East Stoke is thought to have been the site of the Roman settlement of Ad Pontem; the "place of the bridge" – though this is disputed.

The Yorkists were arrayed on the brow of a hill to the south east of the village, with their right flank anchored on a high spot known as Burham Furlong.

The Yorkists were routed by Henry VII's army and fled towards the Trent; many were killed in the retreat.

However, any local will be happy to inform you that the damp cutting you can still view on the site today was known as the Red Gutter.

The spot is marked by a stone memorial with the legend "Here stood the Burrand Bush planted on the spot where Henry VII placed his standard after the Battle of Stoke 16 June 1487"[3] It is thought that several thousand combatants lost their lives in less than three hours.