"built in the early to mid 1800's where the landlady would provide the ale and supper, while the landlord would shoe horses and serve as the blacksmith"

http://www.thecross-swordsinn.co.uk/ 

Interesting history available via the village website. Also for the former Blue Horse Inn.

http://www.skillingtonlife.co.uk/pubhist.html 

Listed in Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1919 "Burchnall M.C (Miss), Cross Swords P.H"

and in White's Directory 1856 "Herring Edward, vict. Cross Swords"

DB 19 September 2020

The brass plaque states "SITE OF MEDIEVAL FISH WELL RESTORED 2000".

Located on Back Lane near its junction with Fish Well Close. Marked as "Fish Well"  on OS 25 inch map published 1904. 

"A Brief History of Skillington" states that this is a memorial and the the location the original well has "been built upon".

http://www.skillingtonlife.co.uk/skillingtonhistory.html 

DB 19 September 2020

The tower has thirteenth-century bell openings with Y-tracery and a broach spire of the Decorated period. The lucarnes are in two tiers.

March 2017

A pleasing building of several periods on the edge of the village - on the edge of the county.

March 2017

White's Directory of Lincolnshire 1856 states:-

"The Church (St. James) is an ancient structure, mostly in the transition style, with a tower containing two bells, and crowned by a broach spire.

The church was newly seated and restored in 1854-5.

The vicarage, valued at K.B. at £5. 9s. 6d., and now at £105, is in the patronage of Christopher Turnor, Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. S. M. Mackay, M.A., who has 28A. 2R. 5p, of glebe, and a handsome Vicarage House, erected in 1850-1 by the patron and impropriator, aided by £200 of Queen Anne's Bounty"

DB 19 September 2020 

Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1919 states :-

"The church of St. James is a building of stone, chiefly in the Early English style, with some Saxon or Early Norman work at the north-east angle of the nave, and Decorated insertions; it consists of chancel, clerestoried nave of two bays, south transept, aisles, south porch and a tower of three stages with an octagonal broach spire containing 5 bells:

in the transept is a sedile and a double piscina:

there is also a piscina and an aumbry in the chancel :

fixed in the north wall of the chancel are two sepulchral slabs of the 14th century, with fine floriated crosses :

in the south aisle is a stained window to the Rev. Charles Hudson, vicar of this parish, who perished on the Matterhorn in 1865:

on the same side in the chancel is a smaller window commemorating the same event:

in the north wall of the chancel is a double lancet window:

there are sittings for 205 persons"

DB 19 September 2020

The stiff-leaf capital below the chancel arch.

September 2016

The fone is octagonal in section and dates from the Perpendicular period.

The decoration is attractive and cleanly cut. In squares on the stem are leaves, flowers and faces. The bowl is decorated with quatrefoils and surmounted by crenallation.

March 2017

This exceptionally long grave cover is mounted on the north wall of the chancel.

March 2017

The south arcade (right), 2-bay, dates from the early 13th century; the north arcade and the chancel arch (ahead) are late in the same century.

September 2016

A simple decorative label stop in th interior of St James's church.

September 2016

Memorial window to Revd Charles Hudson.

September 2016

Section of the Hudson memorial window depicting the mountaineer's equipment -ropes, ice-axe etc

September 2016

Inscription beneath the memorial window listing the mountaineers who subscribed to the window.

Subscribers:  A R Abbott, J Barrow, F Birkbeck, J Birkbeck Jnr, Rev G F Browne, Rev H M Butler, H Elwes, W E Forster, J H Fox, W D Freshfield, W Hardman, Hon A Herbert, T W Hinchcliff, Rev G C Hodgkinson, G F Hodgkinson, Rev J J Hornby, G C Joad, A Johnson, E S Kennedy, T S Kennedy, W Longman, W Mathews Jnr, A Reilly, Rev G Robertson, S Robinson, J C Ross, E B Smith, H Smith, Rev C Smyth, Rev G Smyth, F F Tuckett, C Venner, R S Watson, E Whymper, Rev W Wigram, S Winkworth.

September 2016

Inscription beneath the memorial window listing the mountaineers who subscribed to the window.

September 2016

The south porch dates from the late thirteenth century.

March 2017

Leaf capitals at the south porch entrance (late thirteenth century).

March 2017

Remains of C14 Village Cross.

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1168326 

Located on The Green next to the church. 

DB 17 May 2018

In "Brief Details of Chapels in the Grantham Circuit" Revised August 1998 Colin Sheperdson and Allen Griffin state :- 

"i) Methodism was introduced circa 1782 and a chapel built in 1802. Closed in 1847 it is now a cottage in Chapel Lane.

ii) A second chapel was erected on The Green in 1847. It was enlarged and reopened on the 14.12.1905 and is still in use with a membership of 20" 

Geoff Swain Collection 6 February 1994

Detail of the 1847 date stone above the main entrance.

White's Directory of Lincolnshire 1856 states "The Wesleyans have a neat chapel here, built in 1847, at the cost of £600".

DB 19 September 2020