Stony Stratford

Stony Stratford

Welcome to Stony Stratford, the Jewel of Milton Keynes!  Whilst part of one of the fastest-growing new cities in Britain, Stony Stratford has its own style and charm, and retains its character as a lively market town.

As well as hosting around 350 small independent businesses, Stony reveals its long and fascinating history in the form of historic coaching inns (where else would you ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross from?), delightful, and sometimes quirky, architecture, and local legends such as the house from which the much-maligned Richard, Duke of Gloucester, abducted the royal twins before taking them to The Bloody Tower, or the former pub where Dick Turpin and his horse were winched to an upper storey to hide from the law. Stony is also the origin of the "Cock & Bull Story".

Stony Stratford 2

Many of its residents are writers, artists and musicians, drawn to the town by its colourful history, beautiful Georgian architecture, its mix of traditional and individual speciality shops, famous and amazing choice of pubs and restaurants just down one street!

With a fine catalogue of arts, music and literature festivals, a rich variety of entertainment and social events, and a Christmas lights display the envy of the area, it is an almost magical place to live in or visit. All these elements combine to give the town an atmosphere and liveliness rarely found outside London. Mentioned in Shakespeare, it has been visited by the most famous personalities in British history, including a number of kings and queens; the diarist Samuel Pepys; the writers Charles Dickens; Defoe and George Eliot; Samuel Johnson, the compiler of the world's first dictionary; and famous preacher John Wesley, who addressed local people under the old elm tree, now replaced by a new oak tree in the Market Square.

At the peak of its era as one of country-region's premier coaching stops, Stony Stratford would have been a place of great bustle. At one point, 35 stage coaches were passing through the town each day and there were more than 60 inns to provide accommodation, food and a change of horses.


Stony Stratford Futures Group

In 2003 Stony Stratford was awarded funding from the Countryside Agency to carry out a 'healthcheck'. The aim of the Healthcheck was to look at the issues facing the town now and in the future, especially with the expansion of Milton Keynes. The results of study were then used to a create a "Vision" of how our community would like to see Stony town, Fullers Slade and Galley Hill develop over the next 20 years.

Based on ideas generated by local residents and organisations participating in a 2004 'health check' exercise, representatives from a broad range of Stony organisations, including the Town Council, the Business Association and the Community Association, formed the Stony Stratford Futures Group (SSFG) to produce an Action Plan. In 2007 funding for the action plan was secured with a £120,000 grant from SEEDA (South East England Development Agency), which has been further ‘match funded’ by Milton Keynes Council. This first phase of the heritage themed programme will focus effort on refreshing the look and feel of Stony’s High Street, celebrating its history and heritage, and supporting 'Stony in Bloom', which has transformed the townscape.



Contact

Stony Stratford Town Council

The Library

5-7 Church Street

Stony Stratford

MK11 1BD

tel:  01908 566726

fax: 01908 566726 or 562562

e-mail address: info@stonystratford.gov.uk

Website: http://www.stonystratford.gov.uk/