Dave's 8½ mile walk took eighteen Ramblers on an interesting walk from the church in Syerston and across fields to Elston to visit its medieval chapel and take an early drinks stop. More fields took us to Moor Lane which we followed to East Stoke to join the Battle of Stoke Field Trail described along the way by NCC's colourful and informative display boards.
After passing Stoke Hall (just visible over the wall on Church Lane), we visited St Oswald's Church and then followed the Trail to Red Gutter (see later) and on to the banks of the River Trent opposite Fiskerton for lunch. Afterwards, we walked along excellent fishermen's paths as far as Hazelford Weir before climbing up the Trent Hills escarpement to Fosse Way at Eden Hall, then towards Elston to retrace our steps to Syerston.
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| The start at All Saints Church, Syerston |
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| Setting out on good tracks towards Elston |
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| All Saints Church, Elston. Elston was the home of Erasmus Darwin who was a great influence on Charles, his grandson |
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| Fine mural at school in Elston |
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| Elston Chapel, a Grade I listed building, is thought to have been the chapel of a medieval leper hospital dedicated to St Leonard |
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| 12th century Norman south doorway with zigzag decoration |
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| Interior of Elston Chapel with late Georgian rustic pews, a gallery, a communion table, a pulpit and several layers of wall paintings |
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| East Stoke - studying one of the display boards explaining the background to the battle |
Battle of Stoke Field - background
The Wars of the Roses was fought between the Houses of York and Lancaster from 1455 to 1487. In 1485, Henry Tudor (Henry VII) defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, becoming king and uniting England. Despite victory, Henry’s rule was insecure and in Summer 1487, John de la Pole (Earl of Lincoln) supported a boy named Lambert Simnel, claiming he was Edward, Earl of Warwick (a Yorkist heir). Warwick was actually imprisoned in the Tower of London, but the rebels hoped people would accept Simnel’s claim.
Rebel Movements - Lincoln landed at Furness in Lancashire with ~8,000 troops (German/Swiss mercenaries, Irish fighters, and Englishmen), crossed Yorkshire, then the River Trent on 15 June and camped at Fiskerton and East Stoke, preparing for battle.
Royal Army Movements - Henry VII heard of the Yorkist landing while at Kenilworth Castle. His army advanced slowly through the Midlands to intercept the rebels and on 13th–14th June his forces camped south of Nottingham, awaiting reinforcements led by Lord Stanley. On the night before the battle, Henry stayed at Radcliffe on Trent.
Henry’s army defeated the Yorkist forces after fierce fighting and thousands of the rebel army were killed, especially as they were driven back towards the Trent down a ravine now known as Red Gutter. The victory secured Henry VII’s throne, effectively ending large-scale dynastic conflict in England.
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| View over the wall - Stoke Hall, a Grade II listed mansion, now a wedding venue |
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St Oswald's Church, East Stoke
An excellent booklet, written by local historian David E Roberts, has been published to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the battle. Copies are available inside the church in exchange for a small donation |
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| Memorial stone commemorating the Battle of Stoke Field lists prominent figures who died in the battle, including John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, Sir Thomas Geraldine, and Colonel Martin Schwartz, along with 7,000 other English, Irish and German soldiers |
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| Memorial to Baron Julian Pauncefote (1828 - 1902), Ambassador to the United States (1893-1902) who was buried in East Stoke |
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| Historical details about the
battle and the burials found in the area |
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| Red Gutter, a ravine leading down from the battlefield to the Trent and site of a massacre of the Yorkists at the end of the battle. Local legend attributes the name to the vast amount of blood shed by the defeated Yorkist army but other explanations are available |
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View across the river of Fiskerton and the Bromley pub from our lunch stop. References to a ferry at Fiskerton were first mentioned in the Domesday Book. Horses and carts used to be able to ford the river so Fiskerton was the main river crossing point on a principal route between Newark and Nottingham
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| Hazelford Weir - taken on another day from the left bank of the Trent |
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| And back to the start |
