Why has Qype insisted on heading this as being in Louth? It…read moreis SOMERSBY quite a way from Louth!! Somersby, Lincs, 15th Century Church dedicated to St Margaret. The Father of the Poet Laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson was a Rector here and is buried here. Dr Tennyson wrote and delivered complex sermons to the mystification of his parishioners. He suffered from savage manic depression, epilepsy and alcoholism. Life at Somersby could be absolutely miserable. Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-02) born in Somersby educated Louth, Somersby and Trinity College Alfred succeeded to fame and fortune as the Poet Laureate to Queen Victoria. After his death on October 5 1892 he was buried in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey. His birthplace, the Old Rectory, (they don't like you standing looking) remains opposite the church in the Lincolnshire Wolds, hilly and picturesque country reminiscent of the Cotswolds west of Oxford. The Lincolnshire Wolds are deservedly known as Tennyson Country. Here the great poet lived for his first 28 years, with his parents and 10 siblings in the rectory at Somersby (now private), and began his poem ''In Memoriam.'' Tennyson Research Centre in Lincoln holds the most significant Tennyson archive in the world. Lincolnshire Archives holds the wider family's social and business papers. Somersby Rectory, across the lane from the church and where the eleven Tennyson children grew up, is now a private house. Although it was rebuilt and improved before the Tennysons moved in, Dr Tennyson enlarged the house and in 1819 built the 'Gothic Hall' (completely rebuilt in 1973 to correspond as closely as possible to the original.) In 1824, Dr Tennyson complained that there were 23 people sleeping in the house suggesting there must have been about 10 servants a big establishment for a country rector and a small house. The church is an ancient sandstone (Spilsby sandstone, locally referred to as greenstone, because it is partly composed of the mineral glauconite, which weathers to a definite green colour.) building and dates from the 15th century built some time before 1612 and restored in 1863-5. The church only seats about 80 people.. The interior was renovated in the middle of the 19th century and the roof remained thatched until the turn of the 20th century. Parts of the original church remain and centuries of weather have necessitated repairs, accomplished with contrasting, but pleasing, red brick. There is not much stained glass but some of it nevertheless dates from 1407 too; look out for two small window panels, one of which bears the arms of Crowland abbey with which Albinus had connections. There is also an interesting font bearing a rare carved Pieta. Original, too, is the south door with part of a Saxon shield nailed to it. One important extra, however, is the extremely rare churchyard cross, still complete and surmounted by a crucifix. Inside there is a fine George III Royal Arms and another more comprehensive Tennyson display including a marble bust of the poet. One of Tennyson's most popular poems was The Brook. Written in 1855, it is widely regarded as referring to the River Lymm which, in its infancy, is only a narrow stream at Somersby. I think I wrote before in my Hubbards Hills review that the brook there is the more likely place..here it really babbles and is known to have been a favourite place of the young man.

This is a beautiful building which, when I was lecturing in Local History, I was invited to visit…read more The Ark was opened and it's beautiful objects beheld. The windoes are lovely too making the inside a myriafd of reflected lights. In 1276 when Grimsby was only a small settlement, valued only for the tidal creek of the River Humber, there was mention of 'the Jew, Ben of Grymesby' (sic) which demonstrates the length of time members of the Jewish faith have been living in the area. The Jewish cemetery, which I didn't realise existed, in Grimsby, was consecrated by the Reverends J.Goldsmith and B. Rosengard in March 1886,and the foundation stone for the Sir Moses Montefiore Synagogue in Heneage Road, which still stands as a Grade II listed building, was laid in July 1885, with the Synagogue finally opening in 1888. The synagogue in Grimsby is situated in Heneage Road, which at one time was close to the centre of the busy fishing industry. Not far away was the fish docks and the corporation docks, and it would have been surrounded by housing. It certainly would have been within 2000 cubits of many of the population in accordance with Jewish Law of the Sabbath. Members of the Jewish community have served on both Cleethorpes and Grimsby Councils and in 2001 President of the Synagogue Leo Solomon (who was once my music and maths teacher..I was in his choir)was made an Honorary Freeman of the Borough of North East Lincolnshire for his involvement in community issues. It still has a regular attendance.

Old Clee is great for interacting and work due to the multiple shops and a factory!For children…read morethere is plenty of space to play loads of different sports and a school.

Old Clee is a village..odd to review a village? Well it is now swallowed up between Grimsby and…read moreCleethorpes but still feels like a village. It was once tidal and reading will and inventories for here shows it was a prosperous place, full of yeoman farmers and fishermen, and in the 1600's several had valuable bibles and could read. The houses around the church are interesting. Dutch gable ends built by overseers of the Dutch community draining the lands. Also an amazing Turor stile manor with barley stick chimmneys. Fletcher Christian (of The Bounty) is said to come from here. It is lanes and quite amid the noise of the neighbouring areas. I was part of an archeological dif here but no significant finds. The main focal point is Old Clee Church. The 2nd Oldest Building in Grimsby. Holy Trinity and Saint Mary. The Saxon Tower dates back to c1050AD, and was designed to warn locals of Viking invasion. It was once administered by Wellow Abbey in Grimsby and the Bishops Visitation reports at the time are really funny to read (NO history isn't stuffy!) where the monk taking services whiines and complains of not liking leaving his monastary and the walk of about 2 miles was bad and he got hungry etc. No shops or cafes etc but the church is usually open to look around and the architecture is worth a look too. Look for the stone of the witches head on the tower. Sometimes I can see it and sometimes I can't. I think she pops out.

Until the dissolution of religious houses under Henry VIII, a Benedictine Abbey occupied the site…read more The present church is from 1722. It is not the interesting part. What is interesting are the lumps and bumps in the surrounding friends and chidrens playground. The Abbey remains. I was sent here, when working in the archeology dept. to measure and record for a future dig. Excavation of Humberston Abbey (1965-1970) revealed fragments of medieval painted glass, monks' coffins, bronze buckles and many other items of interest. Some lovely rainbow glass fragments and metal book furniture are my favourites. The thing is they were mainly amature archeologists and once they had uncoved some high walls (I was impressed at what was under those lumps and bumps when I saw the photos) they stopped. The thing is the archeology would have been below that! Anyway we didn't get permission because of the graveyard and playground. Worth a look if you are interested though. A few stones, some worked, are above ground. There is also a huge mound, behind the church, which is an ice house. Possible to get in on the other side but unfortunately in the garden of the manor. I knocked and asked and they let me go in and take photos.

I once worked here and spent a New Years Eve as it was then the Railway Club. It stood empty a…read morewhile but the diversity of the community in the town grew and it now has a new use. The Sikh Gurdwara (Temple) developed during the period of 1992/1993. The main donations for the purchase of the building and its conversion came from Sikh communities in neighbouring cities. Although the community in Grimsby was fairly small, they managed to collect enough donations to start a thriving Sikh Temple which is situated in Railway Street. An extension was built in 1997 to add a Community Hall and Library; this was made possible through a substantial grant from the Lotteries Fund and a significant grant from the local council. The first Sikh family arrived in Grimsby around 1983 to run a grocery store in a village after seeing the property advertised in the National Press. This then expanded to more Sikh families taking the opportunity to run similar businesses in the Grimsby area. In the early 1990's Sikh Doctors started practising in Grimsby and this expansion of the professional community continued for severalyears. Currently the Sikh community, of Grimsby, numbers approximately 175 people mostly working within the NationalHealth Service as Doctors, Dentists,Opticians, etc. The congregation meets every Sunday from 10.30am until 2pm; this is when meals (Langar) are served, cooked by volunteers. Those assembled eat together in the Gurdwara. There are many other functions held in the Gurdwara throughout the year. Visitors are welcomed to services.

used to help out with a sunday service very nice people to talk toread more