Skelton is a small village and civil parish about 5 miles (8 km) north west of Penrith

Penrith, Cumbria

Penrith was an urban district between 1894 and 1974, when it was merged into Eden District.The authority's area was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith although when the council was abolished Penrith became an unparished area....

 in the English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 county of Cumbria

Cumbria

Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...

. It is on the former route of the B5305 road, which is now about 1 miles (1.6 km) to the north.

The village has a primary school, shop cum postoffice, pub, and Anglican

Church of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

 and Methodist churches.

Close to the village is the Skelton transmitting station and the stately home of Hutton-in-the-Forest

Hutton in the Forest

Hutton in the Forest is a country house in the historic county of Cumberland, which now forms part of the modern county of Cumbria, England. It has belonged to the Fletcher-Vane family, latterly the Barons Inglewood, since 1605....

 the family home of Lord Inglewood

Baron Inglewood

Baron Inglewood, of Hutton in the Forest in the County of Cumberland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1964 for the Conservative politician William Fletcher-Vane. He was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon...

.

Skelton Agricultural Show is one of the largest in Cumbria and takes place on the first Saturday in July at Hutton-in-the-Forest.

The large parish of Skelton includes the villages and hamlets of Ellonby

Ellonby

Ellonby is a hamlet in the parish of Skelton, in the Eden District, in the English county of Cumbria.To the north of the hamlet, at Hardrigg Hall, a ruined 14th century pele tower adjoins a 19th century farmhouse.- References :...

, Lamonby

Lamonby

Lamonby is a hamlet in the Eden District, in the county of Cumbria. It is located near the B5305 road and the village of Skelton. The surname, Lamonby originates from the hamlet.- References :*...

, Unthank

Unthank, Skelton

Unthank is a village in the civil parish of Skelton, in Cumbria, England....

, Unthank End

Unthank End

Unthank End is a hamlet in Cumbria, England.-References:*...

, Skelton Wood End, Laithes

Laithes

Laithes is a hamlet in the parish of Skelton, in the Eden District, in the English county of Cumbria.- References :*Philip's Street Atlas...

, Hutton End, Hutton Row, New Rent Braithwaite and Middlesceugh

Middlesceugh

Middlesceugh is a hamlet in the civil parish of Skelton, in the Eden district, in the county of Cumbria, England. Middlesceugh has a SSSI called Middlesceugh Woods And Pastures.- External links :...

.

In 1934 the parish absorbed the former civil parishes of Hutton-in-the-Forest; and Middlesceugh and Braithwaite; plus part of Dalston

Dalston, Cumbria

Dalston is a large village and civil parish within the City of Carlisle district of Cumbria, England. It is situated on the B5299 road about four miles south-south-west of Carlisle city centre, and approximately five miles from Junction 42 of the M6 motorway.The village has a population of around...

.

Hutton-in-the-Forest included New Rent, Hutton End and Hutton Row and was bordered on the east by Hesket-in-the-Forest

Hesket, Cumbria

Hesket is a large civil parish in Eden District, Cumbria, England. It was formed in 1934 by a County Review Order which merged the civil parishes of Hesket in the Forest and Plumpton Wall.-Villages in the parish:...

. "Forest" refers to the ancient royal hunting ground

Royal forest

A royal forest is an area of land with different meanings in England, Wales and Scotland; the term forest does not mean forest as it is understood today, as an area of densely wooded land...

 of Inglewood Forest

Inglewood Forest

Inglewood Forest is the name now given on maps to a large tract of mainly arable and dairy farm land with a few small woodland areas between Carlisle and Penrith in the English non-metropolitan county of Cumbria or ancient county of Cumberland....

which included all of the present day Skelton.