Johnny o’ the Grass was a wiseman from Louth, and allegedly got his powers by making a deal with the Devil. An old tale informs us that he rode up to Tibs Toll-bar, near Girsby Hall, and was told he had to pay a toll for his donkey but not for himself, as people did not incur a charge – so he disembarked and whispered into his donkey’s ear, at which point the donkey turned into a man. Safely through, Johnny whispered into the man’s ear, it turned back into a donkey, and he re-embarked and continued his journey.

As shown on the UK turnpike registry, there was indeed a toll-bar in Burgh on Bain, which the registry places at the ‘junction with Girsby Lane.’

The tale of the shape-shifting donkey is the most famous one associated with Johnny o’ the Grass, but others are included by Michael Wray in 13 Traditional Ghost Stories from Lincolnshire (2003). These include one involving a pewter mug that sprouted a tree, then several tree-felling dwarves, in addition to the arrival of a flock of self-beheading birds.

Words by RORY WATERMAN