Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) was Lincolnshire born, and one of the great Victorian poets. His early life at Somersley in the Lincolnashire Wolds is reflected in his writings about the hills, woods and becks as well as the Mablethorpe beach. Tennyson may no longer be fashionable but a new book by Richard Holmes “The Boundless Deep: Young Tennyson, Science and the Crisis of Belief,” reveals the poets lifelong interest in geology and astronomy. He had many scientist friends. As indicated by the title, this is a tale of mental, spiritual turmoil and a struggle for belief, and its ultimate resolution. Amongst his admirers was the now forgotten Catholic poet Coventry Patmore and the two converts, Irishman Aubrey de Vere and Scotsman Robert Monteith.

An interesting day out would be to cross the bridge and head for Somersby. The rectory where he was born is not open to the public but his father’s nearby church is usually open with its small display of Tennyson memorabilia. To complete your tour, stop in Louth and view the Parish Church with it’s elegant spire. This was the focal point of the 1536 Lincolnshire Rising, but that is another story. The poet went to King Edward School before going up to Cambridge,