Stoke Dry

Stoke Dry
Rutland
in 2009
Location
Grid reference:	SP893984
Location:	52°33’49"N, 0°44’16"W
Data
Population:	35  (2001)
Post town:	Oakham
Postcode:	LE15
Dialling code:	01572
Local Government
Council:	Rutland
Parliamentary constituency:	Rutland and Melton

Stoke Dry is a village and parish in south-west Rutland, adjacent to the border with Leicestershire. It is located about three miles south-west of Uppingham, in the hundred of Wrandike. In 2007 the civil parish had a population of 39. The ancient parish additionally extends into Leicestershire, the two parts being the township of Stoke Dry proper in Rutland and the liberty of Holy Oaks in Leicestershire. For civil purposes, Holy Oaks was incorporated into the Leicestershire civil parish of Stockerston in 1885, although the two were not physically disconnected until the building of the Eyebrook Reservoir between 1937 and 1940.

With only 14 homes this is a quiet village with a mediæval church dedicated to Saint Andrew. The ecclesiastical parish also extends into both counties, although the only building in the Leicestershire portion is Holyoaks Lodge. St Andrew's has mediæval wall paintings and Romanesque chancel arch. A myth claims that the Gunpowder Plot conspirators met in a small room above the porch; the only basis for this is that the manor was part of the estate of Sir Everard Digby.

Eyebrook Reservoir was used by Avro Lancasters flying from RAF Scampton as the final practice run for Guy Gibson's No. 617 Squadron RAF prior to Operation Chastise, the Dambusters attack on the Ruhr valley dams on the night of the 16/17 May 1943.

Gallery

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  Carving of a bellringer on shaft to chancel arch, St Andrew's Church

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  The village, looking north-east from Eyebrook Reservoir

References

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Stoke Dry)

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