"A footbridge provides pedestrian access from the west of the village to the east over the A1"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Ponton 

The original village school was located a little beyond the footbridge beside the Great North Road and is now beneath the northbound carriageway of the A1.

"The A1 is the longest numbered road in the UK ... it was designated by the Ministry of Transport in 1921, and for much of its route it followed various branches of the historic Great North Road"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A1_road_(Great_Britain) 

DB 19 September 2020

Former Blue Horse public house listed in Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1930 "Burton Frank, Blue Horse P.H. TN Grantham 2X3"

Now converted into private accommodation.

Pictured from the pedestrian footbridge over the A1 (historic Great North Road).

DB 19 September 2020

Ceramic plaque above the main entrance.

DB 19 September 2020

Ellys Manor was the home of the Ellys family, who were rich wool merchants.

It was built in the early 1500s and features a prominent gable end reminiscent of contemporary houses in northern Europe.

It has very fine wall paintings upstairs.

The most spectacular feature of Great Ponton's Ellys Manor is the early 16th century wall paintings which are widely regarded as the finest domestic wall paintings in Britain.

They feature trees and other lush plant life shading deer and peacocks in a French tapestry style.

A fine Tudor wool merchant's house, built in the Flemish style. It is roughly L-shaped with high crow-stepped gables to the east.

The outstanding feature of the house is a scheme of early 16th century wall paintings in the upper rooms.

H D Martineau, c.1980

The prominent tower of this church was rebuilt in 1519 by the Ellys family, rich wool merchants of the adjecent Ellys Manor.

The chancel arch and arcade are 13th century, the rest is later Perpendicular.
It was restored in 1872.

Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1919 states :-

"The church of the Holy Cross, which occupies an elevated position near the Great Northern railway, is a building of stone in the best and purest form of the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel with north aisle, nave of three bays, aisles, south porch and a tower at the west end, 78 feet in height, and containing 5 bells:

the oldest feature is part of a finely proportioned and lofty arcade of early 14th century work, on the north side of the chancel; but the easternmost arch is closed with masonry, so as to form a vestry ; the other incloses the organ ; the rest of the fabric is Perpendicular:

a newel staircase to the rood loft remains on the south side of the chancel arch and the chancel contains a shelved aumbry and a sedile:

the massive tower, though erected so late as 1519, is a splendid example of Perpendicular work and in excellent condition; it has double buttresses, relieved by richly decorated canopied niches; over the base mouldings is a band of quatrefoil work with shields bearing various devices, and over the belfry windows is a similar hand; the whole is finished with an elaborately panelled parapet and eight crocketed pinnacles:

on the west tace of the tower are the Royal arms and supporters surmounted by a crown, and on the north and south faces the legend "Thynke, and Thanke God of all."

The builder was one Anthony Ellys, merchant of the staple of Calais, who purchased lands here and built himself a home near the church; the remains of his tomb, on which his armorial bearings were carved, formerly stood in the northeast corner of the chapel adjoining the chancel; his arms appear also on the spandrels of the tower doorway supported by angels :

there are 200 sittings"

DB 19 September 2020

White's Directory of Lincolnshire 1872 states :-

"The tower of the Church (Holy Cross), is a fine building, said to have been erected in 1519, by Anthony Ellys, Esq., merchant of the staple, who is reported to have sent his wife several casks, inscribed" Calais sand.'' On his return he asked what she had done with the casks, and finding them safely stored in the cellar, he told her they contained the bulk of his riches, with which, being childless, they agreed to build a new tower, in thanksgiving to God for his escape from the persecutions of Louis XIV.

The Church consists of nave, north and south aisles and chancel, and its lofty tower, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, is much admired and contains five bells.

The buttresses have canopied niches, and the whole is crowned by a richly carved entablature, with panelled battlements and crocketed pinnacles.

Mrs. Ann Ayscough, who died here in 1633, aged 114 years, remembered this fine tower being finished.

The Church was newly roofed, re-seated, and thoroughly restored in 1871, by the present rector, when the stone flooring of the pews was removed and a boarded one substituted"

DB 19 September 2020

Date stone, in the northwest corner of the churchyard wall, next to a footpath.

DB 19 September 2020

"Late C13 gabled south porch with pointed single chamfered outer door with moulded imposts"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1062347 

DB 19 September 2020

"1519 west tower built by Anthony Ellis, merchant of Staple of Calais"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1062347 

White's Directory of Lincolnshire 1872 states :- 

"The tower of the Church (Holy Cross), is a fine building, said to have been erected in 1519, by Anthony Ellys, Esq., merchant of the staple, who is reported to have sent his wife several casks, inscribed" Calais sand.'' On his return he asked what she had done with the casks, and finding them safely stored in the cellar, he told her they contained the bulk of his riches, with which, being childless, they agreed to build a new tower, in thanksgiving to God for his escape from the persecutions of Louis XIV"

DB 19 September 2020

Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1919 states "On the west tace of the tower are the Royal arms and supporters surmounted by a crown"

DB 19 September 2020

Grotesque with spectacles.

"Decorated battlemented parapet with further frieze, 8 crocketed pinnacles, and 2 large grotesque chutes to each face"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1062347 

DB 19 September 2020

"On the south side the inscription "Thynk and thyanke God of all" under the arms of Anthony Ellis with hood mould"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1062347 

DB 19 September 2020

"Decorated battlemented parapet with further frieze, 8 crocketed pinnacles, and 2 large grotesque chutes to each face.

Golden violin weather vane"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1062347 

DB 19 September 2020

Somerset style tower viewed from beside the A1 (historic Great North Road).

Manor House partly visible bottom right.

DB 19 September 2020

A type 22 pillbox on Stroxton Lane at OS Grid Ref: SK 91098 30442.

https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/21895/Pillbox-FW3-22-Great-Ponton.htm 

DB 6 December 2023

Former village post office.

An entry in Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1919 reads " Post & Telegraph Office - George Edward Parker, subpostmaster. Letters through Grantham. The nearest money order office is at London road, Grantham"

An earlier entry in White's Directory 1872 has "POST OFFICE at Mr. John Brewin's, where letters arrive at 6.30 a.m., and are despatched at 6.15 p.m., via Grantham, which is the nearest Money Order Office"

DB 19 September 2020

Square obelisk located in Holy Cross churchyard.

"Main dedication and WW1 names engraved on the plinth. WW2 names are on the base"

https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/54217 

DB 19 September 2020

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

"i) Preaching commenced 1801 and a Society formed in 1803. An old chaff house was converted into a chapel in 1805.

ii) The foundation stone of the second chapel was laid on the 2.6.1898 and the chapel opened on the 29.9.1898. The last service was held on the 5.10.1975 and the chapel subsequently converted into a house".

Located on Dallygate at National Grid Reference SK927303.

The Primitive  Methodist Chapel, Mill Lane closed in the 1940's and has subsequently been demolished.

Geoff Swain Collection 9 May 1994

A second image of the chapel pictured after its conversion to a private dwelling.

Date stone on the porch reading 1898.

DB 19 September 2020