We’ve all heard about Yorkshire, haven’t we? The vast cricketing county, with friendly people,ravishing scenery, ancient towns and outstanding cultural riches, is a region with its finger on the modern pulse, easily accessible by road, rail and air. However, by the very nature of things, fewer people know about one of Yorkshire’s best kept secrets, centred upon the attractive, bustling market town of Pocklington.

Refreshingly unspoilt by pressures of tourism, Pocklington is an ideal location for exploring less familiar, fascinating Yorkshire countryside on your own terms, at your own pace. There is a wealth of varied interest and beauty within its radius and at its centre. Once discovered, people from far and wide come back time and time again.

Pocklington has an ancient history. Rising from one of its oldest sites, the lofty tower of All Saints Church looks down upon the market place, with its ancient street pattern and network of interesting shopping alleyways. It is a landmark for miles around. The market itself dates back to the thirteenth century and takes place every Tuesday, a cheerful focus of local colour and thriving commerce.

This attractive township shelters at the foot of the marvellous Yorkshire Wolds, a range of mysterious hills that rise immediately behind it and roll majestically to the sea, at its nearest point not much more than 40 minutes drive away, at Bridlington.

The Wolds encompass grassy, limestone valleys and villages with Viking memories, waiting to be discovered. At one side, the grand ancestral home of Castle Howard displays its magnificent architectural finery from afar, across undulating landscapes; while on the other, the exquisite Elizabethan mansion of Burton Agnes, discreetly hides its turreted towers and manicured army of yew trees, in folds of hills towards the sea. These are but two in the fascinating range of stately homes and lovely abbeys within easy reach; food for eye and mind. Unsurprisingly, artists and craftspeople abound in this area. It inspires creative thinking and activity. At the same time, the visitor is offered a sense of well-being and relaxation. This is great walking country. From small informal rambles, to the more ambitious reaches of the Wolds Way, endless visual delights await. Every season, every change of light on every day, offers something new. A constant factor is the ordered farmstead on its crest, veiled and protected by fans and cordons of noble trees, looking out to other distant farms and trees across hill and vale, in vistas of unending space and beauty.

Delights in miniature are found in Pocklington itself, at Burnby Hall Gardens. The national centre for hardy water lilies, it is a haven of peace and tranquillity; of lawn and level, pond and reflection, tree and shrub and reed and flower, duck and fat fish all at home, with each other and with the world.

The café in the Gardens is one of several delightful places for refreshment in the town, which is well worth a stroll in its own right. Visit the locally owned shops and businesses. Stop a while in the town cafes, restaurants and delicatessens and savour home cooking and local produce. You will gain a lively sense of natural Yorkshire life and commerce in amenable surroundings.

Pocklington also boasts a Mayor and a wonderful Arts Centre. Situated bang in the middle of town, the Arts Centre is a triumph, enriching the local scene with performers and personalities of national and international renown, first-class cinema, exhibitions and so on … Culturally, you name it, the art centre delivers.

Ample and varied accommodation is easily found in the area. Local camp and caravan sites are conveniently situated on the edge of town. There are numerous bed and breakfasts, small hotels and, near by, beautiful country-house hotels. No matter where you stay, Yorkshire hospitality and a friendly welcome is always assured. Magnificent York is only about 20 minutes down the road, with easy and convenient park-and-ride arrangements for day visitors.

Which brings us to the Vale of York, itself a treasure of fields and woods, winding lanes and duck pondy villages, under huge open skies. The flat edges of Pocklington naturally lead into this lovely area, ideal for cycling. All the villages around have tons of character. There are garden centres galore and, in season, advertised trails of private open gardens, lead into unsuspected realms of beautiful garden design in endless variety. Many villages have traditional summer fairs and celebrations. This year, for example, Fangfoss, a village 3 miles or so from Pocklington, with a lovely old Norman church, thriving local pottery, wooden furniture and rocking-horse businesses, intends a June launch of the new Wolds Arts Group (WAG), with coordinated exhibitions of local art and crafts at the village and in galleries at nearby Bishop Wilton and at Thixendale, Rudston and Tibthorpe, higher up in the Wolds; all coinciding with the Village Fete at Fangfoss. Later, in September, its ‘Fangfest’ is a major annual event on the local calendar. If golf is your scene, look no further. Attractive courses crop up all around Pocklington, both on the scenic slopes of the Wolds and in the sunny neighbouring vale.

There are numerous fishing opportunities near at hand and Allerthorpe Lakeland Park beckons for watersports enjoyment. Flying has historic local significance, celebrated in various ways around here. The world-famous Elvington Air Museum is only minutes down the road. This year, Pocklington celebrated its second Flying Man Festival with a multitude of themed events from 12th to 14th May, in memory of the Flying Showman Thomas Pelling, who met an untimely end whilst entertaining townsfolk in 1733: not brilliant for him but a flying feast of fun for all the family in modern-day Pocklington. Also, the airfield on the edge of town had a very distinguished record in the Second World War. Nowadays it is a significant centre for gliding. The silent, graceful craft skim and soar and slowly turn in the skies, above our hills and fields and homesteads.

Over the tops, the eastern Wolds look to the sea; villages with fascinating names like Skidby and Cherry Burton are scattered along the way. Northwards, fabulous, quaint old Whitby, transports the mind to times of sail and lands afar, with the voyages of Captain Cook. Coming south, Scarborough, spread around sweeping bays, its cliff-top castle dominating the harbour, was birthplace to world-famous character actor Charles Laughton, on screen an unforgettable Captain Bligh and the definitive Hunchback of Notre Dame. Continuing down the coast, magnificent 300 foot-high cliffs at Bempton are the bird-reserve home for countless thousands of nesting seabirds; so too the more intimate grandeur of unspoilt white chalk bays and cliffs at Flamborough, their tussocky tops carpeted with primroses in spring. These give way to the broad sands and cheerful, homely atmosphere of Bridlington, about 40 minutes drive from Pocklington, with extremely scenic routes an option.

Not far away, Beverley and Hull are casual shopping and entertainment destinations for Pocklington folk. Though varied in scale and character, these locations to the south east share features with other attractive inland venues like Pickering and Malton; they all save the best till last. At the very last moment, from different vantage points on the top edge of the Wolds, the day traveller returning home to Pocklington, is confronted by breathtaking aerial views over the vast, green, patchwork expanses of the Vale of York. Distant ridges of the Yorkshire Dales gently punctuate the sky above the far horizon. At sunset it is paradise. William Wilberforce first wrote about the abolition of slavery while teaching at Pocklington School. His family took its name from the neighbouring village of Wilberfoss.

 The area is inextricably linked with world events of tremendous significance but, on an everyday level, Pocklington remains a wonderful centre from which to enjoy happy holidays in a beautiful part of Yorkshire. Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.

J. M. Hildred, 14 May 2006