Skillington
Encyclopedia
Skillington is a rural village, located to the south-west of Lincolnshire
and is within three miles of the Leicestershire border. Nearby villages include Buckminster
, Sproxton
, Stainby
, Sewstern
, Colsterworth
and Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth
, with the latter famous as the birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton. Indeed, it is suggested by many historians that Newton may have spent some considerable time in Skillington, perhaps even being schooled there for periods.
The parish church is a grade I listed building dedicated to Saint James
. It dates from the 11th century and is built of limestone
. The tower dates from the 13th century. The vestry
was added in the 19th century. The font
is 14th-century, and there is a 17th-century oak chest. Built into the north wall of the chancel
are two fine 13th-century grave slabs, one re-used in memory of John Bowfield, who died in 1730. There are two stained glass windows to the memory of Rev Charles Hudson, vicar, killed on the Matterhorn in 1865.
Skillington has also performed consistently well within the small village category of the national village in bloom contest and was the competition's first consecutive winner in the years of 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
and is within three miles of the Leicestershire border. Nearby villages include Buckminster
Buckminster
Buckminster is a village and civil parish within the Melton district of Leicestershire, England. It is on the B676 road, between Melton Mowbray and the A1....
, Sproxton
Sproxton, Leicestershire
Sproxton is a village and civil parish within the Borough of Melton in Leicestershire, England, close to the border with Lincolnshire. It has a population of 480....
, Stainby
Stainby
Stainby is a small hamlet of around 30 houses located in south west Lincolnshire in the district of South Kesteven. It is only a very short distance to the border with Leicestershire ....
, Sewstern
Sewstern
Sewstern is a village in the Melton district of east Leicestershire.It lies just south of Buckminster, with which it shares a , situated between the two villages, and a parish council...
, Colsterworth
Colsterworth
Colsterworth is a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. The village, together with the hamlet of Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, had a population of 1,508 according to the 2001 census. It lies half a mile to the west of the A1, seven miles south of Grantham...
and Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth
Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth
Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth is a hamlet in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is probably best known as the birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton....
, with the latter famous as the birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton. Indeed, it is suggested by many historians that Newton may have spent some considerable time in Skillington, perhaps even being schooled there for periods.
The parish church is a grade I listed building dedicated to Saint James
Saint James
-Saints:*James the Just, considered the author of the Epistle of James in the New Testament, and the first bishop of Jerusalem*James, son of Zebedee, apostle, brother of John the Apostle, sometimes called "James the Great"...
. It dates from the 11th century and is built of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. The tower dates from the 13th century. The vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
was added in the 19th century. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is 14th-century, and there is a 17th-century oak chest. Built into the north wall of the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
are two fine 13th-century grave slabs, one re-used in memory of John Bowfield, who died in 1730. There are two stained glass windows to the memory of Rev Charles Hudson, vicar, killed on the Matterhorn in 1865.
Skillington has also performed consistently well within the small village category of the national village in bloom contest and was the competition's first consecutive winner in the years of 2003, 2004 and 2005.