The historic village of Haxey, located close to the North Lincolnshire border, lies 35kms from the county town of Lincoln and is home to 4,300 residents as well as the 700-year-old Haxey Hood annual traditional event. Haxey is set on a small hill surrounded by marshland, with the River Trent running in the distance beyond the village of Owston Ferry. Its pretty parish church dates partly from Norman times and the traditional local pubs, several of which double as Haxey hotels, are all involved in the Haxey Hood festivities. The Haxey Hood is held on the 12th day of Christmas each year and involves traditionally-costumed villagers taking part in a rugby-style 'scrum' , pushing a leather tube representing the 'hood' between all four local pubs amid much merriment. Parallels exist between the riotous ritual and European prehistoric sacrificial bog burials, with the Haxey 'scrum' taking place bordering the local bogs. The event involves gallons of free drinks, traditional folk songs, painted faces and the right to kiss any woman along the path of the scrum. The game ends when the players, covered in mud, manage to deliver the 'hood' to one of the local pubs.

other spellings: haxyehotels, haexy otel, hxaey hotell, ahxey hote, haxey hotle