Stoke Row is at the highest point of the southern Chiltern hills between the Wallingford to Reading and the Wallingford to Henley roads, about 3 miles NW of Sonning Common. The land is poor for farming with few natural sources of water. Deposits of clay and the surrounding woods have been an important local resource.

The village is mainly along the 'main' road linking Sonning Common and Nuffield. The parish church (the Church of St. John the Evangelist) is at one end of the village and the pub, the Cherry Tree, and the chapel are at the other. At the pub end there are some reasonably attractive older buildings, whereas at the church end most of them appear to be newer. In the centre is a village store and a garage and the renowned Maharaja's Well and cherry orchard.

The Maharaja's Well stands prominently in the centre of the village and is an attractive Indian-style construction. A prominent local landowner, Mr Edward Anderdon Reade, was Governor of the Northwest Provinces of India and had a friendship with the Maharajah of Benares and during his time as Governor had presented a well to the people of India. The absence of available water in the Stoke Row area, and the friendship of Mr Reade with the Maharajah resulted in the well being dug in the C19, as the Maharajah generously reciprocated the gesture to demonstrate his feelings for England and as a token of friendship with Mr Reade. As well as paying for the well, the Maharajah paid also for the adjacent Warden's cottage and cherry orchard, which provided a modest income for the upkeep of the well. The well is 365 feet deep and was entirely dug by hand. It has recently been restored and is open to the public.

Once year-round water was available in the village the village started to grow. The local clay deposits were put to good use by the building of a brick works making bricks and tiles and a pottery, and the local beech wood was used for the turning of chair legs and tent pegs which were used by the army. About 3 million tent pegs were made locally during the Second World War.

Although, until well after the war, the village had a blacksmith, builder, baker, general store with Post Office and five public houses, all that remains now is the village store and the garage and, in the village, a single pub!

The Independent Chapel was erected in 1815, and the Church in 1846.