| South Stoke | |
|---|---|
 St. Andrew's parish church | |
  South Stoke Location withinOxfordshire | |
| Area | 7.68 km2 (2.97 sq mi) |
| Population | 458 (parish (2001 census)[1] |
| • Density | 60/km2 (160/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SU6083 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Reading |
| Postcode district | RG8 |
| Dialling code | 01491 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | South Stoke village |
| |
South Stoke is a village andcivil parish on an east bank of theThames, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north ofGoring-on-Thames inSouth Oxfordshire. It includes less than 1 mile (1.6 km) to its north the hamlet andmanor house of Littlestoke (a.k.a. Stoke Marmion).
In 975King Edgar granted Osweard land atStoke, probably later the South Stoke andOffham manors.[citation needed] The manor passed toEynsham Abbey in 1094.[2] At the time of theHundred Rolls in 1279, South Stoke had 40 tenants and only three freeholders.[2]Woodcote, 3 miles (5 km) east of South Stoke, had developed as a dependent settlement by 1109.[2] It was followed byExlade Street by 1241 and Greenmoor by 1366.[2]
TheChurch of England parish church ofSaint Andrew was built in the 13th century and still hasEarly English Gothic features including the three-bayarcade between thenave and the northaisles, windows in the north wall of thechancel and the east and west ends of the south and north aisle.[3] The east window of the south aisle has late 13th century stained glass of theVirgin and Child.[4] In the 14th century the presentfont was carved,[4] a new chancel arch was built and new windows were inserted in the east and south walls of the chancel and the north and south walls of the nave.[3] The west tower is aPerpendicular Gothic addition.[4] In 1857 the church was restored, the south arcade was rebuilt and south aisle was widened.[3] The architect for these works wasJ.B. Clacy ofReading.[5] TheVicarage was designed by theGothic Revival architectCharles Buckeridge and built in 1869.[4] In 1820 achapel was built for theCountess of Huntingdon's Connexion.[4] It is now a private house.[6]
Isambard Kingdom Brunel builtMoulsford Railway Bridge in 1839–40.[4] South Stoke has apublic house, the Perch and Pike.[7]The Ridgeway path runs through the village to access its ferry toMoulsford which is seasonal.
51°33′43″N1°08′02″W / 51.562°N 1.134°W /51.562; -1.134
Littlestoke is ahamlet on theRiver Thames sometimes seen in texts as Little Stoke.[8] Littlestoke is on the old road that linkedWallingford andReadingviaGoring Heath. Littlestoke has amanor house, still a farmhouse with a smaller estate than previously, which has three outlying associated barns, listed for their architecture.[9] A ferryman until at least 1920 used to be available to cross the Thames toCholsey.[8]The Ridgeway path runs past the site of the ferry, however now a minor detour is necessary along the national long-distance footpath to South Stoke itself and then north fromMoulsford on the opposite bank. As mentioned the South Stoke ferry is seasonal. Between the two, downstream isMoulsford Railway Bridge.
From 6 June 2012, South Stoke was served by Go Ride bus service number 134 fromWallingford toGoring-on-Thames. Following the decision byOxfordshire County Council to axe all bus service subsidies in July 2016, Go Ride ceased operating bus services in Oxfordshire in January 2017, and the service was taken over by a new Community Interest Company Going Forward Buses, based in Goring.
Media related toSouth Stoke, Oxfordshire at Wikimedia Commons
