East Stoke
The present settlement of East Stoke is relatively modern and
there has been considerable movement of both the village and the
road in post-medieval times. The village is mentioned in the
Domesday book as Stoches or Estoches but also appears to have been
rated for Danegeld in late Saxon times. The name is claimed to mean
a fenced in place, a tree stump or a log cabin.
The Church
This is dedicated to St Ostwald. The earliest feature is the archway
in the tower which dates to the 13th century. The tower itself is
14th century and the chancel window dates from the reign of Richard
II (1377-1399). The parish has been linked with those of Syerston
and Elston since at least the 17th century and all fell under the
Lincoln Diocese.
St Leonards Hospital
This was probably located on the site of the present day Stoke Hall.
It is claimed that some pieces of the original hospital in the form
of carved stones and figures can still be seen in the east wall of
the Hall. The exact date of the foundation of the hospital is
unknown but it is known that it was founded by the Aincurt family of
Thurgaton sometime before 1135. It was basically an almshouse but
run on religious lines. It was subject to an enquiry into its
running in 1368 and a commission was appointed by Henry VIII to look
into its affairs, perhaps because its patron and one of its major
benefactors had been Francis Lord Lovell who had been part of the
1487 rebellion against the King�s father Henry VII. The hospital was
seized by Henry VIII in 1527, probably as part of the dissolution of
the monasteries, and remained in the hands of the crown until 1548
when it was closed by Edward VI. It was then reopened and
rededicated in 1558 and was finally dissolved by Elizabeth I in
1574.
Medieval Village
The original village of Stoke was located on either side of Church
Lane running down from the Fosse Way towards the Church and Hall.
There are also signs that even early than this parts of the village
had been located in what are now the grounds of Stoke Hall. Traces
of this settlement can be seen in aerial photographs. More clearly
evidence of building platforms can be seen in the fields adjacent to
the Fosse Way by the crossroads in East Stoke. These remains are
scheduled.
Fishponds
These were investigated in 1994 as part of the preliminary study for
the route of the A46 widening. Large trenches were dug to
investigate a number of features that had been seen by aerial
photograph on the southern side of the village towards Elston.
Investigation proved these to be fish ponds of medieval origin but
nothing more is known of them.
Upper Fosse Way
This was a higher and probably earlier route along the Trent hills
from East Stoke to Gunthorpe Bridge. It is known from records and
aerial photographs and has also been found in excavations in the
area of Syerston Airfield. It almost certainly predates the Roman
invasion and is typical of a ridgeway type track using the high
ground above the river to facilitate rapid movement. It is known
that it was later used by the Romans although it is not thought to
have been overly improved by them. It was later superseded by the
Fosse Way although it continued to be used at least until the end of
the medieval period.
The path of the upper Fosse can be seen running down to the main
road opposite the Pauncefote Arms.
Bronze Age Barrow
This is located to the north of the village on the east side of the
Fosse Way. It has mostly been ploughed out. There was also a mill
mound for a post mill in the area and the two have been confused for
one another in the past. The barrow is a scheduled monument.
Bibliography
Bramley, J. A Short History of East Stoke: Transactions of the
Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire (1953) Site Description Coming Soon
