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Market town in North Yorkshire, England
Photo: JThomas, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Pickering is a market and agricultural town in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, with the North York Moors rising behind. The town slumped from 1965 when it lost its railway, but this helped preserve its historic centre. It revived from 1973 when the line was restored as a heritage steam railway and tourism developed, and in 2021 it had a population of 7200.
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Local history museum: the Georgian building was for many years a medical practice. Exhibits major on the Victorian era.
Norman castle built in stone in the 12th century, replacing a timber fort. It's well preserved as it took little part in later conflicts.
You can stroll around the station and watch the steam trains free without buying a ticket. The station tea room serves meals and snacks and there's a souvenir shop. The line is 24 miles of standard gauge from Pickering via Levisham, Newtondale, Goathland and Grosmont to Whitby - moorland walks branch off from the intermediate halts. Trains run Apr-Oct with four or more per day at the height of summer.
Open air museum of life on the moors. The gallery has rotating art exhibitions.
Gym, climbing wall, sports hall and fitness classes, no pool.
Gym and 25 m swimming pool.
Family-run cafe with breakfast, lunch, coffee, drinks and snacks; has tables and outdoor seating.
Cheerful place serving pizza and other Italian staples.
Great reviews for their trad food with GF options.
Reliable Indian restaurant serves all the classics.
Friendly central pub with good food.
Pleasant pub by the waterside.
Traditional free house serving Tetleys Cask and guest ales plus selection of cider. Beer garden, dog-friendly, often has live music.
Friendly well-run camping and caravan site half a mile south of town, fully open Mar-Oct, no showers or toilets Nov-Feb.
Charming small hotel in centuries-old inn. Some street and bar noise.
17th-century coaching inn with its own brewery, good food.
Best Western
Well-run friendly franchise hotel in a Georgian mansion.
Lovely welcoming stylish B&B.
Boxy modern chain hotel east edge of town, for when you've had enough of Pickering's twee gentility.
11 self-catering cottages near town centre, the smaller cottages sleep 4, the largest 11. Rentals are by the week from Saturday, shorter breaks available out of season. Dogs welcome in several cottages.
Charming little hotel in 17th-century farmhouse with extensive gardens, set in the North York Moors. Open Mar - Oct and serves brunch / afternoon tea to non-residents.
By bus
Coastliner 840 runs from Leeds (hourly M-Sa, two hourly Su) via Tadcaster, York and Malton.
By train
The nearest mainline railway station is Malton. This has hourly trains from Manchester Victoria via Leeds and York, heading to Scarborough. From London and the south, change at York.
Walk - everything in town is close by. But you need wheels to get out into the moors.
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