About
Stokes of England Blacksmithing Company was founded in 1981 near Charlottesville VA by Joe Stokes and oldest son Stephen Stokes. Stephen had come to America as an exchange student and settled in Charlottesville with wife Alison. Joe was the senior metal-smithing expert with the United Nations, having set up metal-smithing training facilities all over Africa and Asia.
Stokes of England's first commissions were for knives swords, furniture, hardware and fire screens, but eventually included gates railings, lighting and balconies. In 1983 Joe returned to England and between consultancies with the U.N.,the British Government and various foreign aid organizations, he founded Stokes of England U.K. Stephen's younger brother Chris joined their dad and since Joe's death has run Stokes of England U.K.
Stokes of England has been featured in many prestigious publications over the years including Architectural Digest, Southern Living, Home and Garden and Shropshire Magazine as well as being written about in the New York Times and Washington Post and many local publications. Public Television also did a feature on Stokes of England and the BBC have also run stories on the company and our prestigious commissions.
Stephen Stokes and his team of skilled craftsmen have worked with the top architects and designers in the country and always work directly with their clients. Steve's first large scale residential commission was for John and Patricia Kluge, for whom he made all the hand forged iron and bronze for their Albemarle House Estate (now owned by Trump Vineyard), working with famed interior designer David Easton. Commissions followed for the Parenchio mansion in Hollywood (the Beverly Hillbillies TV home!) and then for various Hollywood celebrities .
Stokes of England has worked for the royal families of Great Britain, Quatar, and Oman and forged all the iron and bronze work for the Atlantis Hotel and Casino in the Bahamas. Recently, Stokes of England was commissioned to make all the hand forged iron gates and balconies for the new business school at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, VA. Stokes of England operates a show room and gallery in Gordonsville VA where one may purchase furniture, lighting, hardware, and traditionally made wooden doors with iron strap hinges and hand forged locks.
Photo Credit Aaron Watson Photography
In August of 2022, Stokes of England USA was purchased by Mike and Truleigh Trennepohl, owners of T5 Plus Ironworks corporation. They moved to Virginia from Colorado to turn Stokes of England USA into their own family business. Mike has over 38 years of customer service, sales, and retail in the agricultural industry which he plans on implementing in Stokes of England.
Mike and Truleigh have been married for 23 years and have three children. They sold their dream home in Cortez, CO in December 2021 to fulfill their dream of living in Central Virginia and owning their own business. Mike resigned from a 38-year career at a John Deere dealership in February of 2022 and their journey to Virginia officially began.
“With no home and no job, we were just relying on God to direct us and provide for us,” the Trennepohls said. “After some bumps and bruises, we finally bought our business [Stokes of England USA] in August of 2022. We are now T5 Plus Ironworks DBA Stokes of England Blacksmiths USA.”
Their eldest son Alec and his wife Caisey are recent graduates of Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Caisey works in finance, while Alec is continuing his education to become a chiropractor.
Ashton, their second son, is currently a blacksmith apprentice under Stephen Stokes, and their daughter Adalyn is in high school. Family dogs Diezel (the Bulldog), Hazel (the Bernese Mountain Dog), and Kanan (the mutt) round out the family!
Our corporate core values:
Faith, Family, & Integrity
Our Mission Statement:
Our mission is to combine world-class customer service with the design, forging, and fabrication of custom ironworks to create a product that is built to last generations while bringing joy and pride to our valued customers.
We are excited to serve our customers, whether in our local community, country, or globally.
Locations
The Forge
The forge and workshop of Stokes of England is located in Keswick, VA. The forge has been in operation there since 1995. Schedule a visit and tour of the forge today!
The Gallery
We have moved our Gallery from the Gordonsville location to our Forge at 4085 Keswick Rd
Keswick, Va 22947
Our Team
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Mike Trennepohl
Mike is the owner and CEO of Stokes of England. While he primarily handles sales, he is also an apprentice blacksmith under master blacksmith Stephen Stokes.
Photo Credit Aaron Watson Photography
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Ashton Trennepohl
Ashton is the son of owners Mike and Truleigh. He is currently going through Stokes of England’s apprenticeship program with master blacksmith Stephen Stokes.
Photo Credit Aaron Watson Photography
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Larry Yowell
Larry is a master blacksmith and fabricator with 20 plus years professional experience.
Photo Credit Aaron Watson Photography
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Charles Fenaux
Charles is a master blacksmith with more than 8 years professional experience.
Photo Credit Aaron Watson Photography
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Steven Stokes
Steve is a master blacksmith and designer with more than 50 years experience. Steve is currently working as a trainer, consultant, and sales advisor.
Photo Credit Aaron Watson Photography
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Garen Arthur
Garen is an experienced Fabricator and Blacksmith with 15 plus years of professional experience.