Welcome to our Church
Home of the famous Medieval Wall Paintings
Honouring the life of Captain Sir Tom Moore
Credit: ITV
Church bells across the county rang out in honour of Captain Sir Tom Moore on Saturday 27 February to mark his funeral.
St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church joined the commemoration by tolling a bell 100 times to mark the life of the 100-year-old who inspired the nation. One of our ringers, Anne Deebank, who is the Area Ringing Master and ex-RAF tolled the bell in tribute, from noon.
May he rest in peace, and rise in glory.
An online book of condolence has also been opened for people to pay their respects.
Captain Sir Tom captured the hearts of the nation with his fundraising efforts during the first lockdown when he walked 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden before his 100th birthday, raising more than £32 million for the NHS.
St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church joined the commemoration by tolling a bell 100 times to mark the life of the 100-year-old who inspired the nation. One of our ringers, Anne Deebank, who is the Area Ringing Master and ex-RAF tolled the bell in tribute, from noon.
May he rest in peace, and rise in glory.
An online book of condolence has also been opened for people to pay their respects.
Captain Sir Tom captured the hearts of the nation with his fundraising efforts during the first lockdown when he walked 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden before his 100th birthday, raising more than £32 million for the NHS.
Dear friends,
Very sadly, the Churchwardens, the PCC and myself, in consultation with
the Bishop of Whitby, have decided to suspend public worship for the moment. The number of infections is rising rapidly and we all feel this is the
appropriate course of action.
Our online worship will now take place on our Facebook page at 10am on Sundays and Wednesdays, and Thursday Compline at 8pm. I hope you can join us for some of these services.
The PCC have also decided that in light of rising Covid-19 infections we should close the church to private prayer for the time being. Everyone involved in making these decisions is aware that this will be a disappointment,
and for that I apologise to you all.
God bless,
Revd. Gareth
A letter from the Archbishops to the nation January 28th 2021
Dear friends
As we reach the terrible mile stone of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, we invite everyone in our nation to pause as we reflect on the enormity of this pandemic.
100,000 isn’t just an abstract figure. Each number is a person: someone we loved and someone who loved us. We also believe that each of these people was known to God and cherished by God.
We write to you then in consolation, but also in encouragement, and ultimately in the hope of Jesus Christ. The God who comes to us in Jesus knew grief and suffering himself. On the cross, Jesus shares the weight of our sadness.
We therefore encourage everyone who is feeling scared, or lost or isolated to cast their fears on God. We also know that poorer communities, minority ethnic communities and those living with disabilities have been afflicted disproportionately and cry out for the healing of these inequalities. During this pandemic, we encourage everyone to do all they can to live within the guidelines and constraints given by government following the advice of the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser. We show our commitment, care and love for one another by ensuring we do everything we can to stop the virus spreading.
None of this is easy. Very many of us are experiencing isolation, loneliness, anxiety and despondency like never before. Many people have lost their livelihoods. Our economy struggles. Also, the necessary restrictions we live with have also prevented us from being alongside loved ones as they died, or even at their graveside. All grief profoundly affects us, but this pandemic grief is so hard.
Therefore, we need to support each other. We do this by following the guidelines. But we also do it by reaching out to each other with care and kindness.
One thing we can all do is pray. We hope it is some consolation to know that the church prays for the life of our nation every day. Whether you’re someone of faith, or not, we invite you to call on God in prayer. Starting on 1 February we invite you to set aside time every evening to pray, particularly at 6pm each day. More than ever, this is a time when we need to love each other. Prayer is an expression of love. A number of resources will be made available at www.ChurchofEngland.org/PrayerForTheNation.
Finally, we write of hope. We are grateful for the hope we have because of the service of our NHS and social care staff. What a blessing and lifeline for our nation. We are grateful for the service given in local communities by clergy, other frontline workers and so many good neighbours. We are grateful for the hope of the vaccine. It is a testimony to the God-given wisdom and gifts of scientists and researchers. We urge everyone to take the vaccine as soon as it is offered to you.
Most of all, we have hope because God raised Jesus from the dead. This is the Christian hope that we will be celebrating at Easter. We live in the hope that we will share in his resurrection. Death doesn’t have the last word. In God’s kingdom every tear will be wiped away.
Please be assured of our prayers. Please join us.
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York
As we reach the terrible mile stone of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, we invite everyone in our nation to pause as we reflect on the enormity of this pandemic.
100,000 isn’t just an abstract figure. Each number is a person: someone we loved and someone who loved us. We also believe that each of these people was known to God and cherished by God.
We write to you then in consolation, but also in encouragement, and ultimately in the hope of Jesus Christ. The God who comes to us in Jesus knew grief and suffering himself. On the cross, Jesus shares the weight of our sadness.
We therefore encourage everyone who is feeling scared, or lost or isolated to cast their fears on God. We also know that poorer communities, minority ethnic communities and those living with disabilities have been afflicted disproportionately and cry out for the healing of these inequalities. During this pandemic, we encourage everyone to do all they can to live within the guidelines and constraints given by government following the advice of the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser. We show our commitment, care and love for one another by ensuring we do everything we can to stop the virus spreading.
None of this is easy. Very many of us are experiencing isolation, loneliness, anxiety and despondency like never before. Many people have lost their livelihoods. Our economy struggles. Also, the necessary restrictions we live with have also prevented us from being alongside loved ones as they died, or even at their graveside. All grief profoundly affects us, but this pandemic grief is so hard.
Therefore, we need to support each other. We do this by following the guidelines. But we also do it by reaching out to each other with care and kindness.
One thing we can all do is pray. We hope it is some consolation to know that the church prays for the life of our nation every day. Whether you’re someone of faith, or not, we invite you to call on God in prayer. Starting on 1 February we invite you to set aside time every evening to pray, particularly at 6pm each day. More than ever, this is a time when we need to love each other. Prayer is an expression of love. A number of resources will be made available at www.ChurchofEngland.org/PrayerForTheNation.
Finally, we write of hope. We are grateful for the hope we have because of the service of our NHS and social care staff. What a blessing and lifeline for our nation. We are grateful for the service given in local communities by clergy, other frontline workers and so many good neighbours. We are grateful for the hope of the vaccine. It is a testimony to the God-given wisdom and gifts of scientists and researchers. We urge everyone to take the vaccine as soon as it is offered to you.
Most of all, we have hope because God raised Jesus from the dead. This is the Christian hope that we will be celebrating at Easter. We live in the hope that we will share in his resurrection. Death doesn’t have the last word. In God’s kingdom every tear will be wiped away.
Please be assured of our prayers. Please join us.
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York
St Peter and St Paul’s is a living Church, part of the Church of England Diocese of York. We have a large and active congregation, who continue a thousand year old tradition of prayer and worship.
The Church is also popular with couples wanting marriage or baptism for their children; it is well used by the town for civic and community occasions and concerts, and provides a real focal point for Ryedale. Its extensive medieval wall paintings also make it a wonderful source of enjoyment for pilgrims and visitors from all over the world.
The Church is generally open daily from 9am until 5pm, except in exceptional circumstances, such as the current pandemic, when we have sadly had to close for the time being. It is a space of great peace, valued by many who seek to draw closer to God in public worship or private prayer. So once you have explored this website, come and explore for yourself, as soon as restrictions are lifted, this ‘House of God and gate of heaven’.
Pickering Benefice is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all to share in this commitment.
Our standards of practice ensure all are fully aware of and understand their responsibilities under safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance which includes criminal record checks.
Our Parish Safeguarding Policy, in keeping with the new Church of England guidelines is in place, having been ratified by the vicar and approved by the PCC. A copy has been forwarded to the Diocesan Office and a copy of the full Policy is available on request.
Our Parish Safeguarding Representative is Judith Short, who also represents the benefice parishes of Marishes, Lockton and Levisham. For Safeguarding issues, she can be contacted on 07415847626 or 01751 473769 theshortsof61@yahoo.co.uk and our policy and other Safeguarding information is available here. Please do contact her if you have any concerns. Alternatively you may contact the Diocese of York Safeguarding Team on 01904 699524 or safeguarding@yorkdiocese.org.
We would like to thank everyone who allowed us to use their photographs for our website.
CHURCH GIVING
A few people have asked how they can support the church financially whilst they can't do their normal weekly giving. We do still require your offerings of money! We have ongoing expenses and commitments and the coffers will inevitably drain a bit low! Please continue to use Pam’s letterbox to drop off church donations – either envelopes, cheques (made payable to PCC of Pickering Church) or other loose cash (In a sealed envelope marked for the Church). If you are unable to go outside, please ring, and we will see if there is an alternative way to collect.
Pam Robb at 16 Garden Way, Pickering, YO18 8BG. 07769 801708
WITH VERY MANY THANKS.
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Some history of the building
The Church you see today was built on the site of an earlier, Saxon building. Little is known about this early Church, and all that remains is a carved cross shaft and the bowl of the stone font. The Saxon Church on this site may well have been wasted during William the Conqueror’s ‘harrying of the North’.
The early Norman Church, which was built around 1140, would have been of simple cruciform layout, with a central tower surrounded by a nave, a chancel and two transepts. Soon, aisles were added to this original structure: the north aisle in about 1150 and the south aisle towards the end of the twelfth century. The present west tower was built in the early part of the thirteenth century, and sometime in the fourteenth century the chancel was widened to cope with the liturgies of the period. A porch was also added, and then, in the fifteenth century, two chantry chapels, either side of the high altar. On the abolition of the chantries, the Roucliffe Chapel, on the south side of the sanctuary, was for some time a school, before, in 1920, undergoing renovations to restore it to liturgical use.
The medieval wall paintings, which give our church its fame, were probably first commissioned in 1450, and were painted the following decade, as details in the costumes and armour of some of the figures makes clear. Nikolaus Pevsner, the renowned expert on architectural history said that ‘This is one of the most complete set of wall paintings… and they give one a vivid idea of what ecclesiastical interiors were really like’. They are in fact one of about five sets of such extensive wall paintings still in existence in the country. The images vary in scale and in what they depict: some are large single figures; others tell stories. Details of each scene are given in the guide book, available from the Church bookstall.
Probably at the time of the Reformation, and certainly with the spread of Puritanism, the paintings were hidden from view with coats of whitewash. Only in 1852, with work being carried out to repair and clean the nave, were the paintings revealed. The Vicar at the time, the Rev’d Ponsonby, wanted them re-covered, showing his dislike of them in a letter to the Archbishop of York: ‘As a work of art [they are] fairly ridiculous, would excite feelings of curiosity, and distract the congregation’. He went on to say that ‘the paintings are out of place in a protestant Church, especially in these dangerous times’; he subsequently had them re-covered in a thick yellow wash within a fortnight of the discovery. Fortunately, what had been revealed was recorded by drawings made by W H Dykes, an assistant architect at Durham Cathedral.
In the 1870s the Church underwent extensive restoration, particularly to the tower and transepts. Box pews were replaced with the present oak pews and two galleries were dismantled. A decade later, once the restoration and reordering of the fabric was complete, the firm Shrigley and Hunt of Lancaster were contracted to restore the paintings. Though a lot of damage was done to the paintings by removing the covering paint and the memorials which lined the nave wall, the Vicar, Rev’d Lightfoot, insisted that where it was possible, restoration should take place rather than leaving fragments. The paintings were consequently extensively repainted and the whole project was finished by 1895.
The interior of the Church remained true to the plans of the Victorian restorers for most of the twentieth century. The chancel screen was erected in 1927 and the oak panelling of the sanctuary was completed in the same decade, with a new reredos dedicated in 1930. The vestries were added in the 1930s.
St Peter and St Paul’s continues to change with the needs of the community it serves, and in 1997, the Parochial Church Council decided to carry out an extensive reordering. Pews were removed from the west end of the nave to allow the font to be replaced and to provide an open space for congregating after services. The south transept was established as a memorial chapel, and the north transept was screened off to provide more storage space. The vestries were refurbished, and the whole project was completed in 2008. In 2016, and thanks to a grant made available under the Government’s Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund, the roof of the north transept was repaired.
For nearly one thousand years, generations of Pickering’s residents have worshipped in this Church, been baptised in the font, married at the altar steps, and have had their funerals here. The work of this Church continues to this day with a vigorous body of worshippers and communicants, who continue to take part in regular worship. This Church is Pickering’s Parish Church and seeks to serve the whole community and to be there for all who need its ministry.
Guide books, with more information about the history of the Church and its interior, are available from the Church bookstall.
The early Norman Church, which was built around 1140, would have been of simple cruciform layout, with a central tower surrounded by a nave, a chancel and two transepts. Soon, aisles were added to this original structure: the north aisle in about 1150 and the south aisle towards the end of the twelfth century. The present west tower was built in the early part of the thirteenth century, and sometime in the fourteenth century the chancel was widened to cope with the liturgies of the period. A porch was also added, and then, in the fifteenth century, two chantry chapels, either side of the high altar. On the abolition of the chantries, the Roucliffe Chapel, on the south side of the sanctuary, was for some time a school, before, in 1920, undergoing renovations to restore it to liturgical use.
The medieval wall paintings, which give our church its fame, were probably first commissioned in 1450, and were painted the following decade, as details in the costumes and armour of some of the figures makes clear. Nikolaus Pevsner, the renowned expert on architectural history said that ‘This is one of the most complete set of wall paintings… and they give one a vivid idea of what ecclesiastical interiors were really like’. They are in fact one of about five sets of such extensive wall paintings still in existence in the country. The images vary in scale and in what they depict: some are large single figures; others tell stories. Details of each scene are given in the guide book, available from the Church bookstall.
Probably at the time of the Reformation, and certainly with the spread of Puritanism, the paintings were hidden from view with coats of whitewash. Only in 1852, with work being carried out to repair and clean the nave, were the paintings revealed. The Vicar at the time, the Rev’d Ponsonby, wanted them re-covered, showing his dislike of them in a letter to the Archbishop of York: ‘As a work of art [they are] fairly ridiculous, would excite feelings of curiosity, and distract the congregation’. He went on to say that ‘the paintings are out of place in a protestant Church, especially in these dangerous times’; he subsequently had them re-covered in a thick yellow wash within a fortnight of the discovery. Fortunately, what had been revealed was recorded by drawings made by W H Dykes, an assistant architect at Durham Cathedral.
In the 1870s the Church underwent extensive restoration, particularly to the tower and transepts. Box pews were replaced with the present oak pews and two galleries were dismantled. A decade later, once the restoration and reordering of the fabric was complete, the firm Shrigley and Hunt of Lancaster were contracted to restore the paintings. Though a lot of damage was done to the paintings by removing the covering paint and the memorials which lined the nave wall, the Vicar, Rev’d Lightfoot, insisted that where it was possible, restoration should take place rather than leaving fragments. The paintings were consequently extensively repainted and the whole project was finished by 1895.
The interior of the Church remained true to the plans of the Victorian restorers for most of the twentieth century. The chancel screen was erected in 1927 and the oak panelling of the sanctuary was completed in the same decade, with a new reredos dedicated in 1930. The vestries were added in the 1930s.
St Peter and St Paul’s continues to change with the needs of the community it serves, and in 1997, the Parochial Church Council decided to carry out an extensive reordering. Pews were removed from the west end of the nave to allow the font to be replaced and to provide an open space for congregating after services. The south transept was established as a memorial chapel, and the north transept was screened off to provide more storage space. The vestries were refurbished, and the whole project was completed in 2008. In 2016, and thanks to a grant made available under the Government’s Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund, the roof of the north transept was repaired.
For nearly one thousand years, generations of Pickering’s residents have worshipped in this Church, been baptised in the font, married at the altar steps, and have had their funerals here. The work of this Church continues to this day with a vigorous body of worshippers and communicants, who continue to take part in regular worship. This Church is Pickering’s Parish Church and seeks to serve the whole community and to be there for all who need its ministry.
Guide books, with more information about the history of the Church and its interior, are available from the Church bookstall.
This lovely postcard produced by Lillywhite in 1932 shows the old stained glass window
Can you find the monk hidden in one of the stained glass windows?
Territorial Army members from 124 Company, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (Volunteers) from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham lower the eight heavy bells from the belfry on 13th March, 1986. The bells were being sent to Whitechapel Bell Founders, London, for retuning.
The set of bells in the church replaced a peal of three in 1919, being cast as a war memorial for the town.
At that time, additional framework was installed to hang the eight bells to the three bell frame, which was deemed unsafe by Alan Hughes of Whitechapel, and led to the scheme of rehanging. Whitechapel designed the new bell frame which was built by Bogden and Wilson of Scarborough, with the installation work carried out by volunteers. The bells were retuned and the fittings refurbished as necessary. Much of the 1919 frame was reused in a new bell frame, some ten feet lower in the tower to make the ringing easier.
The set of bells in the church replaced a peal of three in 1919, being cast as a war memorial for the town.
At that time, additional framework was installed to hang the eight bells to the three bell frame, which was deemed unsafe by Alan Hughes of Whitechapel, and led to the scheme of rehanging. Whitechapel designed the new bell frame which was built by Bogden and Wilson of Scarborough, with the installation work carried out by volunteers. The bells were retuned and the fittings refurbished as necessary. Much of the 1919 frame was reused in a new bell frame, some ten feet lower in the tower to make the ringing easier.
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