Stoke Rochford church was originally dedicated to St Mary. The village was originally called South Stoke until the expansion of the park in 1843, when North Stoke was removed. The village was laid out in 1843 to complement the architectural scheme of the new hall, built for Christopher Turnor by William Burn. The dedication of North Stoke church to St Andrew was transferred, so that the church in Stoke Rochford has a double dedication. North and South Stoke belonged to the historical wapentake of Winnibriggs and Threo.
Hall
Stoke Rochford Hall, designed by William Burn and built in 1845, was gutted by fire on 25 January 2005. It is now the NUT's national training centre, as well as a hotel and a venue for conferences and wedding receptions. On 28 April 1945 a Canadian Avro Lancaster crashed in the grounds of the hall. In December 2009 the hall was named the Les RoutiersBest Country Retreat in the UK.
Lost villages
The deserted medieval village of Ganthorpe, mentioned in the Domesday Book, is now known only as a field name in the park: Ganthrops. North Stoke is mentioned in the Domesday survey as a possession of Earl Morcar, claimed by the Norman baron, Drew de Beurere. It survived until the 19th century, when it was cleared for the creation of the current park. The remains of a Saxon cross from the old church, discovered after its demolition, are in Stoke Rochford Church.
Geography
For administration purposes the parish is joined with Easton, which also has a country estate. Stoke Rochford's church is in the parish of Easton, as is the post office. The southern boundary of the parish follows the road, east-west, that crosses the A1. The parish extends westwards to the Leicestershire boundary and the north edge of Saltby Airfield near the Viking Way. It follows the Lincolnshire boundary northwards for about. North of the parish is Wyville cum Hungerton. The parish extends about north of the village to North Lodge Plantation, where there is a bend westwards in the A1 as it approaches Great Ponton, which is the parish north of Stoke Rochford. The parish extends east to the point where Ermine Street meets the East Coast Main Line. The bridge is just inside Great Ponton parish. Just under a mile of the line is in the parish, including the Stoke Tunnel. Just to the east is Stoke Tunnel Farm, which is in Bitchfield and Bassingthorpe. Just south of Stoke Tunnel is Highdyke Farm. South of here is the large Stoke Park Wood, and the eastern boundary here follows the railway line until it meets Easton parish, just south of Old Park Wood. Here it also borders with Burton Coggles, just north of Sleight's Wood. The Cringle Brook flows northwards from the village, and on the opposite side of the A1 is the River Witham.
Community
Stoke Rochford is part of the grouped parish council of Stoke Rochford and Easton. The ecclesiastical parish has same name, and is part of the Colsterworth Group in the Deanery of Beltisloe, Diocese of Lincoln. The former incumbent was the Rev. E. J. Lomax and a new appointment is expected in due course. The parish church, dedicated to Saint Andrew and Saint Mary, also serves as the parish church for Easton. The village has a post office and a golf club. Adjacent to the latter on the A1 is a filling station and cafeteria.
