The village name is Old English in origin, although there is a difference of opinion among scholars as to its original meaning. Patrick Hanks points out that 13th-century manorial records describe the village as Stockenechurch, which would logically come from OE stoccen + cirice, literally "logs church". This therefore means, he argues, that the village's name originated from a description of a church made from logs. However Starey and Viccars, in their study of the village point to the geography of the local area and the fact that in 1086 Stokenchurch was a woodland in the chapelry of Aston Rowant in Oxfordshire. They present the Hanks opinion as a credible origin however argue that due to the geography the name is more likely to come from the alternative meaning for the Anglo Saxon word stocc, which is an outlying farm or secondary settlement. The guide to the parish church, on sale in the church in the late 1970s ; mentions a battle fought between the locals and Danes on nearby Beacon Hill in the year 914AD. It is said that where juniper grows blood has been spilt - there is certainly lots of juniper on Beacon Hill. The site of the village proved a good resting and changing place for horses. For this reason in the Civil War it was commonly used as a resting place for both Royalist and Parliamentarian troops. Being between Royalist Oxford and Parliamentarian London the village is mentioned no less than twelve times in the journal of Scoutmaster General Sir Samuel Luke between 1643 and 1644, and on two occasions skirmishes broke out when both sides arrived at the village together. The original road is now a bridleway, called Colliers Lane ; the current road having been constructed in 1824. It was the use of the village as a stopping point that led to many of the pubs and inns being established. By the early 13th century Stokenchurch was a chapelry in the parish of Aston Rowant. It was made a separate parish in 1844 and was transferred to Buckinghamshire from Oxfordshire in 1896. It was once a centre for chair making with much of the wood used being felled locally. By the 1930s there were seven or eight firms making chairs for sale to major furniture makers. Despite this, the village was not overly rich, being largely based on a farming community. In 1989, "the centre of the wider village, which is characterised by large areas of common to both sides of the main road" was designated a conservation area. Since 2011, Garsington Opera, an annual open air summer opera festival is held just across the M40 at Wormsley Park.
Stokenchurch's main landmark is the King's Hotel, where King Charles II is reputed to have stayed with his mistress in the 17th century. The front of the hotel is 20th century. Most other pubs and inns from the horse changing heyday have now disappeared, the latest victim being the Four Horseshoes, turned into private dwellings in 2012. This leaves only the small Royal Oak near the church and the larger and more prominently located Fleur de Lis facing the King's Hotel across the village common and A40. Parts of the Fleur de Lis date back to the 16th century. It also hosted a very popular music festival on the common called Fleur Fest for about 10 years until 2014.
Other amenities
Stokenchurch has a primary school, a library and a fire station. There are also a few shops and a petrol station. 2002 saw the completion of the first phase of the Stokenchurch Business Park next to the motorway junction which is home to a few medium-sized businesses.
Wildlife
Stokenchurch is one of the main places in the United Kingdom where one can frequently see the red kite, a formerly endangered species whose numbers are now recovering well, though still in isolated pockets such as the Chilterns and West Wales. They were reintroduced to the area by the RSPB and English Nature with assistance from Paul Getty, the Americanmillionaire and philanthropist, who allowed use of the Wormsley estate. In clear weather more than 20 may be seen at one time, in Stokenchurch particularly as many residents put food out for them. The best place to view the red kites is from the nature reserve at Aston Rowant, just west of Stokenchurch off the A40.
