Stoke St Gregory School is a vital part of village life and so it is useful and interesting to take a look at a brief history and geographical look at the village, situated as it is deep in the Somerset Levels.
The word 'Stoke' comes from the old Saxon word 'stoc', meaning a place, so the village name means the 'place of St Gregory' and the church is named after the Saint.
The levels are an area of now - drained low land but which were once inundated by the sea, with fresh water flowing in from the higher land of north Dorset via the River Parrett, among others.
Nearby is Glastonbury, the legendary and mythical 'Avalon' supposedly associated with King Arthur
King Arthur?
The River Parrett formed the boundary between Celtic tribes, and crossable only at what is now Langport, some six miles to the southeast. Stoke is situated between Taunton, Langport and Glastonbury.
The Saxons of Wessex, led by King Alfred around 878, made a stonghold at Athelney, two miles from Stoke, and here Alfred organised the resistance and final battle against the Vikings, led by King Guthrum, hidden in the almost impenetrable marshes. The famous story of the burnt cakes arose in the 12th century. Guthrum was later defeated and was baptised as a Christian in Aller church, three miles east of Stoke following the Treaty of Wedmore.
King Alfred
King Guthrum of the Vikings
A causeway was built linking Athelney with Burrow Mump, upon which sits a ruined church. The Mump was no doubt a valuable lookout point for Alfred across the marshes in all directions.
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The monks of Athelney were given huge tracts of land in this part of Somerset by King Alfred.
A monument to Alfred stands in a field on the borders between Stoke St Gregory and East Lyng.
Following the Norman invasion in 1066, the whole area became run very profitably by the monastery of Athelney, now long-since vanished. More remains of the Abbey at Muchelney to the south-east, and some at Glastonbury.
Later, when Henry V111 fell out with Rome over his proposed divorce of Catherine of Aragon, he demolished most of the monasteries, particularly the one at Glastonbury where the Abbot came to a very sticky end at the top of Glastonbury Tor after trying to defy Henry and hide some of the monastery's treasures from his soldiers.
The Levels played a part in both the Civil War and the Battle of Sedgemoor (the Pitchfork Rebellion). In the latter the Duke of Monmouth's rebels were defeated at Bussex Rhine, just seven miles away from Stoke. Many local followers of Monmouth met their fate at the hands of the infamous Judge Jefferies at the 'Bloody' Assize in Taunton.
The Duke of Monmouth
Judge Jefferies
Many local families can trace their ancestors in the village back to the 17th century. The parish register itself begins in 1561.
A major feature of the village is St Gregory's Parish Church. CLICK ON THE DOWNLOAD FOR DETAILSClick here to download this file
The word 'Stoke' comes from the old Saxon word 'stoc', meaning a place, so the village name means the 'place of St Gregory' and the church is named after the Saint.
The levels are an area of now - drained low land but which were once inundated by the sea, with fresh water flowing in from the higher land of north Dorset via the River Parrett, among others.
Nearby is Glastonbury, the legendary and mythical 'Avalon' supposedly associated with King Arthur
King Arthur?
The River Parrett formed the boundary between Celtic tribes, and crossable only at what is now Langport, some six miles to the southeast. Stoke is situated between Taunton, Langport and Glastonbury.
The Saxons of Wessex, led by King Alfred around 878, made a stonghold at Athelney, two miles from Stoke, and here Alfred organised the resistance and final battle against the Vikings, led by King Guthrum, hidden in the almost impenetrable marshes. The famous story of the burnt cakes arose in the 12th century. Guthrum was later defeated and was baptised as a Christian in Aller church, three miles east of Stoke following the Treaty of Wedmore.
King Alfred
King Guthrum of the Vikings
A causeway was built linking Athelney with Burrow Mump, upon which sits a ruined church. The Mump was no doubt a valuable lookout point for Alfred across the marshes in all directions.
The monks of Athelney were given huge tracts of land in this part of Somerset by King Alfred.
A monument to Alfred stands in a field on the borders between Stoke St Gregory and East Lyng.
Following the Norman invasion in 1066, the whole area became run very profitably by the monastery of Athelney, now long-since vanished. More remains of the Abbey at Muchelney to the south-east, and some at Glastonbury.
Later, when Henry V111 fell out with Rome over his proposed divorce of Catherine of Aragon, he demolished most of the monasteries, particularly the one at Glastonbury where the Abbot came to a very sticky end at the top of Glastonbury Tor after trying to defy Henry and hide some of the monastery's treasures from his soldiers.
The Levels played a part in both the Civil War and the Battle of Sedgemoor (the Pitchfork Rebellion). In the latter the Duke of Monmouth's rebels were defeated at Bussex Rhine, just seven miles away from Stoke. Many local followers of Monmouth met their fate at the hands of the infamous Judge Jefferies at the 'Bloody' Assize in Taunton.
The Duke of Monmouth
Judge Jefferies
Many local families can trace their ancestors in the village back to the 17th century. The parish register itself begins in 1561.
A major feature of the village is St Gregory's Parish Church. CLICK ON THE DOWNLOAD FOR DETAILSClick here to download this file