Tennyson Country
The gently rolling hills and wide vistas of the Lincolnshire Wolds inspired great poetry. Sue Dobson discovers some of the secrets of this little known treasure in the east of England

Rising out of the flat fens and coastal marsh, the Lincolnshire Wolds contain the highest ground in eastern England between Yorkshire and Kent. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), this is a gentle landscape of rolling hills and rich farmland.

Tall trees shade roads that dip, climb and weave through countless curves. High hedgerows follow their meandering routes, woods crown hilltops and a giant patchwork of fields stretches out in all directions. Traffic is light; peace and tranquillity reign.


The rolling Wolds


With so many footpaths, bridleways and waymarked routes, the Wolds are heaven for walkers. The tourist information centres in Horncastle, Alford and Louth are stocked with a superb collection of free leaflets detailing walks short and long, also cycle routes, in every part of the region.

Consider the Lindsey Loop, a scenic itinerary within the Wolds AONB. Organised in eight stages, it visits six market towns, passes through obscure and unspoilt villages, takes in a fair bit of ancient history including Roman roads, and traverses valleys, hills, woods and arable fields revealing a succession of splendid country views.


Rigsby Alford


Tennyson Trail
Captain John Smith, who sailed to the New World and established the first English permanent settlement at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607, and Sir Joseph Banks, the legendary 18th-century botanist explorer, are famous sons of this area, but it is Alfred, Lord Tennyson whom we most associate with the Wolds.

A Tennyson Trail follows the Lincolnshire life of the Poet Laureate and the countryside that provided inspiration for so much of his work. Highlight spots in the Wolds are his home village of Somersby and the nearby hamlet of Bag Enderby where his father was rector; Louth where he spent four unhappy years at the old grammar school but where Jackson’s Booksellers and Printers published his first poems; Horncastle, home of Emily Sellwood whom he married in 1850; and Tealby, where his grandfather lived.

A steam train runs between Ludborough and North Thoresby thanks to the hard of a dedicated group of volunteers who brought the railway back to life.
The station, platforms and signal box at Ludborough have been rebuilt, the track has been relayed all the way to North Thoresby. At Ludborough there is a museum which has a fine collection of railwayana to remind you of days gone by. (www.lincolnshirewoldsrailway.co.uk)


The Lincolnshire Wolds Railway

I stayed in Tealby, a picture-postcard village of orange-brown ironstone houses and whitewashed cottages snuggling into a dip in the landscape. The River Rase, a meandering stream crossed by picturesque fords, once provided water power for corn and paper mills. From its hillside perch, the 12th-century All Saints Church presides over the village, said to be the prettiest in Lincolnshire, and the view from there is vista wide.

The colourful, hand crafted kneelers in the pews are a pointer to the strong sense of community in Tealby, where the friendly Village Store is successfully run by volunteers. With two good-food pubs (the 14th-century King’s Head is the oldest thatched pub in Lincolnshire) and a Tea Room, the village is not short of refreshment and the butcher’s traditional Lincolnshire sausages are famed for miles around.

Historic market towns
Alford lies on the eastern edge of the Wolds, an attractive town famed for its crafts markets. The Alford Manor House, reputedly the largest thatched manor house in England, dates from 1611 and is a rare example of a wood-framed structure with reed and plaster encased in brick. It hosts contemporary art and craft exhibitions and has an award-winning tearoom.


St. Wilfrid's Church

Beautifully stitched hangings in the 14th-century St Wilfrid’s Church and an excellent pottery bear witness to the town’s attraction to artists and craftspeople. At Alford’s working Five Sailed Windmill you can clamber through its six storeys and buy flour produced from organic grain as well as a range of wholefoods.

Horncastle, the southwest corner ‘Gateway to the Wolds’, is a treat for anyone who enjoys exploring antiques shops, rummaging in junk shops and browsing in secondhand bookshops. A trading centre since the 13th century and renowned as the venue for the world’s largest horse fairs, today many of Horncastle’s fine 18th and 19th-century buildings house a treasure trove for collectors. Take a break from browsing at Myers Tea Room and stock up on Lincolnshire Plum Loaf and delicious foodie treats at the Bakery and Deli next door.


River Bain

Set at the confluence of the Rivers Bain and Waring and originally a walled Roman fort, the best-preserved parts of the old Roman walls can be found in Horncastle Library. The Sir Joseph Banks Centre on Bridge Street ensures that the achievements of the learned local man who sailed with Captain Cook on the Endeavour to the South Seas and Australasia, and for whom Botany Bay was named, are not forgotten.

Specialist food shops
Whether in markets, independent shops or cafés and restaurants, locally sourced and produced food and drink features high in the enjoyment of exploring the Wolds. Look for the distinctive Tastes of Lincolnshire logo and you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

Louth, the busy market town that’s known as the Capital of the Wolds, has a host of award winning specialist food shops. A glance in the window of Meridian Meats on Eastgate reveals why the shop has won so many awards for its quality meats, sausages and pies.


Speciality butchers in Louth

Its name and location also flags up one of the quirky facts about Louth. The Greenwich Meridian Line runs through the town. A metal strip in the Eastgate pavement and a small wall plaque mark are subtle recognition of this distinction.

Louth’s narrow streets, lined with Georgian and Victorian architecture, are watched over by the 15th-century St James’ Church with its landmark tower and spire which, at 295ft high is the tallest parish church spire in England. John Betjeman described the church as ‘one of the last great medieval Gothic masterpieces’. The area’s long history, from the Stone Age to the present day, is revealed in the excellent Louth Museum.

The River Lud gives the town its name and one of the best places to enjoy its quiet meanderings is at Hubbard’s Hills, a green and wooded, steep-sided and sinuous valley on the western edge of town.

Much of Georgian Louth’s prosperity was the result of trade afforded by a 12-mile canal, excavated by hand in the 1760s, which allowed sea-going vessels to navigate between the town and other inland and coastal ports, including London. A scenic waymarked walk from the Navigation Warehouse on Riverhead Road follows the old towpath and locks. Moorhens, mallard and mute swans now cruise where barges once sailed.

Whether you are driving, walking or cycling, the hills, valleys, villages and hidden hamlets of the Lincolnshire Wolds hold many pleasing surprises.

Useful websites:
www.lincswolds.org.uk
www.visitlincolnshire.com