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, situated on a remote 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 rundown. 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 on Trinity Sunday at what is now referred to as 'the Ramblers' Church', and most appropriately the Viking Way long-distance footpath passes through the churchyard.

Unchanged since Norman times

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 campaigned laboriously for 30 years to get a new church built in the village, only to drop down dead on the very day that work finally started.

The Tennyson connection

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 houses an impressive collection of more than 100 tapestry 'kneelers' embroidered by local women and depicting people and places from around the village.

With your back to the Tennyson d'Eyncourt Memorial Hall, walk down Front Street as far as B Leaning & Sons, a butcher and maker of traditional Lincolnshire sausages established in 1860. Turn right into Church Lane, which soon becomes a walkway. At the top, turn left and cross over Rasen Road to follow the public footpath that runs between houses on the opposite side. As far as Walesby you will be following the Norse helmet waymarks of the Viking Way.

Pass through a gate and cross open pasture, aiming for another gate in the far bottom corner. Go through this and along the path ahead, ignoring a footbridge to the left. Walk up the open hillside ahead to reach the corner of Bedlam Plantation which is above Castle Farm.

Turn right and go through a gate for a fenced path beside the woods. At the far end head diagonally left down an undulating grassy field to pass below Risby Manor Farm. Cross the lane leading up to the farmhouse and continue ahead, crossing a deep valley and climbing steeply towards Walesby Top Wood. Pass through gates and keep straight ahead across a field of crops to reach All Saints Church.

Walk through the churchyard and continue along the Viking Way as it drops down a wide track into the village. When you reach Rasen Road at the bottom go straight on, past the 'new' parish church of St Mary until you reach the junction with Catskin Lane.

Turn left and walk along Catskin Lane for 0.75 miles (1.2km). Just past a right-hand curve, turn left at the entrance of a farm drive and go over a cattle grid. This is in fact a public bridleway that leads back up to the hilltop, but you should turn right in a few paces and join a footpath across rough pasture, initially parallel with the road. Stay on this path as it runs along the left-hand side of a field to arrive at the drive to Castle Farm.

The public footpath now continues almost due east across the vast sloping field beyond. When you reach the far side of the field, pass through a gate and drop down to cross a wooden footbridge. Turn right on the far side of the bridge to rejoin the earlier route back into Tealby, this time turning left up Rasen Road to visit All Saints Church. Drop down through the churchyard and follow Beck Hill to the memorial hall, then turn right along Front Street to return to the start of the walk.