|
Pickering Centre - Photo:
Charles Rispin
CCL |
Lying just outside the
National Park, this ancient market town lies
at the foot of heather-clad moors and was
originally a Celtic settlement dating to
270BC. Its church has medieval frescoes,
discovered beneath whitewashed walls, which
include a 9th century scene of King Edmund
being put to death. Pickering Castle was once
besieged by Robert the Bruce but is now a
joyously well-preserved ruin. It was
apparently used as a hunting lodge by every
English monarch up to 1400. Richard II was
kept prisoner here in 1399 shortly after being
deposed. Beck Isle Museum has rooms devoted to
different aspects of life in the past - from a
barber’s shop to a public bar. |
