Previously Skirlaugh was made up of two settlements either side of Lambwath stream which were distinguished from the 13th century by the prefixes North and South. North Skirlaugh was formerly the head of the two settlements and takes it name from an Anglo Scandinavian hybrid meaning "bright clearing". South Skirlaugh's main street was probably Church Lane, which continues northward into North Skirlaugh and then into Rise and at the southern end joins Hull Road, which is the main road form Hull to Bridlington.
North Skirlaugh hamlet (small village) in 1782 had 12 houses along a street that lead northwards into Rise and at the southern end crossed Lambwath stream into South Skirlaugh. A farm house called North Skirlaugh Grange stood East of the street with 1 or 2 houses along Lambwath stream in a short side lane. In 1862 a terrace of cottages were built (Vicarage Cottages or Vicarage Row) and in 1869 Vicarage House was added to what is now known as Vicarage Lane. Springfield House and Ivy cottage were later built c.1900. Skirlaugh Union workhouse was built 1838-9 to serve parishes in mid Holderness. Following the removal of children to Beverley and the few remaining inmates in 1915, the Workhouses became a military hospital in 1916. In 1922 The Council bought the building and eventually all the buildings were and are still used, as council offices. Since 1852 and mid 20th Century South Skirlaugh was built up along Hull Road, Church Lane, Benningholme Lane and similar development in North Skirlaugh virtually made the two Skirlaugh's one.
South Skirlaugh had up to 4 houses licensed in the 18th Century and "Sun" and "Duke of York" were named in 1820. The latter briefly being called "Royal" in 1840. A 3rd house run by a Wheelwright from 1840 was presumably the Carpenters Arms at the South end but was closed in or soon after 1968.
A lodge of the United Ancient order of Druids was founded at South Skirlaugh in 1859 which met at the Duke of York, it flourished until 1938. A reading room and Working Men's Institute for North Skirlaugh was opened in 1886 in a former primitive Methodist chapel. By 1908 it had been removed to an old Wesleyan Methodist Chapel which in 1960 was demolished for the road widening and a new building built nearby.
About 1972 a former school building was adapted and became the new Village Hall.
The Council built c.90 houses mainly along Hull Road, but the greater part of the modern houses are private.
Walter Skirlaugh is said (and Leland quotes the tradition) to have been the son of a sieve-maker; but it seems highly probable that the tradition arose from the bearing on the man's shield of arms - six ozier-wands interlaced.
Skirlaugh was educated at Durham House in Oxford, became Bishop of Coventry & Lichfield in 1385, was translated to Bath & Wells in 1386 and finally removed to Durham, two years later.
Bishop Skirlaugh was buried in the north choir-aisle of his cathedral at Durham.
North Skirlaugh, Rowton, and Arnold are in the north division of the Wapentake, and in the North Holderness petty sessional division; and the remainder of the parish is in the middle division of the Wapentake, and the petty sessional division of Middle Holderness.
The soil is strong loam and clay; the subsoil clay; and the chief crops are wheat, oats, barley, peas, and beans.
The village of North Skirlaugh stands on the bank of the stream, opposite South Skirlaugh, eight miles south-west from Hornsea, and nine miles from Hull, The Vicarage House is situated in the village.
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