About Stokes of England
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, fencing, 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. 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 operated a showroom and gallery in our forge building in Keswick, VA until the summer of 2025 when the company moved to Piney River, VA, where our hand-forged furniture, lighting, hardware, traditionally-made wooden doors with iron strap hinges, hand-forged locks, and more can still be viewed and purchased. We also have many examples, drawings and photos of railings, gates, and fencing projects.
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 Inc. 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 27 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 finishing Chiropractic school and preparing to move to SD to work in a clinic.
Ashton, their second son, is currently attending film school at Liberty University, and their daughter Adalyn is in high school. Family dogs Diezel and Moose (the Bulldogs), Hazel (the Bernese Mountain Dog), and Kanan (the mutt) round out the family!
Our corporate core values:
Faith, Family, and 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.
The Forge and Gallery Location
The forge and gallery of Stokes of England moved from the Keswick location to 3109 Patrick Henry Hwy in Piney River in the summer of 2025. Schedule a visit and tour of the forge today!