He is Professor at the University of Southampton, and has published many works on the history and landscape of Exeter where he previously lived and taught.
These include The World at One, The Long View, Who Do You Think You Are?, Word of Mouth, Making History, The Great British Story, Walking Tudor Britain, Great British Railway Journeys, Underground Worlds, Songs of Praise, The Antiques Road Trip, and Bargain Hunt.
His research into the history of witchcraft in Exeter has also attracted a considerable amount of media attention and been discussed in most of the main national newspapers in the UK (see, for example, West Country witchcraft and the hanged women of urban Exeter in The Guardian,[8] on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, and in 2024, on the BBC news website).
[9] In 2024, Stoyle acted as the Historical Consultant for Sarah Dickenson's new stage-play, The Commotion Time, which had its world premiere at Exeter Northcott Theatre that October.
The play subsequently received a five-star review in The Stage, the leading industry journal, which described it as a "mesmerising" piece of work.