civil parishes in Scotland were abolished for local government purposes by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 ; the Scottish equivalent of English civil parishes are the community council areas established by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 , which have fewer powers than their English and Welsh counterparts. There are no equivalent units in Northern Ireland . The parish system in Europe
16616-623: Was 40.8% in full-time employment, 11.6% in part-time employment, 12.6% self-employed, 1.8% unemployed, 1.5% students with jobs, 3.1% students without jobs, 16.8% retired, 6.7% looking after home or family, 2.5% permanently sick or disabled and 2.5% economically inactive for other reasons. The industry of employment of residents was 15.4% retail, 13.4% manufacturing, 6.9% construction, 21.1% real estate, 9.2% health and social work, 7.3% education, 8.8% transport and communications, 3.5% public administration, 3.4% hotels and restaurants, 2.8% finance, 0.8% agriculture and 7.4% other. Compared with national figures,
16750-481: Was built before the Norman Conquest and was mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book . In 1555 the owner, Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon , pulled down much of the existing fortified house. He replaced it with a large Tudor brick-built house, with numerous chimneys and gables. In 1599 it was acquired by Sir Edward Coke , who is said to have entertained Queen Elizabeth I there in 1601. A few decades later,
16884-485: Was built by James Wyatt , 1802–1804 for John Penn of Stoke Park . It is now a private residence called Elegy House. There are two public recreation grounds: Bells Hill and Plough Lane. In the late 20th century, large private sports facilities operated for the main benefit of Glaxo Laboratories staff at Sefton Park and for Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) Paints Division at Duffield House, Stoke Green. Badminton: Stoke Poges Badminton Club has for many decades run in
17018-464: Was educated at the school. Stoke House School in Stoke Green was a preparatory school from 1841 to 1913. In 1913 Ted Parry , the headmaster relocated the school to Seaford and later it was renamed Stoke Brunswick School . Long Dene School, moved from Jordans, Buckinghamshire to the Manor House in 1940. In 1945 the school relocated to Chiddingstone Castle , Kent. Teikyo School United Kingdom
17152-434: Was established between the 8th and 12th centuries, and an early form was long established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest . These areas were originally based on the territory of manors , which, in some cases, derived their bounds from Roman or Iron Age estates; some large manors were sub-divided into several parishes. Initially, churches and their priests were the gift and continued patronage (benefaction) of
17286-577: Was executed in London in 1305, and it was in Sheen that the Commissioners from Scotland went down on their knees before Edward. Edward II , following his defeat by the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, founded a monastery for Carmelites at Sheen. When the boy-king Edward III came to the throne in 1327, he gave the manor to his mother Isabella . Edward later spent over £ 2,000 on improvements, but in
17420-516: Was expanded in 1892 by the addition of Kew , Petersham and the North Sheen part of Mortlake ; in 1933, Ham was added to the borough. In 1965, the parish and municipal borough were abolished by the London Government Act 1963 , which transferred Richmond to Greater London . Together with the former Municipal Borough of Twickenham and the former Municipal Borough of Barnes , it formed
17554-546: Was known as Stoke Poges Golf Club. The South Buckinghamshire Golf Academy consisted of a 9 holes golf course and a golf driving range. It was opened in 1994 and owned by Buckinghamshire County Council . It closed down after the granting of a planning application in 2018 to turn it into a public Country Park. The South Buckinghamshire Golf Course, formerly known as Farnham Park Golf Course, is an 18-hole pay and play course, set in 130 acres of mature wooded parkland owned by Buckinghamshire Council. In 2023 there were two golf clubs using
17688-587: Was opened in 1967 by Elizabeth II and ran by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People . It closed in the late 20th century. Halidon House School was founded 1865, based in Slough and then in 1948 moved to Framewood Manor, Framewood Road. It was a girls school which closed in 1983. St. James Roman Catholic School moved from Richmond in 1830 to Baylis House. The school closed in 1907. Rafael Merry del Val , Cardinal Secretary of State under Pope Pius X
17822-528: Was sold in 2013 after the charitable trust running the home concluded that the building no longer met modern requirements and could not be easily or economically upgraded. The trust opened an additional home in Solihull , West Midlands, and the remaining residents in Richmond moved in 2013 to a new purpose-built building in Surbiton . At the top of Richmond Hill , opposite the former Royal Star and Garter Home, sits
17956-415: Was the son of Savoyard Imbert Pugeys, valet to King Henry III and later steward of the royal household. Poges and Pocheys being an English attempt at Pugeys which ironically meant "worthless thing". The spelling appearing as "Stoke Pocheys", if applicable to this village, may suggest the pronunciation of the second part had a slightly more open "o" sound than the word "Stoke". A manor house at Stoke Poges
#730269