Pickering Church
The stunning Pickering Church, also known as St Peter and St Paul’s Church, sits on a small hill at the top of Pickering Marketplace tucked away behind the Pet shop. Its magnificent beauty is hidden from passers-by as only the clock-face and steeple top is visible from the street.
A historic and often overlooked town gem. It is open to the public and has regular services (see references below for the Church website). If you are visiting Pickering then it would be a missed opportunity not to at least take a walk by, as it is easily accessed via the top of the marketplace (that being said, these are via steps so if you are less mobile, then it can be accessed from Hallgarth on the opposite side (no steps).
How old is Pickering Church?
The church started its life on the current site as an Anglo-Saxon church and of unknown exact build date. In approximately 1140, the first rebuild occurred. It has had various guises of structural changes from 1150 all the way through to the 15th century. The walls and the windows have been altered around that time. Check the Wikipedia link below for in-depth history, it’s an interesting read.
Pickering Church Wall Paintings
So what is the most famous part of the church? Yes, it is the medieval wall paintings. It was the 15th century when Pickering Church has its walls painted with murals. See some of the photos below to give you a flavour. There will be more on the subject, in blogs to come. Please come back again for updates and for now try the video below to get a quick flavour.