Keisby, near Bourne, Lincolnshire

THE NAME Keisby comes from the Old Norse meaning Kisi's farmstead or village and the settlement does indeed have ancient origins, having been mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and in various documents since and there have also been a variety of spellings over the years ranging from Chisebi to Kisebi and Kysebi.

This is not so much a village as a few farm houses and buildings on a lonely road seven miles north west of Bourne but the scene has been greatly enhanced by a local farmer, Mr Alan Richardson, who has spent time and money on creating a small but picturesque lake for all to enjoy. The work was carried out in 1976 when he brought in a bulldozer and a digger to clear the area and create an island in the middle. The basin soon filled naturally with water and he has also built a culvert to control the level during the year.

Mr Richardson, who lives opposite at Villa Farm, owns the land but welcomes caring visitors and he has even planted trees and flowers and placed a seat on the edge of the lake for all to enjoy the view. He told me that this beautiful facility has no name and many call it Keisby Pool although I have received an email from a lady, Christine Elliott, who tells me that it was actually created by her late father, Jack Arnold. "He was 52 years old when he dug the lake", she wrote. "The idea was to stock it with trout and swans and use it for fishing but it never came about. Jack was a farm worker and the only person able to drive a digger, hence the reason why he was chosen to create the lake."

Perhaps it should therefore be known as Jack's Lake.