About Stoke by Nayland

The civil parish of STOKE by NAYLAND is one of the southern border parishes of the County of Suffolk, in Babergh District. The ecclesiastical parish is in the Archdeaconry of Sudbury in the Diocese of St.Edmundsbury and Ipswich. Its parliamentary constituency is South Suffolk. Its area is approximately 2225 hectares (5500 acres), much of which is owned by one of the three private estates, Tendring Hall, Giffords Hall, and the Priory, and beside the village itself there are two outlying hamlets, Thorington Street and Withermarsh Green.

The nearest big town is Colchester, some 8 miles to the south. The most conspicuous building is the grand 15th century church of St.Mary the Virgin, which is large enough to shelter together every man, woman and child in the parish – about 700 souls. Its tower, 37m/120ft high, planted on the highest point of the ridge (55m) is deemed one of the 50 finest mediaeval parish church towers in England, and can be seen for miles around: it dominates Dedham Vale. There are two schools, the CofE Primary, and the Plymouth Brethren’s campus.