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

Quick facts for kids St Peter and St Paul, Pickering
Pickering Parish Church
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
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
Administration
Parish	Pickering
Deanery	Northern Ryedale
Archdeaconry	Cleveland
Diocese	Diocese of York
Province	Province of York

The Church of St Peter and St Paul is a historic church in Pickering, England. It is the main church for the town. You can see its tall spire from far away across the Ryedale area. This church is part of the Church of England and belongs to the Diocese of York. It is famous for its amazing old wall paintings from the Middle Ages. The building is so important that it is a Grade I listed building. This means it is a very special historic place.

Discover the Church's Long History
- How the Church Changed Over Time
- Special Chapels and Features
Amazing Medieval Wall Paintings
- The Discovery and Restoration of the Paintings
See also

Discover the Church's Long History

The first church on this spot was built a very long time ago, during the Anglo-Saxon period. We don't know much about that first church. But you can still see parts of it inside the current building. These include an old stone font and a carved cross.

How the Church Changed Over Time

The church was rebuilt around 1140. Many new parts were added in the years that followed. A north aisle was built in 1150, and a south aisle was added in 1190. Around 1200, big changes happened because the church's central tower fell down. A new tower was built at the west end of the church. The tall spire was added to this new tower later.

In 1300, the chancel (the part of the church near the altar) was made bigger. This was done to make space for the more detailed church services of that time. Because of this, the east end of the church is wider than the main part (the nave).

Special Chapels and Features

The church has two special chapels called chantry chapels. These were built on the north and south sides of the sanctuary.

The north chantry chapel was built in 1337. It once held a statue of Sir William Bruce. His remains were later moved to make room for the church organ.
The south chantry chapel was built in 1407. It still has two statues of Sir David and Dame Margery Roucliffe.

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. It was on these new walls that the famous wall paintings were created.

A sundial on the church wall
Inside the church, showing its architecture
A carved stone capital
A capital with a "green man" carving
Another carved capital

Amazing Medieval Wall Paintings

Pickering Parish Church is very famous for its collection of medieval wall paintings. These paintings show stories from the Christian calendar of the Middle Ages. They were likely painted around 1450.

The Discovery and Restoration of the Paintings

In the 1500s, during the Protestant Reformation, these paintings were covered up. They were found by accident in 1852 when some plaster fell off a wall. 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, disagreed. Ponsonby had someone sketch the paintings before they were hidden again with whitewash.

However, in 1876, a new vicar, Reverend G. H. Lightfoot, decided to uncover and restore the paintings. Today, these paintings cover most of the nave walls. They show many different scenes, including: