On the trail of vikings: a stroll under vast Lincolnshire skies to a 14th-century pub

A walk on the wolds side to a haunted foodie pub through historic, rolling Tennyson country

Tealby. Two syllables hinting at 1,600 years of history. The name of this little Lincolnshire wolds spot is thought to mean “village of the Taifali people”. Which is odd, as the east Germanic Taifali tribe hailed from the Carpathian mountains, far from the east Midlands.

It seems that a Roman cavalry unit, the Equites Taifali, was stationed hereabouts in the late fourth century to defend nearby Lindum (Lincoln) – and never left. The Old Danish “-by” (“farmstead” or “village”) was added by the Vikings, who later settled here.