Penkhull is a conservation area, and includes Grade II listed buildings such as the church and Greyhound Inn public house.

[2] The Victoria History of the County of Stafford: Volume 8 (1965) suggests that name arises from the British pencet ('end or head of the wood') and the Old English hyll (hill).

The idea of a 'head' or 'end' is topographically apt, since the village is sited on the elevated end of a long strip of valley-side woodland which begins at the ancient Bradwell Wood five miles to the north.

Penkhull was developed by Josiah Spode II as a dormitory suburb of Stoke-upon-Trent, the town from which the city of Stoke-on-Trent took its name.

Penkhull has a number of music and performing arts events, including annual Mystery Plays and community pantomime.