Stonehouse, Gloucestershire

Stonehouse, Gloucestershire is an urban area within the Stroud District, in the UK. It is home to a number of factories, such as Dairy Crest and Schlumberger. The town is close to the M5 motorway. Stonehouse railway station has a regular train service to London. The town is situated approximately three miles west of Stroud and twelve miles south of Gloucester.

History

Stonehouse Manor

Stonehouse was mentioned in Willam the Conqueror's Domesday Book written in 1086. There was a manor house built in stone - quite different from the many wattle and daub buildings that were normally found. And so the area was named Stanhus in the book. The name evoluted from Stanhus to Stonehouse : stān > stone + hūs > house, as an effect of the great vowel shift at the end of the Middle Ages.William De Ow, a cousin of William the Conqueror, owned the manor, whose grounds included two mills and a vineyard. In 1327, one of the manor's masters, John Maltravers, was found guilty of involvement in the murder of Edward II in Berkeley Castle, and fled abroad.

The manor house burned down in 1908. Today, on the same site stands Stonehouse Court Hotel, a Grade II listed manor house, which is now a hotel. It is located next to St Cyr's Church and the Stroudwater Canal. One of the original mills remains in operation.

Town growth

In 1779, the Stroudwater Navigation, (now part of the Thames and Severn Canal) was cut and relics of the canal can still be seen. Ocean Bridge was an iron swing...
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