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Halton Holegate Haunting
The tale concerns a farmhouse in the village of Halton Holegate, near Spilsby, which was reportedly the site of a haunting in the nineteenth century – though the story doesn’t end with that. The incumbents, Mr and Mrs Wilson, were subject to disturbing sounds of furniture moving on its own, and…
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Long Sutton Day
Bells worked the summer sky. From the library we walked through a hot Saturday; coated in sun lotion. In front of St Mary’s, a VW wedding. As honour guard, veteran cars lined up with blue and white streamers. From shop doorways, many stared.
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Gibraltar Point Fog Horse
Legend has it that a farmer on his way to Skegness Market tried to take his horse on a shortcut along the beach at Gibraltar Point. The day was foggy, the farmer lost his way in the mist and drowned in the rising tide…
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A Personal Perspective on Lincolnshire Folklore
Recently I had the pleasure of talking to a friend of mine called Rob, a Lincolnshire local who grew up and still lives in North Hykeham. Having spent the last couple of months planning events and researching in archives, I was interested in a more personal perspective on Lincolnshire folklore…
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Rantanning
Ran-tan-ning or Ran-tan-tan, an onomatopoeically named custom of delivering folk justice to disproportionately violent members of a community (here, a domestic abuser). Ethel Rudkin records it Holton-le-Clay, Langwith and Willoughton, and the process goes something like this…
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Gibbery Gap
At Micklow Hill (Michael-low-hill), near the North Lincolnshire village of Kirmington, a battle took place during the English Civil Wars, between the forces of Parliament and those of the King. One Royalist soldier, who had been disembowelled, tried to reach Kirmington. He went through a hedge-gap and crossed Caistor Lane (now Caistor Road). But he…
Lincolnshire Folk Tales Project 