The village of Somersby, in the Lincolnshire Wolds, counts hardly more than a dozen houses, and the nearby village of Bag Enderby even fewer. Yet both are interesting since the father of the great poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), the Poet Laureate, was the Rector of the two village churches for over twenty years. Oddly enough, they are both dedicated to St Margaret.
St Margaret's, Somersby
©Edward Burman
Alfred was born in Somersby, and baptised in St Margaret’s, which is opposite what was then the rectory and family home. He lived in the village for much of the next thirty years.
They both date in their present form from the 15th century, although the Somersby church is thought to go back to the twelfth century. They are build of local sandstone, and are delightful and relatively untouched examples of remote country churches.
St Margaret's, Bag Enderby
©Edward Burman