Pickering: Railway, Castle and Medieval Wall Paintings

Pickering offers several historical highlights for your stay. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has its southern terminus here; its 24-mile route crosses the national park’s landscape to Whitby. Other attractions include the station, designed in the style of the 1930s, Beck Isle Museum, the medieval wall paintings in St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, and the surviving remains of Pickering Castle. You can therefore plan your visit around different interests: railways, collections, paintings or a castle.

Railway heritage in Pickering

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway connects Pickering with Whitby along a 24-mile route that crosses the national park’s landscape. Pickering is its southern terminus. This means that the focus is not just on the station, but also on a longer railway line that reaches Whitby. With its 1930s-style design, Pickering Station recalls the age of steam locomotives. Another architectural feature is the roof structure: it was restored based on the original roof built by G T Andrews in 1847. These two references are to different periods: the station is designed in the style of the 1930s, while the roof is based on a model from 1847. If you are interested in railway history, Pickering brings the route and station architecture together under one theme.

Collections and exhibitions at Beck Isle Museum

Beck Isle Museum cares for a collection of 50,000 objects and has 25 gallery rooms. These include historic shops and interactive exhibitions. The museum thus brings together different forms of display: the historic shops and interactive offerings each have their own focus, so you are not limited to a single exhibition theme during your visit. On demonstration days, you can watch blacksmithing demonstrations and experience the traditional art of printing. These demonstrations take place on specific days, so check the current dates before your visit. This makes the museum a distinct highlight alongside the railway heritage, with its gallery rooms, collection and occasional demonstrations.

Wall paintings and access to the church

The medieval wall paintings in St. Peter and St. Paul's Church offer a different way to explore Pickering’s history. They were probably commissioned in 1450 and painted around 1470. They are also among approximately five extensive sets of wall paintings that survive in the country. This dating preserves the uncertainty around the commission date and distinguishes it from the approximate date of their execution. For step-free access, go through a passage from Hallgarth; this avoids the steps from Market Place and Smiddy Hill. As access arrangements can change, check the current situation before your visit.

Pickering Castle on the edge of the North York Moors

Pickering Castle stands on a limestone promontory on the southern edge of the North York Moors. Its surviving remains are particularly well preserved because Pickering Castle was one of the few castles untouched by the Wars of the Roses and the 17th-century Civil War. Here, the location on the edge of the North York Moors and the surviving structures take centre stage. Together with the church’s wall paintings, this brings out a clear distinction between two historical highlights: at the church, the focus is on medieval painting; at Pickering Castle, on the surviving castle. This adds another perspective on the town’s history to the railway and museum themes.

Discover more destinations: Gilling East, Bedale, Selby, Danby, Hopperton, Embsay, Hellifield, Sand Hutton

For the main travel overview: North Yorkshire.