Pocklington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pocklington |
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 Market Place |
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 Coat of arms |
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 Pocklington
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| Population | 10,123 (2021 United Kingdom census) |
| OS grid reference | SE802486 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | YORK |
| Postcode district | YO42 |
| Dialling code | 01759 |
| Police | Humberside |
| Fire | Humberside |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament |
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| Website | Pocklington Town Council |
Pocklington is a busy market town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It sits at the bottom of the Yorkshire Wolds, which are a range of hills. In 2021, about 10,123 people lived here. Pocklington is about 13 miles east of York and 22 miles north-west of Hull.
The town's skyline is easy to spot because of the tall 15th-century tower of All Saints' church. The area around the church also includes a small village called Kilnwick Percy.
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History of Pocklington
The name Pocklington comes from an old English name, "Poclintun." This means the "farm" or "settlement" of Pocel's people. While the town's name started around 650 AD, people have lived in Pocklington for much longer. It's thought that people were here over 1,000 years ago, during the Bronze Age. Pocklington even appears on the Gough Map from the 1300s, which is the oldest road map in Great Britain.
During the Iron Age, Pocklington was an important town for the Parisi tribe. In 2017, something amazing was found during construction of new houses. Archaeologists discovered the grave of a Celtic warrior! This grave was from about 320 to 174 BC. After a long time of careful digging, they found a bronze shield, parts of a chariot, and the skeletons of ponies.
The shield found in Pocklington is very special. It has a design that looks like another famous shield called the Wandsworth shield. What makes the Pocklington shield unique is its scalloped border. Experts say this design isn't found on any other Iron Age items in Europe. Finding horses in Iron Age burials was also very rare, making this discovery even more important. These finds help us learn a lot about the ancient Arras culture.
By 1086, when the Domesday Book was created, Pocklington was the second-largest settlement in Yorkshire, right after York. Pocklington continued to grow through the Middle Ages. Many other towns like it actually got smaller. Pocklington became successful because it was a local center for trading wool. It was also on the main road to York, which was a big national center for sending wool to other countries. Wool was England's main export during the early Middle Ages.
Town Symbols and Motto
The town's coat of arms, which is like its special symbol, is based on the Dolman family's shield. The Dolman family started Pocklington School. The town council was given these arms in 1980. The crown at the bottom of the shield and the gold cross represent the town's old connection to Paulinus of York and the Archbishop of York.
Pocklington's motto is "Service with Freedom."
How Pocklington is Governed
| Pocklington Town Council | |
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Coat of arms
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| Type | |
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Town Council
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| Leadership | |
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Mayor
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Roly Cronshaw
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Town clerk
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Gordon Scaife
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List of councillors
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| Seats | 13 Councillors |
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11 / 13
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1 / 13
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Vacant
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1 / 13
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| Elections | |
| Plurality-at-large | |
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Last election
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2 May 2023 |
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Next election
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4 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
| Old Courthouse, Pocklington | |
Pocklington is part of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. This is a "unitary authority," which means it's a single council that handles most local services. Pocklington sends three councillors to this larger council.
The town also has its own Pocklington Town Council. This council has thirteen elected councillors. They are in charge of things like the town cemetery, local gardens (allotments), the Croft play-park, and the Arts Centre. The Mayor of Pocklington is chosen every year by the town councillors.
The Town Council has a special rule for naming new streets. They use the last names of people who died serving at RAF Pocklington during wartime. This is why you'll find streets like Strother Close and Harper Close.
Town Twinning
Pocklington is "twinned" with another town in France. This means they have a special friendship and often visit each other.
- Le Pays de Racan, France (Official)
- Trendelburg, Germany (unofficial)
Geography of Pocklington
Pocklington is located at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds. This area was once covered by a tropical ocean. When the land rose, the chalk hills of the Wolds were formed from tiny sea creatures. So, the land around Pocklington changes a lot. To the south and west, it's flat farmland. To the north and east, you'll find grassy, chalk hills and dry valleys. Much of the flatter farming land was once marshland that was drained over time.
A small stream called Pocklington Beck flows through Pocklington. It mostly runs underground in pipes. This stream feeds into the Pocklington Canal. Both the beck and the canal are usually good places for fishing.
Population and People
In 2011, the population of Pocklington was 8,337 people. This was an increase from 7,632 people in 2001.
Fun and Culture in Pocklington
The Pocklington Arts Centre opened in 2000. It used to be a cinema. Now, it shows all sorts of things like movies, music, plays, dance, and art shows. Famous comedians and musicians have performed there.
Pocklington also has its own Pocktoberfest every year. It's like a smaller version of the famous Oktoberfest in Germany, but it's mostly about enjoying different kinds of beer. In 2006, people drank about 452 liters of ale!
Every year, Pocklington celebrates the Flying Man Festival from May 12 to 14. This festival remembers a showman named Thomas Pelling, who was known as the "Flying Man of Pocklington." He tried to fly from the top of the local church using homemade wings. Sadly, he hit one of the church's walls and was killed.
Sports in Pocklington
The Pocklington RUFC rugby team is based on Burnby Lane. The first rugby game in Pocklington was played way back in 1879! The current club started in 1928. They also host a special event called the "Good Friday Sevens" tournament. This is Yorkshire's oldest rugby sevens tournament, started in 1958. It's a big event where teams from the local area, the county, and even other countries come to compete.
The town has the Francis Scaife Sports Centre, which is run by the council. It has a 20-meter swimming pool and a gym. Pocklington also has clubs for swimming, football, and cricket.
Just outside Pocklington is Kilnwick Percy Golf Club, also known as the KP. It has a championship golf course and offers luxury hotel rooms.
Pocklington's football club, Pocklington Town A.F.C., plays in the Humber Premier League. They have several teams, including an Under 19s team and a girls' team. In the 2012–13 season, their main team won the Whitehead's Fish & Chips Humber League Cup, which was their biggest trophy ever! Ten years later, they became champions of the Humber Premier League.
In 2007, Michael Woods, who is from Pocklington, played his first game for Chelsea. He was one of the youngest players ever to play for the club.
Pocklington Tennis Club has 6 courts and plays in local tennis leagues.
Pocklington is also a control point for the London-Edinburgh-London long-distance bicycle event, which happens every four years.
Media in Pocklington
Pocklington has its own local weekly newspaper called the Pocklington Post. You can also listen to local radio stations like BBC Radio York and BBC Radio Humberside. There's also a community radio station called Vixen FM that broadcasts to the town.
Education in Pocklington
- Pocklington School
- Woldgate School and Sixth Form College
Places of Worship
Churches in Pocklington include:
- The Church of England parish church of All Saints. It's sometimes called the Cathedral of the Wolds. This building is very old, from the 12th and 13th centuries, with a tower from the 15th century.
- Pocklington Christian Fellowship, which used to be the Pentecostal Church. It meets in a building built in 1807.
- Pocklington Methodist Church. Its red brick building was finished in 1864.
- The Roman Catholic church of SS Mary and Joseph. This brick building was finished in 1863.
There are no non-Christian places of worship right in Pocklington. However, just outside town, Kilnwick Percy Hall is now a large Buddhist Centre called Madhyamaka Kadampa Meditation Centre. They offer regular Buddhist meditation classes.
Freemasonry
Pocklington has its own Masonic Hall. It is home to several groups, including:
- Beacon Lodge No. 4362
- Old Pocklingtonian Lodge No. 7867 – This group was started by former students of Pocklington School.
Getting Around Pocklington
By Car
Pocklington is close to the A1079 road. This is the main road that connects the cities of York and Hull.
By Bus
Buses serve Pocklington, provided by East Yorkshire Motor Services. Their X46 and X47 routes, called "EastRider," run every hour through the town between York and Hull. York Pullman also has a bus service, route X36, that runs six days a week.
By Air
Pocklington Airfield has three runways. They were long enough for RAF bombers during the Second World War. The airfield closed in 1946. Today, it's mostly used by gliders and sometimes hot air balloonists. Much of the old runway is gone, and the control tower isn't used. The Wolds Gliding Club now owns the airfield.
The closest airport for commercial flights is Humberside Airport, which was also a former RAF airfield.
By Train
Pocklington used to have a railway station that opened in 1847. But it was closed in 1965 as part of the Beeching Axe, which closed many railway lines across the UK. There is a group of people who want to see the railway station and line re-opened.
The old railway building, designed by George Townsend Andrews, was saved from being torn down because of its interesting design. It is now used as a bus shelter and a sports hall for Pocklington School.
By Boat
The Pocklington Canal was used by barges for trade in the 1800s. Now, you can travel on it as far as Bielby Basin. A group called the Pocklington Canal Amenity Society was formed in 1969. One of their goals is to fully restore the canal.
Famous People from Pocklington
Here are some well-known people connected to Pocklington:
- Paul Banks, guitarist in the band Shed Seven
- Matt Brash, a famous vet from the TV show Zoo Vet at Large
- Thomas Cooke, a 19th-century maker of scientific instruments, born nearby
- Adrian Edmondson, comedian and actor from The Young Ones
- Richard Herring, comedian, was born in Pocklington
- Ralph Ineson, comedian and actor in The Office and Game of Thrones
- William Richardson (astronomer) (1797–1872), an astronomer born in Pocklington
- Sir Tom Stoppard, a famous playwright
- Joseph Terry (1793–1850), who started the Joseph Terry & Sons chocolate company
- Rob Webber, a rugby union player for Sale Sharks and England
- William Wilberforce, an 18th-century campaigner against slavery
- Michael Woods, a footballer who played for Chelsea
Images for kids
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Coat of arms
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Market Place
See also
In Spanish: Pocklington para niños
