In this section:
Click on the link below to email your new details to the Old Stoic Office.
The OS Office is in Plug Street, next to the Bursary, and is generally open between 9.00am and 5.00pm on weekdays. If you intend to visit Stowe and would like to meet Anna Semler (Nugent 05), Old Stoic Director, please contact the OS Office in advance. Tel: +44 (0)1280 818349
Email: oldstoic@stowe.co.uk
From M40 J10, from the slip-road follow signs across 3 roundabouts to join the A43 towards Northampton (M1 signs). Continue on the A43, straight over 3 roundabouts, for 5 miles. At the fourth roundabout, (ignore the first exit - A422 towards Banbury), take the second main exit (A43 Northampton), then right at the next roundabout on to the A422 towards Buckingham. Continue for 4 miles. Turn left at the Water Stratford crossroads, following The National Trust Stowe sign. Go straight on across 2 sets of crossroads to the Stowe main gate. From M40 J11, follow the A422 to Brackley, continuing on the A422 towards Buckingham, picking up the NT Stowe Landscape Gardens signs. At the Water Stratford crossroads, turn left following the NT Stowe Landscape Gardens sign. Straight across 2 sets of crossroads to the Stowe main gate. From Bicester take the A4421 for 7 miles. At the A421 roundabout take the second exit, following signs to Stowe Landscape Gardens, then bearing right towards the village of Tingewick. Turn left at the mini roundabout, through Water Stratford and then straight on across 3 sets of crossroads to the Stowe main gate. From Buckingham on the A422 towards Brackley, turn right into Stowe Avenue. Bear left with the main road past Chackmore and continue for about 1 mile. Turn right at the Stowe main gate. From Towcester on the A43 after the second roundabout (with McDonalds and a BP garage on your right), ignore the first exit (with a NT signpost for Stowe) and take the second exit slip-road (signposted Silverstone Circuit, Dadford and Stowe), go past the motor-racing circuit and through Dadford. After 1 mile turn left at the Stowe main gate.
Milton Keynes station is 16 miles from Stowe. There is a regular train service from London (Euston) every 20 minutes, with a 30 minute journey time. Alternatively Bicester North station is 11 miles from Stowe. Bus services run to Buckingham or take a taxi direct to Stowe.
The following services operate in the Stowe area:
On all services, alight at Buckingham, then Stowe is 3 miles on foot or by taxi, which can be found in the town centre or arranged in advance.
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Heritage visitors access Stowe House via the National Trust Stowe Gardens, please see information and directions here. Heritage visitors using SatNav should follow MK18 5EQ.
Please click to download a list of local hotels and B&Bs.
In light of heightened security concerns and given our responsibilities for safeguarding pupils, Old Stoics wishing to visit the School must make an appointment in advance to avoid the disappointment of being turned away at the gate. To book, please telephone the Old Stoic Office on 01280 818349 (during office hours). If you intend to visit on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, please call Stowe House Preservation Trust directly on 01280 818006. If you arrive unannouced and the Old Stoic Office is not open (weekends and evening) you may be directed to the National Trust entance at the Corinthian Arch, where you can enter free of charge by stating you are an Old Stoic.
The House is open to the public in both term time and School holidays, Sundays to Fridays inclusive. Please click here to view opening times. Please check the dates on the website before your visit as they can be subject to change. Old Stoics/Former Staff are welcome to join House tours with compliments of the School, with one guest. Please make sure you state you are an Old Stoic at the welcome desk.
The new Welcome and Discovery centre is located on Plugstreet but is only accessed via a door at ground level on the South Front. Old Stoics can park for free at the National Trust Car Park at the New Inn and walk through the gardens to reach the Visitor Centre. Please give your registration details to the NT staff. Also, please remember to inform staff you are an Old Stoic to receive your complimentry entrance, plus one free guest if you are not a NT member. If you choose to enter via the Stowe School entrance, you will need to book in advance via the Old Stoic Office and report to the North Hall Reception upon arrival and be escorted to the Visitor Centre by a member of staff.
Yes. We would prefer you to come during the published times as we can guarantee you seeing as many of the main State Rooms as possible. However, if you cannot make these times, please contact the Old Stoic Office (01280 818349) in advance, we will endeavour to make special arrangements to welcome you.
As you can appreciate in a school of this size, for security reasons, we cannot allow anyone to be unaccompanied around the main House, State Rooms and boarding houses at any time. If you would like to see inside the main House, please join a tour (details above) or book in with the OS Office. Old Stoics/Former Staff are welcome to enjoy the gardens at their leisure between the hours of 10am and 6pm daily. Please call before you visit to make an appointment. On arrival at Stowe, you will be stopped at the security lodge where you will need to state the reason for your visit. Please give your name, house and year. Please park in the visitor car park and report to the North Hall Reception to get a visitor badge. You can enter the gardens under the archway by the Drayson Sports Hall. If you would like to see inside the main House, please join a tour (details above) or book in with the OS Office (in advance). Old Stoics/Former Staff who arrive unannounced and wish to view inside the school buildings are asked to report to North Hall Reception, where we will endeavour to make last-minute arrangements for your visit. During the School Holidays and in the event of North Hall Reception being closed, please walk to the Visitor Entrance at the foot of the South Front steps to enter the House. If the Visitors Centre is also closed you will need to return on a day when it is open. Under no circumstances should you enter the House without first seeking permission to do so. During the school holidays, Stowe House is used regularly for private functions, weddings and events. Old Stoics are kindly asked not to enter the House during these times. Event staff will be on hand to help if your visit coincides with a private event: on such occasions it should be possible to visit the gardens but will be impossible to see inside the main House.
Boarding house tours take place on OS Reunion Day (held in September/October each year). During other times of the year, on occasion, it may possible to make special arrangements to view your boarding house. Please contact the OS Office to discuss this possibility.
The Gardens are open 7 days a week, 10am – 6pm (10am - 4pm Nov-Feb). The NT allows Old Stoics/Former Staff (and up to 3 guests) to visit the Gardens free of charge during opening hours (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stowe) and allows picnics in the grounds. Old Stoics can park free of charge at the National Trust Car Park. Pre-booked 4-person Buggies (battery cars) are available from the NT for 1.5 hours. Please telephone the NT reception to book on 01280 825009. There is a £10 charge for the use of a Buggy and they are available on a first come, first served basis. Please note that the National Trust has recently opened its new Visitor Centre at New Inn on the south side of the estate, with a new restaurant ‘(The Nevillry’) and shop, and dressed 18th century parlour rooms to explore. You are welcome to enter the Gardens from the north side but allow more time if you wish to explore New Inn. For more information, please click here.
From a safety and security point of view, we cannot offer this service. If you wish to join the Stowe Estates and Sports Club to use the facilities regularly, please contact the Commercial office at Stowe (01280 818280) for a membership form.
Stowe is fully accessible for those who are less able. Step-free entrances are available from the North and South Front. When inside the house, a lift can take guests to the State Rooms. Accessible lavatories are available on both floors of the House. The House is fully wheelchair friendly and chairs or mobility scooters can used throughout. If you have any questions or concerns about your visit or would like to make special arrangements, please email oldstoic@stowe.co.uk
Click here for a list of hotels and B&Bs close to Stowe.
Old Stoic Society Events held at Stowe are fully accessible. Please inform the Old Stoic Office of your access requirements upon booking so we can assist you when you arrive.
Upon arrival at Stowe, please inform our security staff of your needs and we will ensure you are directed to our accessible parking, which is normally located in the Day Court, previously known as Cobham Courtyard. If we are using another accessible parking area, you will be informed by the Office in advance of the event.
Ground floor access is available to all those who need it, followed by a platform lift to the State Rooms if you wish. The lift is suitable for the majority of wheelchairs and assistance vehicles, it’s dimensions are:
We also have a platform lift to the South Front, the dimensions are: 137cm x 80cm (54" x 31"). The maximum weight capacity is: 44 stone (280kg/616lbs)
The vast majority of buildings around the site (including the Chapel) are accessible via ramps or step free access. Some first-floor classrooms are not accessible but are rarely included in tours of the School.
Accessible lavatories are available in various locations around the School.
If you need a private space for medical needs during the day, please let us know and we can provide a suitable area for your needs.
Pathways are wheelchair accessible, comprising of either tarmac or compressed gravel.
If you would like to visit the Landscape Gardens, you are welcome to do so. Please do bear in mind that the Gardens are an undulating landscape with many hills. Some of the pathways have loose stone chippings and bumpy surfaces. There are some areas of cobble stones near the Mansion but these can be avoided with ease.
Mobility scooters and wheelchairs are welcome throughout the site, including in the Mansion.
You are very welcome to bring helpers with you when you visit and there are no limits on the number of people you can bring as guests or carers. If you would like a carer to visit Stowe to access whether or not you will be able to manage to visit, please arrange this via the Old Stoic Office.
The Old Stoic Society holds events in a wide variety of locations around the country and abroad. Where possible, we always aim to choose a fully accessible venue for our events. On some occasions, this is not possible so we do ask that you inform us of your access needs upon booking. Please email oldstoic@stowe.co.uk or complete the booking form where indicated to share your access requirements.
If our venue is not accessible and you wish to attend, please do let us know and we will endeavour to find a way to make it happen – be it by moving the event or liaising with the venue on your behalf to make your entry to the site go smoothly.
If you have any questions about access, please contact the Old Stoic Office by email oldstoic@stowe.co.uk or telephone 01280 818349.
The Privacy Notice for Old Stoics, Former Staff and Former Parents can be found here: www.stowe.co.uk/policies
Tickets for Old Stoic Events are refundable up to 7 days before the date of the event. Cancelations with less than 7 days lead-time are non-refundable. Your contract for the purchase of ticket(s) is formed once we have sent you a confirmation of purchase and will expire immediately after the completion of the event for which you have purchased ticket(s). The price of the tickets will be as displayed on the website. The sale or other issuance of any ticket is final except as outlined below:
If you have any queries, please email oldstoic@stowe.co.uk Click here to download this policy. Old Stoic Society Stowe School Buckingham MK18 5EH
Stowe School is a conduit in the issuing of examination results and as such, a third party to the data. Stowe does not keep copies of examinations certificates and so, regrettably, cannot confirm with any authority, in writing or otherwise, the grades achieved by former pupils. Employers and Employment Agencies should, in the first instance, request original education certificates from the Old Stoic concerned. If further verification is required, this should be done through the relevant examination boards.
Old Stoics who have lost their certificates will need to contact the relevant examination board quoting their name, date of birth and the STOWE SCHOOL CENTRE NUMBER: 52133 The examination boards for each subject change on a regular basis and over time various boards have merged with one another. If you do not know the board with which you took your exam, you will need to contact the boards individually. If you have any queries or need further help please email oldstoic@stowe.co.uk
Please click here for contact details for current examination boards.
Recent Old Stoics who wish to apply to a university are advised to contact the UCAS Applications Tutor (Mr Paul Floyd, 01280 818402, pfloyd@stowe.co.uk) who can advise on the process. The best time to contact him is in early September. The periods immediately before the various university entrance deadlines are extremely busy at Stowe, and the school cannot guarantee that last- minute requests for references will be processed in time to meet the various deadlines. In order to allow sufficient time for the preparation of references etc. Old Stoics should make contact as follows:-
The Old Stoic Society is not able to grant permission to Old Stoics to fish the lakes at Stowe due to the rights being held by the Stowe Angling Club. Old Stoics who live close to Stowe and wish to fish regularly may consider joining the Stowe Angling Club. Please contact the Membership Secretary for more information. http://stoweanglingclub.weebly.com/
Old Stoics are entitled to join the Stowe Golf Club for a reduced annual fee of £150. Please click here to download application form. Please click here for full details about the Golf Course.
To enquire, please contact the Stowe Events Office on 01280 818024 or email events@stowe.co.uk
Replacement copies of school photographs can be ordered from the below companies:
Sports, year groups and house groups
Email: randhchapman@gmail.com
Telephone: 01280 813112
Whole school photographs 1923 - 1980
Negatives from 1968 - 1980 may be available via the Documentary Photography Archive. If you are looking for a photograph dating between 1923 - 1968 we may hold a copy in the School School archive or be able to locate one via an Old Stoic but negatives proir to 1968 were distroyed b Panora Ltd when the company was sold in the 1960s.
Whole school photographs, 1981 onwards
Order online: https://www.gillmanandsoame.co.uk/
Email: action@gillmanandsoame.co.uk
Telephone: 01869 328 200