St Peter and St Paul's Church, Pickering Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Peter and St Paul, Pickering
View from north west showing bell tower, spire, and north aisle
St Peter and St Paul, Pickering Location in North Yorkshire
54°14′45″N 0°46′32″W / 54.2457°N 0.7756°W / 54.2457; -0.7756
OS grid reference	SE7988884021
Location	Pickering, North Yorkshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Previous denomination	Roman Catholic
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic
Website	www.pickeringchurch.com
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	Saxon Period
Dedication	St Peter and St Paul
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	24 October 1950
Architectural type	Church
Style	Norman, English Gothic
Administration
Parish	Pickering
Deanery	Northern Ryedale
Archdeaconry	Archdeaconry of Cleveland
Diocese	Diocese of York
Province	Province of York

The Church of St Peter and St Paul is a very old and important church in the market town of Pickering. Pickering is located in North Yorkshire, England. This church sits on a small hill, and its tall spire can be seen from far away across the Ryedale area. It belongs to the Church of England and is part of the Diocese of York. The church is famous for its amazing collection of medieval wall paintings. It is also a Grade I listed building, which means it is a very important historic place.

History of the Church Building
The Pickering Wall Paintings
- How the Paintings Were Hidden and Found
- What the Paintings Show
See also

History of the Church Building

Early Beginnings and Norman Style

People believe the first church on this spot was built during the Anglo-Saxon times. This was a very long time ago, before the year 1066. We do not know much about that first church. However, you can still see parts of it inside the current building. These include an old stone font and a carved cross piece.

The church was rebuilt around the year 1140. This new building had a style called Norman. Over the next few decades, more parts were added. A north aisle was built in 1150, and a south aisle was added in 1190. An aisle is a passage along the side of a church. You can still see the beautifully carved stone tops of columns from this time.

Changes and Additions Over Time

Around the year 1200, big changes happened because the church's central tower fell down. A new tower was built, but this time it was placed at the west end of the church. Later, a tall, pointed spire was added to this new tower.

In 1300, the chancel was made larger. The chancel is the part of the church where the altar is. It was made bigger to fit the more detailed church services of that time. This is why the east end of the church is wider than the main part, called the nave.

Special Chapels and Windows

The church also has two special small chapels called chantry chapels. These were built on the north and south sides of the altar area. The north chapel was built in 1337. It once held a statue of a knight named Sir William Bruce. His remains were later moved to make space for the church organ.

The south chapel was built in 1407. This chapel still has two statues of Sir David and Dame Margery Roucliffe. They are still in their original places.

The last major changes to the church building happened in the 1400s. The walls of the nave were made taller. New windows, called clerestory windows, were added high up on the walls. It was on these new, taller walls that the famous wall paintings were created.

View of the Parish Church from Pickering Market Place.

The Pickering Wall Paintings

View of the nave showing the bulk of the mural cycles (north to the left and south to the right).

The Pickering Wall Paintings are a truly special collection of old murals. Murals are paintings done directly on a wall. These paintings cover most of the walls in the nave of Pickering Parish Church. They are found above the arches and between the high windows. These paintings are some of the best preserved and most complete medieval murals in the whole United Kingdom. They make the church famous both in England and around the world.

How the Paintings Were Hidden and Found

The paintings were likely finished around 1450. However, about 100 years later, during a time called the Edwardian Reformation, they were covered up. This probably happened around 1547. People thought these paintings were no longer needed in churches.

The discovery of the paintings in 1852 was an accident! Some plaster fell off the wall, revealing the colorful art underneath. The vicar at the time, Reverend John Ponsonby, did not like the paintings. He insisted they be covered up again, even though the Archbishop of York, Dr Thomas Musgrave, was upset about it. Reverend Ponsonby had someone sketch the paintings, but then he had them painted over with whitewash.

Luckily, in 1876, a new vicar named Reverend G. H. Lightfoot decided to uncover and restore the paintings. Thanks to him, we can see them today!

What the Paintings Show

The paintings cover most of the nave walls. They tell stories from the liturgical calendar, which is the church's yearly cycle of events. They show scenes from the lives of saints. They also show important Christian themes, like the life of Jesus and the "Works of Mercy."

On the north wall, from left to right, you can see:

St George and the Dragon
St Christopher carrying the Child Jesus
The Beheading of John the Baptist
Above that, an image of the Coronation of the Virgin by the Holy Trinity
The stories of how popular English saints, St Edmund and St Thomas Becket, died for their beliefs.

On the south wall, from right to left, you can see:

Scenes from the story of St Catherine of Alexandria
The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy, which are acts of kindness like feeding the hungry or visiting the sick.
Scenes from Jesus's life, including his suffering, his return to life, and the Harrowing of Hell.

Pickering Wall Paintings (north wall)
St George and the Dragon and St Christopher carrying the Child Jesus.
The Coronation of the Virgin (above) and the Beheading of St. John the Baptist (beneath).
Coronation of the Virgin by the Holy Trinity in the presence of the martyred Apostles.
Closeup of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist.
Martyrdoms of Thomas above and Edmund beneath.
Martyrdom of St Edmund.