Stone can be explored through its architectural history and a named walk. The Church of St John the Baptist, the oldest surviving building in the parish, stands in the village. The parish church was built on an artificial mound; its architectural features and details offer several specific ways to explore the history of the village.
The Church of St John the Baptist and its architectural history
The nave and north door are Norman. The church also has 13th-century transepts and a 14th-century west tower. This means you can see features from different periods in a single building. The nave is the lengthwise part of the church; the transepts extend at right angles to it. Together with the later west tower, these features offer different points of reference for looking at the architecture.
The font is also Norman. It has interlaced decoration and depicts a scene in which a man is fighting an animal. The church thus combines architectural forms with a pictorial motif: the north door and nave give an impression of its Norman features, while the depiction on the font adds another distinct detail. For those interested in architecture, both the features assigned to particular periods and the font’s design are rewarding subjects.
Another detail of the village’s history is a churchyard cross, of which only the rectangular stone base survives. The cross may date from the 15th century. This tentative dating is part of the picture: it places the surviving relic in context without presenting its age as certain.
Houses, village pond and local landmarks
The surviving residential buildings dating from before 1900 reflect Stone’s local geology, particularly in connection with Witchert houses. This look at residential architecture broadens the picture beyond the parish church. Rather than looking only at individual historic buildings, you can also consider the relationship between the surviving houses and the local geology as part of your exploration of the village.
The pond at Stone crossroads was once used by travellers to water their horses and livestock. Its former use adds a practical perspective on travel to the architectural history. The Jubilee Pavilion is within the War Memorial Recreation Grounds; this landmark provides another clear point of reference within Stone.
The Hartwell and Stone Walk
The Hartwell and Stone Walk starts and ends at Stone Village Hall. It includes a 3.5 km section of the Midshires Way between Bishopstone Road and the River Thame. The 3.5 km refers to this section of the route. The walk also follows quiet village roads and open bridleways along field edges. The route therefore features a variety of path types, and the stated section length should not be taken as the walking time.
For planning, it is helpful to distinguish between these details: the route description gives both the start and end points and the length of a specific section, but not the duration of the entire walk. As terrain and path conditions can change, check current conditions before setting out. This lets you treat the walk as a focus in its own right, while the church and village history offer a different way to explore Stone.
Explore Stone your way
If you are particularly interested in architecture, the Church of St John the Baptist, its features from different periods and the font offer specific subjects to explore. Those who want to focus on the history of the village landscape can include the houses, the pond’s former purpose and the surviving stone base of the churchyard cross. The walk adds a route with named start and end points and a described section of the Midshires Way. This gives you a choice of different focuses for your time in Stone: architectural history, village history or a walk.
Discover more destinations: Stoke Poges, Slough, Ivinghoe, Gerrards Cross, Saunderton, Iver, Fulmer, Princes Risborough.
For the broader travel overview: Buckinghamshire.
