Pickering

North Yorkshire

Pickering is a market town in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire.

The town is 8 miles north of Malton and about 17 miles west of Scarborough.

The ancient town at the gateway to the North York Moors National Park has several historic attractions which have made it popular with tourists.

They include the southern terminus of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, the longest of Yorkshire's heritage railways. The line was reopened by enthusiasts after the Beeching cuts closed the route from Grosmont to Pickering in 1965. The line's earliest origins date back to the opening through to Pickering in 1836 of the then horse-drawn Whitby and Pickering Railway. The line was built with the aim of better connecting the isolated port of Whitby, around 21 miles north across the moors, with the rest of the country.

Another attraction of the town is its Norman castle, which was originally built when King William the Conqueror held the manor of Pickering. (More details can be found below.)

The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul is built on the site of a Saxon church. The present church is of Norman origin with additions from the 14th and 15th century, the most spectacular of which are the mid-15th century wall paintings.

The town itself has plenty of characterful historic architecture with listed buildings lining its Market Place and nearby streets .

Catering for the tourists, Pickering has a good selection, of cafes, tearooms, inns and restaurants.

Town features

Pickering is close to the North York Moors National Park.

Pickering has a castle.

Pickering has a station on one of Yorkshire's heritage railways.

Pickering has an old parish church.

Pickering has a museum.

Pickering has a good range of independent shops and holds a traditional market. (Mon).

The town has a sub-Post Office.

Pickering has bank and building society branches.

The town has a pharmacy.

Pickering has several pubs.

The town offers a choice of inns, bistros, cafes, restaurants and take-aways.

The town has a library.

There are public toilets in the town.

Pickering has a theatre.

Places to stay in Pickering include hotel, guest house, inn, holiday home accommodation.

Travel

Bus travel

The town has bus services to neighbouring towns and villages, the Yorkshire coast, York and Leeds.

Pickering

Pickering has a station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, the longest of Yorkshire's heritage railways. See 'Places to visit' below.

Road travel

Pickering can be reached via the A170 A169 .

Places to visit

North York Moors National Park

The Ryedale district north of Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside and Pickering includes some of the beautiful scenery of the North York Moors National Park. The park covers a total of 554 square miles (1,435 square kilometres). Within its area are moorland and coast, historic stateley homes, remains of castles and abbeys and attractive villages. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway provides a historic railway journey into the National Park from Pickering. For more information see our page dedicated to the North York Moors.

Pickering Castle

Castlegate, Pickering
Pickering Castle was originally built as a Norman motte and bailey timber castle at a time when the Manor of Pickering was held by the king, William the Conqueror, as recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. It was mostly rebuilt in stone between 1180 and 1236, although the stonework of the outer bailey was not completed until about 1326 in the reign of Edward II. The castle then guarded the nearby forest, was also used as a court and prison and was the place where Edward II's royal stud was managed. The castle's remains are well-preserved in comparison to some other castles as it did not suffer during the War of the Roses or the English Civil War. The castle is managed by English Heritage.

More information at the English Heritage - Pickering Castle website.

Find on map: Pickering Castle

Helmsley Castle

Castlegate, Helmsley
Helmsley Castle is at the western side of Helmsley overlooking the River Rye. The ruins provide an insight into the development and remodelling of the castle between the 12th and 14th centuries and the Tudor mansion house created on the site in the 16th century. An unusual feature of the early castle was the creation of two great towers rather than the more common single keep. Although through most of its life it was the centre of a family estate, the castle was briefly in royal hands when in 1478 it was bought by Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who owned the castle until his death as King Richard III in 1485, after which it reverted to family ownership. In the English Civil War the castle had been held for the Royalists, but surrendered to Parliament in November 1644, after which it was slighted. The castle, managed by English Heritage, is open daily except from November to mid-February when there are weekend opening times. Helmsley is also the location of an English Heritage archaeology store for the north of England which can be visited on pre-bookable monthly tours.

Find out more at the English Heritage - Helmsley Castle website.

Find on map: Helmsley Castle

Rievaulx Abbey

Rievaulx, near Helmsley, North Yorkshire
The first Cistercian abbey in the North of England was founded in 1132 but became one of the most important in the country, quickly growing to a 650-strong community within its first 30 years. However by the time of supression of the monastery in December 1538 the number had fallen to 23 monks. The abbey in the valley of the River Rye in the North York Moors National Park has substantial remains, particularly of its 13th century church which were saved from further collapse by repair work 100 years ago. The abbey also has a museum containing architectural stonework and other artefacts found at the site, including chess pieces, coins and small personal possessions. The visitor centre also has a tearoom. Rievaulx is 2.5 miles west-north-west of Helmsley and about 11 miles east of Thirsk. The abbey is managed by English Heritage.

More information at the

English Heritage - Rievaulx Abbey website.

Find Rievaulx Abbey on map

Nunnington Hall

Nunnington
Nunnington Hall Situated on the banks of the River Rye, around a 7 mile drive from Helmsley, 10 miles from Malton and 13 miles from Pickering, Nunnington Hall offers the chance to explore period rooms of a Yorkshire manor house. Although there has been a large house at the site since the mid 13th century, the present Hall has developed from one of the Tudor period with extensive remodelling in the late 17th century. The house has an organic walled garden, spring flowering meadows and a tea room. It also houses one of the finest collections of scale miniature period rooms, offers a changing programme of art and photography exhibitions and hosts various events including the Ryedale Book Festival. The house is managed by the National Trust.
More information at the

National Trust - Nunnington Hall web pages.
Locate on map:

Nunnington Hall

Byland Abbey

Byland, near Coxwold, North Yorkshire
Byland Abbey features the ruins of one of the largest and grandest Cistercian abbey churches in England. Completed towards the end of the 12th century, it is noted for its Gothic architecture which inspired that in other church buildings, including York Minster. The lower portion of a huge rose window gives some idea of the scale and magnificence of the building before the dissolution of the monastery. The abbey also has tiled floors surviving from the 13th century. The abbey is in the North York Moors National Park about 5 miles south-west of Helmsley (6 miles by road) and 8 miles east-south-east of Thirsk (12 miles by road). The abbey is managed by English Heritage.

More information at

English Heritage - Byland Abbey website.
Find on map:

Byland Abbey

Goathland

North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Grosmont Pickering to Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby
A heritage railway running for 18 miles through the beautiful scenery of the North York Moors National Park. The line runs from Pickering, through Goathland, one of Yorkshire's famous TV and film locations to Grosmont with some journeys extended over the Network Rail Esk Valley line to the picturesque seaside harbour town of Whitby. The 10,000-member charitable Trust behind the railway celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017. With more than 350,000 passengers a year the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is possibly the most popular heritage railway in the world.

For details see the

North Yorkshire Moors Railway website.

Castle Howard

The Stray, between Welburn and Coneysthorpe, near Malton
Castle Howard One of Britain's finest stately homes is set in 1,000 acres of grounds scattered with temples, statues and follies. Situated about 5 miles west of Malton, it has been home to the Howard family for more than 300 years. The grounds have been opened to the public all year round and the house from April to October. Built to a design of Sir John Vanbrugh, work began in 1699 and took more than 100 years to complete. The house was beautifully restored after a devastating fire in November 1940. More recently Castle Howard has become familiar as Brideshead of the 1980s TV adaptation and 2008 film version of Evelyn Waugh's 'Brideshead Revisited'.
Further details can be found on the Castle Howard official website.
Locate on map:

Castle Howard

Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum

Eden Camp Museum, Malton Off Edenhouse Road, near A64/A169 junction, Malton
The museum, just north of the A64 Malton by-pass, is the site of what was established in 1942 as a Second World War camp to house Italian Prisoners of War. It also provided accomodation for Polish forces for a time before returning to use as a prison camp for German prisoners. After a number of post-war uses, a museum was opened in 1987 and has seen a growing number of displays in the original camp huts concentrating mainly on the Second World War but also covering the home front and post-war housing with further exhibits on the First World War and conflicts since the Second World War.
Further details at the

Eden Camp website.

Flamingo Land

Kirkby Misperton
Opened as a zoo in 1959, Flamingo Land has since the 1970s been blended with a growing number of theme park rides and now also offers a holiday village. The resort, covering 375 acres, is situated 3 miles south-south-west of Pickering and 5 miles north of Malton.

Kirkham Priory

Kirkham, near Malton
Situated in a beautiful section of the Derwent Valley around 5 miles south-west of Malton are the remains of the Augustinian Kirkham Priory. The Grade I listed priory dates from the 1120s and includes an impressive portion of its late 13th century gatehouse with sculptures of St George and the dragon, David and Goliath and heraldry of the lords of Helmsley Castle. Church walls from the 13th century and stone foundations also remain. The site is managed by English Heritage.

More information at the

English Heritage - Kirkham Priory website.
Find on map:

Kirkham Priory

Sheriff Hutton Castle

Sheriff Hutton, North Yorkshire
The village of Sheriff Hutton has the spectacular towering ruins of a medieval castle. The stone castle was built during the 1390s on a different site from an earlier 12th century wood and earthwork castle in Sheriff Hutton, built by the Sheriff of York. In the 14th century the land passed to the Neville family, which was responsible for raising the crenellated stone building. The quadrangular design with stone towers at its corners was of similar style to the more intact Castle Bolton, near Redmire. Just over 70 years after its building, Sheriff Hutton Castle became a royal castle. In the year before his marriage in 1472 to Anne Neville it was granted to Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who would 11 years later begin his short reign as King Richard III. Middleham Castle, granted at the same time, would however become the main residence for Richard's household. The castle remained in Crown hands and, in the 1520s, for a few years became the childhood home of Henry FitzRoy, the illegitimate son of King Henry VIII. Young Henry was born in 1519 to Elizabeth Blount, lady-in-waiting to the queen, Catherine of Aragon. The decay of the castle started in the 1600s when the castle was sold and stone was plundered for buildings around a new manor house. Today, the castle ruins and adjoining farm continue to be in private ownership, but are now promoted as a wedding and events venue. The ruins can, however, be easily seen from footpaths surrounding the castle site.

More information at the

Sheriff Hutton Castle website.
Find on map:

Sheriff Hutton Castle

Wharram Percy

Near Wharram-le-Street
Wharram Percy is the best preserved of many deserted medieval villages across Yorkshire. Situated in a beautiful hidden valley in the Yorkshire Wolds, the village was abandoned early in the 16th century after being occupied for around six centuries before that. The part-ruined church with its half-collapsed tower provides some clues as to when the village initially grew. Foundations of other buildings have also been exposed during archealogical excavations. The village can only be reached by a walk along sometimes muddy paths, the nearest road being just under a mile away. However, the deserted village offers an attractive place to pause on longer walking routes, including the Yorkshire Wolds Way and Centenary Way.
Find out more at the

English Heritage - Wharram Percy website.

Emergency services

North Yorkshire Police

North Yorkshire Police website.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service website.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust website.

Local government

Civil parish council

Pickering Town Council
Provides some local services in the area.
Link to council website

Pickering Town Council

District authority

Ryedale District Council

With its administrative centre in Malton, Ryedale District Council covers 575 square miles (1,489 square kilometres) and serves around 52,900 residents.

It is one of the seven large district councils within the North Yorkshire County Council area. Its population, slightly below that of Richmondshire, is the least among Yorkshire's district authorities, although this partly results from the 1996 round of council boundary tweaking when around half its original population were moved into an expanded City of York unitary authority district.

The district has boundaries to its south-west with the City of York, with North Yorkshire neighbours Hambleton in the west and Scarborough in the East and with the East Riding of Yorkshire to the south.

Much of the north of the district lies within the North York Moors National Park while the west of the district includes most of the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

In addition to Malton, Ryedale includes the towns of Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside, Pickering and Norton-on-Derwent and many villages.

The council is divided into 20 wards, each served by between one and three councillors. All 30 councillors are elected every four years, with elections due in 2019. There are also 121 parishes within Ryedale, 91 having a civil parish council and the remainder holding parish meetings.

Link to Ryedale District Council website.

The political composition after the May 2019 election was:

121152

30 members

County authority

North Yorkshire County Council
Includes the Ryedale borough and six other non-unitary districts of North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire County Council website.

Police and Crime Commissioner

Police and Crime Commissioner North Yorkshire
Covers the county of North Yorkshire and City of York.

Police and Crime Commissioner North Yorkshire website.

Fire Authority

The North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was previously governed by the North Yorkshire Combined Fire Authority made up of elected members from across the broad areas of North Yorkshire and City of York councils which it serves. Following a ministerial announcement in June 2018 the governance of the fire service was transferred to the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire from 15 November 2018.
Further information at the

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service website.

Police and Crime Commissioner North Yorkshire website.

Ceremonial county

North Yorkshire

Historic

-1974 Most of the Rydale district was within North Riding of Yorkshire, however the area south of the River Derwent, including Norton-on-Derwent, was within the East Riding of Yorkshire.
1996 Ryedale was reduced in size when the City of York expanded and became a unitary authority. Although the area lost was relatively small compared to the overall area of Ryedale, it did house around half its original population.

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