Churches of the Wolds

The villages of the Lincolnshire Wolds have many interesting and attractive old churches, and one of the most remarkable is the 'Old Church' of All Saints, remote on a hilltop above Walesby. It's 'old' in that it was replaced by a newer version in 1913, and in the succeeding years became dilapidated and run-down. But it was never deconsecrated and, in the early 1930s, a local rambling club began making an annual pilgrimage to the church. Twenty years later the Grimsby and District Wayfarers' Association dedicated the East Window of the Lady Chapel to 'lovers of the countryside', with a stained-glass depiction of walkers and cyclists. Local ramblers still hold an annual service at what is now referred to as 'the Ramblers' Church', and most appropriately the Viking Way long distance footpath passes through the churchyard.

Although repairs have been carried out over the last 20 years to protect All Saints from further weathering and decay, it retains its simple medieval character, a splendid example of what's known as the Norman-Transitional period. Several old, boxed pews remain, while another interesting feature is the old stairway behind the pulpit which leads to the well-preserved rood loft - the name for the gallery above the rood screen which separates the nave (the main part of the church where the congregation sit) from the chancel (where the clergy and choir sit).

From the church, the glorious views can include the towers of Lincoln Cathedral on a clear day. A Roman villa was unearthed to the east of the church, and a simple Saxon building almost certainly pre-dates the present church (built mainly between the 12th and 15th centuries). Its admirers include John Betjeman, who described All Saints as 'an exceptionally attractive church, worth bicycling 12 miles against the wind to see'.

Down the hill in the village of Walesby, St Mary's is a neat and simple affair by comparison, an example of the Arts and Crafts Movement. The then vicar had campaigned laboriously for 30 years to get a new church built in the village, only to drop down dead on the very day that the work finally started.

The charming village of Tealby is associated with Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Lincolnshire's very own Poet Laureate. His brother, Charles, was rector at the church for a while, and the impressive 1930s Tennyson D'Eyncourt Memorial Hall is named after another relation.

The parish church of All Saints in Tealby dates from around 1100. It was extensively rebuilt for the Tennyson d'Eyncourts in the 1870s as a shrine to the family - notice the invented heraldry and imitation medieval tombs. The church also has an impressive collection of over 100 tapestry 'kneelers' embroidered by local women and depicting people and places around the village.

Where to eat and drink

The Tealby Tea Rooms on Front Street are open weekday afternoons and all day at weekends - try their pheasant Poacher Pasty! Tealby's two pubs (the Olde Barn Inn and thatched King's Head) both serve good food, while in Walesby the 'Maps to Treasure' tea rooms at Walesby House also welcome walkers, and include an upstairs sales room of old maps and prints.

What to look for

A glance at the map of the area will reveal an obvious trend in local place names: Tealby, Walesby, Normanby, Claxby, Thorganby. The suffix 'by' is an indication of their Norse ancestry, since this area was settled by the Danes in the 9th century and administered under so-called Danelaw, where Danish laws and customs were observed. The ending 'by' literally means farm or settlement belonging to so and so.

While you're there

Market Rasen is a busy little town, once briefly famous as a staging post for the men on the Lincolnshire Rising. Its heyday was in Victorian times after the railway arrived, when most of the grander buildings were built. Today Market Rasen is best known for its racecourse on Legsby Road, a small and family-friendly place with a picnic site, camping and caravan park, and public golf course.