In gratitude for the help of a Stoke Row engineer in sinking a well to provide water for a local village, the Maharajah of Benares paid for a reciprocal well to be sunk for the villagers of Stoke Row. This well with its ornate canopy was opened in 1864 on the Queen’s birthday. The Maharajah also funded the purchase of the plot of ground alongside to be planted as a cherry orchard to provide an income for the upkeep of the well and the well-keeper’s cottage. The orchard was attractively laid out with ponds and pathways for the recreation of villagers and visitors.
Today the Cherry Orchard is run by the Well Trust which has started a project of returning the area partially to its original layout. As a way of marking 20 years since its foundation in 1998, SCGG is participating in this project by clearing encroaching vegetation and helping with renovation of the ponds.
Meeting Point
Park along the roadside in Stoke Row by the Cherry Orchard boundary hedge.
OS ref SU680840
Site Co-ordinator
Julia Booker