Introduction to Pickering
Pickering, North Yorkshire, England could be one of Britain’s (even Europe’s?) best-kept secrets! Surprisingly relatively undiscovered considering that York, the County’s biggest City tourist hotspot, is only a stone’s throw away…
Within approximately 5 to 10 minutes of walking distance in each direction from Pickering Town Market Place and you are confronted with historic and utterly amazing attractions everywhere you go!
To the North of the town, you have William the Conqueror’s stronghold which is an early motte and bailey castle originally built in the 13th century. Now looked after by English Heritage.
The East side of the town, you have the medieval Pickering Parish church of St Peter and St Paul. With glorious medieval wall paintings, stunning stained glass windows, and ringing bells that can be heard across the town for miles around.
To the West, you have the awe-inspiring North Yorkshire Moors Railway with its historic steam and diesel trains arriving in town. Creating quite the attraction as the trains can be heard for miles around. Huffing and puffing with steam whistles blowing!
You never know what you might see in Pickering, such as beautiful trains like the Flying Scotsman, and Sir Nigel Gresley. Even a mock World War II Nazi artillery train has been spotted as part of the filming for Harrison Ford’s latest Indiana Jones movie filmed in 2021. This is not to mention also Tom Cruise who literally dropped in by helicopter in a nearby field on a number of occasions, to film the next Mission Impossible movie.
Step back in time at the local museum, Beck Isle Museum or the Eden Camp (on the way into Pickering) and get a feel for what life was like historically. Taking you back in a time warp with some amazing things to see and do.
What is Pickering town like?
Pickering Town is a great day out! As you’ve probably gathered from the introduction. If you’re in the mood for shopping, meandering around or a spot of sightseeing then you’re in the right place. Head to Market Place which is the town’s main high street and take it from there.
The architecture is appealing wherever you go as you’ll find buildings from a range of eras typically charming quaint stone-built cottages being the theme of the town, along with the Castle and Church.
Pickering has a small center and lots of local boutique shops and some chain stores with one or two names you will recognise i.e. Costa Coffee, Boots, Thomas the Baker, Cooplands Bakery, etc.
If you are especially looking for the local touch unique to Pickering and fancy something different and unique – go and visit the Yorkshire Quality Books located opposite the Train station for bargain-valued second-hand books and a chat with the owner.
Bags of history, unique shops, and plenty to see and do…Pickering has it all! This relatively small market town is nestled at the foot of the North York Moors, and only 17 miles or so from the nearest Coastline. It is also surrounded by attractions such as Flamingo Land, Dalby Forest, Eden Camp, lots of tiny villages, and market towns within a few mile’s distances.
Typically holiday goers and day-trippers will be heading towards Whitby, Scarborough, or one of the other seaside towns in the area.
Pickering ‘Gateway to the Moors’ is also a great stop-off for either a short break on the way to the seaside or to be used as a base for day trips out and about. Staying central to explore the North York Moors National park, the coast and York.
There is an indoor ’hidden market’ just off the high street next to Boots. You’ll find a variety of trinkets there. If you are visiting on a Monday, the Market will be running at Market Place where you can pick up some fresh produce or knick-knacks.
Where is Pickering?
Pickering is approximately 230 miles north of London. In North Yorkshire county. It is 25 miles from the edge of York to the south and nestled at the foot of the North York Moors, to the north. Hence why it is known as ‘The Gateway to the Moors’.
It is within a ‘stone’s throw’ of Whitby on the coast to the north east (17 miles) and Scarborough seaside resort to the east (18 miles). Helmsley is to the west (14 miles) and Leeds is the next closest city to the south, after York.
The northerly edge of the town heads straight out to the North York Moors! A wild expanse of countryside and beautiful little villages. Great for walking and enjoying the countryside. Drive through the Moors and you are at the coastline, again absolute stunning little fishing villages and good old fashioned English seaside towns will be found.
How to do travel to Pickering?
There are a number of options and can be easily be accessed from anywhere in the UK, as it is close to major road networks (A1, M1, A64) and literally located on both the A171 and the A169. See the Google Map for a visual or head to the ‘How to get to Pickering‘ page.
If you are flying in from overseas, you have the Leeds Bradford Airport to the south west ( 58 miles / 1 hour 20 mins) and Newcastle Airport to the north (96 miles / 2 hours). Both are nice smaller airports, easy to navigate through. Manchester (112 miles / 2 hours) can be reached also with ease, if you need a larger airport.
If you are bringing a vehicle across from Europe, you have the Hull port literally on the doorstep (49 miles / 1.5 hours). See the ‘Getting there’ page to see the suggested road route to and from the port. This is the Hull to Rotterdam service which is the overnight service across the channel and adds to a great holiday experience if you do arrive by ferry.
Should you be traveling by foot and need either trains or buses, then you may be surprised with how easy this is to do.
What Facilities are there in Pickering?
Parking
There is plenty. The google maps on this site show the various parking places. The largest is probably the Eastgate car park (Pay and Display). Which also has electric car docking points and the Coaches tend to park. It is an easy walk around the corner to town from here, in a few minutes.
There is a lot of street parking available too. These can be found at Market Place, Smiddy Hill, and at the Train Station to name just a few. Disabled parking areas can generally be found at the larger Car Parks (Eastgate and the large Pay and Display at the back of the Co-Op in town).
Petrol Stations
Pickering has two petrol stations on the A169 as you enter from the south of the (only) roundabout. If you are low on fuel it is advisable to get some here before you head out. As they can be few and far between on some routes when leaving (especially south to York or north over the Moors).
Public Toilets
Pickering has two sets of public toilets, one on the west side of town (the Ropery Toilets) and one on the east side of town (Eastgate Toilets). Both are free to use. You also have toilets located at the train station on the platform (free) and also in the cafes lined up and down the Marketplace.
Wifi
Did you know that you can access Wi-Fi when you are out and about the town center? You can search for ‘North Yorkshire Public Wi-Fi’ in the town center and you can connect quickly without needing to enter details and is entirely free. Instructions are seen on the North Yorkshire County Council page.
Bus stops
The main bus stops (although not a lot to see) are at the two glass shelters seen across the road from each other near the Eastgate roundabout and car park. These will get you to/from York (See Coastliner website for times/prices – links below). You do have the option of other routes across the moors / to the coast.
Car Hire
If you need car hire there isn’t anything located in the town, the best place would be from York Station, Europcar, and drive into Pickering if you want to be completely independent or have a family or group with you (links below).
Dark Skies...
The North York Moors are designated as an International Dark Sky Reserve (being only one of 19 places around the Globe). A fantastic place to see the Stars due to low light pollution with clear horizons. On some nights if you are on the edge of town the views can be breath-taking if you put your head back and look up at the stars.
When should I Visit Pickering?
Any time of the year is fine. In the Summer months, the shops are open longer in the day and some, more days in the week. The Winter is generally quieter, out of the holiday season. October through to the end of March is the quietest period with less going on around and about.
The steam train operates seasonally and closes for maintenance during the winter months and typically opens again to the public in April. The Church is typically open all year round. There are several local events around and about during the summer months such as beer festivals, music festivals, steam engine traction rallies, car boot sales, war weekends, etc.
The Weather
Check the widget below in the footer bar of the page. It will give you a short-term preview of the weather in Pickering over the coming days. The weather is typically UK weather really. Summers are nice with some nice sun (when we see it!) and in winter you definitely need your jacket!
It is worth noting the only thing you need to consider is the one or two days a year when we see snow. The ‘Whitby Road’ (A169) can get blocked by snow and cars get stuck at the Saltersgate bank at the Hole of Horcum. The other direction to the west via Sutton bank is notorious for closures in winter (again very steep and dangerous in wintery conditions). This also goes for Blakey Moor if you head north across the moors from Hutton le hole.
Be extra vigilant if you are traveling during winter and heading onto the Moors. You can check for any traffic/road incidents here, before setting out or regularly check the internet or local radio (Radio York) for updates.
Food and Accommodation
There are plenty of options for food and drink in the centre and even more as you travel around the area. Please head over to the Accommodation and Food & Drink pages for more information.
Summary
This is a bit of a ‘whistle-stop’ tour of Pickering by blog! My aim is to update this blog and release further articles over time. So please come back to check for updates. Any comments, if you find this blog useful or would like to see anything else included please comment below. It would be interesting to know if this information is useful to you.
