Pocklington
Encyclopedia
Pocklington is a small market town
and civil parish situated at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
, England
, approximately 13 miles (20.9 km) east of York
.
It is common in the area to refer to towns in a highly abbreviated form in casual conversation: thus, Pocklington is commonly referred to as "Pock".
Pocklington lies at the centre of the ecclesiastical Parish of Pocklington, which also encompasses the small hamlet of Kilnwick Percy
as well as a scattering of outlying farms and houses.
Justice is covered by the magistrates' district of Wilton Beacon now sitting at Beverley Magistrates' Court following the closure of Pocklington Court in George Street.
The town's skyline is dominated by a 15th century church tower. The town’s architecture is a mixture of quaint old houses and modern buildings and the town has several unusual street names reflecting its history from the Iron Age
onwards.
It is now considered to be a commuter town
for York
, Hull
and Leeds
.
Pocklington gets its name via the Old English "Poclintun" from the Anglian
settlement of Pocel's (or Pocela's) people and the Old English word "tun" meaning farm or settlement, but though the town's name can only be traced back to around 650 AD, the inhabitation of Pocklington as a site is thought to extend back a further 1,000 years or more to the Bronze Age
.
In the Iron Age Pocklington was the regional capital of the Parisi tribe
and by the time of the Domesday Book
in 1086 it was the second largest settlement in Yorkshire, after York itself.
Pocklington developed through the Middle Ages
while many similar places fell into dramatic decline. Pocklington owed much of its prosperity in the Middle Ages to the fact that it was a local centre for the trading of wool
and lay on the main road to York, an important national centre for the export of wool to the continent. Wool was England
’s principal export in the earlier Middle Ages.
It has also been said that Pocklington held the last witch-burning in England.
Le Pays de Racan, France
(Official) Trendelburg
, Germany
(unofficial)
The Pays de Racan twinning has brought about, amongst other activities, reciprocal rugby match trips.
Pocklington Town Council is responsible for the cemetery, allotments, the Croft play-park and the Arts Centre within Pocklington. It consists of thirteen elected councillors who meet regularly to administer the town's services.
The town's motto is "Service with Freedom". Its shield is based on the arms of the Dolman family, founders of Pocklington School
and was granted to the town council in 1980. The crown at the base of the shield is the emblem of the saints, along with the gold cross, symbolises the town's historic connection with Paulinus
and the Archbishop of York
. The wheat sheaves note Pocklington's agricultural importance and the water lily the famous lily lakes at Burnby Hall Gardens
.
The town council has a policy of naming all new streets using the surnames of the war dead of Pocklington and neighbouring Barmby Moor
village - this gives rise to such names as Strother Close, Waite Close, Garrick Drive, Turnbull Close and Harper Close, which would seem unusual to the casual visitor. There is some slight controversy surrounding this move, with fears with earlier historic names are being erased.
In the last five years several action groups have been formed to address local issues:
, hills which form the eastern edge of the Vale of York
, and stretch from Pocklington 40 miles (64.4 km) or so in a north-easterly direction to the east coast around Bridlington
.
Geologically speaking, the whole area was originally under water, and, when the land rose, the chalk Wolds were formed from the skeletons and shells covering the sea floor. The landscape around Pocklington therefore varies from flat arable land primarily devoted to agriculture to the south and west, and grassy, limestone hills and valleys to the north and east. A lot of this lower farming country was originally reclaimed from marshland, from the Middle Ages onwards.
Crops grown include traditional arable crops seen elsewhere in the country but also include rape seed, turf and sugar beet
. The last is a familiar sight being hauled by tractor in large open-top trailers to York, where it is used by firms such as Nestle
and British Sugar. Recent job cuts have put this crop in jeopardy, although feasibility studies have shown that sugar beet could be used commercially to produce cleaner car fuel.
Pocklington is bisected by the largely invisible (it now runs underground for much of its length) Pocklington Beck, a small stream that feeds into the Pocklington Canal. The beck and canal are usually good fishing grounds but a sewerage overflow in 2003 killed thousands of fish and severely damaged the ecosystem, from which it is still recovering.
times. The civil parish is therefore not very ethnically diverse, with the 2001 UK census
reporting 98.8% of the 7,632 inhabitants being white.
A large number of Pocklington residents are commuters to nearby cities York, Hull and Leeds. Of those who work within the local area, of those not employed within the cluster of town centre services, a number work on the Pocklington Industrial Estate (light industrial) and Pocklington Business Park (commercial). Leading employers include Bond International (tyre distributors), Vebra, Ryedale Telecommunications and Phoenix Software. Agriculture is still a large employer, both directly in the form of farming, and also in secondary enterprises such as Yara Phosyn (Agrochemicals).
. These gardens are home to the National Collection of Hardy Water Lilies - the biggest such collection to be found in a natural setting in Europe
. The Burnby Hall Gardens collection of water lilies has been designated as a "National Collection" by the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens.
Day trippers also visit Millington Wood (a Site of Special Scientific Interest) and Pocklington Canal Head, with footpaths along the canal. The canal has been named one of the top ten places to see watery wildlife in Britain.
Nearby Allerthorpe Lakeland Park has parkland for walking, a lake with watersports facilities, a separate lake for fly fishing, and a BMX trail. There is also a large caravan park for holidaymaker
s.
, Dave Gorman
and Barry Cryer
and the musicians Midge Ure
and Steve Harley
. The centre also puts on "second screenings" of recently released movies.
In a tribute to Munich
's traditional Oktoberfest
, Pocklington also hosts its own annual Pocktoberfest. Unlike the original on which it is based, Pocktoberfest is pared down to a single-issue event: beer. In the 2006 event, 19 casks (or about 452 litres) of ale were consumed.
In 2006, Pocklington celebrated its second annual Flying Man Festival with a multitude of themed events from 12 to 14 May, in memory of the showman Thomas Pelling, the "Flying Man of Pocklington", who, with a pair of homemade wings, attempted a flight from the top of the local church, meeting his end when he collided with one of the church's buttresses.
The town also has a council-run Francis Scaife Sports Centre, which includes a 20 metre swimming pool, and gym. The town also has swimming, football and cricket clubs.
There are two golf clubs lying just outside Pocklington:
In 2007, Michael Woods
, a Pocklingtonian, made his debut for Chelsea F.C.
Pocklington currently run four men’s Saturday teams competing in the Humber Premier, York and Driffield leagues. The 1st team competing in the Humber Premier league finished 6th and were runners up in the Grays league cup during the 2007–08 season. The club had floodlights installed during July 2008, allowing the club to make progress in the football league pyramid.
Undeniably though the 4th Team had the most successful season in 2009-10 winning the league cup. There is also an U19s team and girls team.
, the Pocklington Post. Pocklington is also the home to Pock FM, a local radio station run by young people for the community. It is only on-air for certain very limited periods each year due to budgetary constraints. A full-time community station, Vixen FM
, based in nearby Market Weighton
, broadcasts to the town.
There are no non-Christian houses of worship within Pocklington, but Kilnwick Hall, just outside Pocklington, is home to a large resident Madhyamaka Buddhist Meditation Retreat Centre. It runs regular Buddhist meditation classes.
, the main arterial route between the cities of York and Hull.
The A1079 trunk road between Hull and York along which Pocklington lies is now generally acknowledged to be over-capacity. It has several accident blackspots and turning onto the road at rush hour is almost impossible and causes almost weekly accidents. Ambulance statistics indicate that between 1999 and 2005 there were an average of 90 accidents per year. The "Action Access A1079" group is campaigning for the Government to provide funding for the upgrading of the A1079, including a roundabout at Pocklington.
(EYMS). Including the numbers 746 and X46 services which run, respectively, as stopper and express services between York and Hull.
but in September 1946 the airfield was closed. Although the site remains in use with gliders
- and occasionally hot air balloonists - a lot of the concrete runway surface has gone, and the control tower is not in operation. It is therefore classified as "limited flying". The airfield is now wholly owned by the Wolds Gliding Club. It is unlikely ever to be developed beyond its present use.
The nearest commercially operating airport is Humberside Airport
, another former RAF airfield.
in November 1965. There is a small but vocal pressure group trying to get the station and line re-opened. The City of York Local Transport Plan for 2006 notes that: "work has recently been undertaken by East Riding of Yorkshire Council to examine the feasibility of reopening the former direct York – Pocklington - Beverley line that closed in 1965... given the unavailability of funding for such a scheme at present and the extensive time required for any reinstatement of a rail line, the scheme remains a longer-term aspiration."
The Minsters Rail Campaign is campaigning to re-open the railway line between Beverley and York (with stops at Stamford Bridge, Pocklington and Market Weighton). The re-opened railway would skirt the southern edge of the town as the former alignment has since been developed. . As of 2006, the issue of re-opening the line has been raised in Parliament and, although still prohibitively expensive, it is otherwise looked upon favourably.
The old railway building, designed by George Townsend Andrews
, was saved from demolition due to its interesting architecture. It now serves both as a bus shelter, and also a sports hall for nearby Pocklington School.
, previously in commercial use in the 19th century by barges, is now navigable as far as Melbourne Basin. Full restoration of the canal is one of the aims of the Pocklington Canal Amenity Society, which was formed in 1969. http://www.pocklingtoncanalsociety.org
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and civil parish situated at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds
Yorkshire Wolds
The Yorkshire Wolds are low hills in the counties of East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire in northeastern England. The name also applies to the district in which the hills lie....
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, approximately 13 miles (20.9 km) east of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
.
It is common in the area to refer to towns in a highly abbreviated form in casual conversation: thus, Pocklington is commonly referred to as "Pock".
Pocklington lies at the centre of the ecclesiastical Parish of Pocklington, which also encompasses the small hamlet of Kilnwick Percy
Kilnwick Percy
Kilnwick Percy is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north east of Pocklington town centre.It lies to the north of the B1246 road.It forms part of the civil parish of Nunburnholme....
as well as a scattering of outlying farms and houses.
Justice is covered by the magistrates' district of Wilton Beacon now sitting at Beverley Magistrates' Court following the closure of Pocklington Court in George Street.
The town's skyline is dominated by a 15th century church tower. The town’s architecture is a mixture of quaint old houses and modern buildings and the town has several unusual street names reflecting its history from the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
onwards.
It is now considered to be a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
for York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
and Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
.
History
Anglian
Anglian may refer to* The Anglian dialects* The Anglic languages* The Anglian Stage * The Anglian automobile* Used in reference to the cultural products and politics of the Angles of Anglo-Saxon England...
settlement of Pocel's (or Pocela's) people and the Old English word "tun" meaning farm or settlement, but though the town's name can only be traced back to around 650 AD, the inhabitation of Pocklington as a site is thought to extend back a further 1,000 years or more to the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
.
In the Iron Age Pocklington was the regional capital of the Parisi tribe
Parisii (Yorkshire)
The Parisii were a Celtic tribe who in pre-Roman times controlled almost all of the area which is now known as the East Riding of Yorkshire. Under Roman administration, the capital of their civitas was Petuaria, which today is known as Brough....
and by the time of the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in 1086 it was the second largest settlement in Yorkshire, after York itself.
Pocklington developed through the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
while many similar places fell into dramatic decline. Pocklington owed much of its prosperity in the Middle Ages to the fact that it was a local centre for the trading of wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
and lay on the main road to York, an important national centre for the export of wool to the continent. Wool was England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
’s principal export in the earlier Middle Ages.
It has also been said that Pocklington held the last witch-burning in England.
Governance
Pocklington is twinned with:Le Pays de Racan, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(Official) Trendelburg
Trendelburg
Trendelburg is a town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany with a population of 5,282 on 30 September 2009. It is situated on the river Diemel, north of Kassel.The town is twinned with Pocklington, England....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(unofficial)
The Pays de Racan twinning has brought about, amongst other activities, reciprocal rugby match trips.
Pocklington Town Council is responsible for the cemetery, allotments, the Croft play-park and the Arts Centre within Pocklington. It consists of thirteen elected councillors who meet regularly to administer the town's services.
The town's motto is "Service with Freedom". Its shield is based on the arms of the Dolman family, founders of Pocklington School
Pocklington School
Pocklington School, is an independent school in Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1514 by John Dolman. The school is situated in of land, on the outskirts of a small market town, from York and from Hull. It is an Anglican foundation and Friday morning church is...
and was granted to the town council in 1980. The crown at the base of the shield is the emblem of the saints, along with the gold cross, symbolises the town's historic connection with Paulinus
Paulinus
Paulinus/Paullinus is a Roman cognomen that can refer to:*Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, general who defeated BoudicaRoman consuls*Marcus Iunius Caesonius Nicomachus Anicius Faustus Paulinus, consul in 298...
and the Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
. The wheat sheaves note Pocklington's agricultural importance and the water lily the famous lily lakes at Burnby Hall Gardens
Burnby Hall Gardens
Burnby Hall Gardens, also known as Stewart’s Burnby Hall Gardens and Museum, are located close to the centre of Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They are home to the United Kingdom's national collection of hardy water lilies, and contain the largest such collection to be found in a...
.
The town council has a policy of naming all new streets using the surnames of the war dead of Pocklington and neighbouring Barmby Moor
Barmby Moor
Barmby Moor is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately west of Pocklington. It lies north of the A1079 road where it is met by the B1246 road that passes through the village....
village - this gives rise to such names as Strother Close, Waite Close, Garrick Drive, Turnbull Close and Harper Close, which would seem unusual to the casual visitor. There is some slight controversy surrounding this move, with fears with earlier historic names are being erased.
In the last five years several action groups have been formed to address local issues:
- Pocklington Broadband Campaign - aim to bring broadband internet to Pocklington (status: achieved, 2004)
- Action Access A1079 - aim to improve A1079 roadA1079 roadThe A1079 is a major road in northern England. It links the cities of York and Kingston upon Hull, both in Yorkshire.-Route:The road begins in central York, heading east initially as Lawrence Street and then Hull Road. After it meets the A64 at a grade separated roundabout and gains primary status...
, long-term goal for dual carriageway (status: in progress) - Minsters' Rail Campaign - aim to return railway to Pocklington (status: issue adopted by East Riding Council)
Geography
Pocklington is situated at the foot of the Yorkshire WoldsYorkshire Wolds
The Yorkshire Wolds are low hills in the counties of East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire in northeastern England. The name also applies to the district in which the hills lie....
, hills which form the eastern edge of the Vale of York
Vale of York
The Vale of York is an area of flat land in the north-east of England. The vale is a major agricultural area and serves as the main north-south transport corridor for northern England....
, and stretch from Pocklington 40 miles (64.4 km) or so in a north-easterly direction to the east coast around Bridlington
Bridlington
Bridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...
.
Geologically speaking, the whole area was originally under water, and, when the land rose, the chalk Wolds were formed from the skeletons and shells covering the sea floor. The landscape around Pocklington therefore varies from flat arable land primarily devoted to agriculture to the south and west, and grassy, limestone hills and valleys to the north and east. A lot of this lower farming country was originally reclaimed from marshland, from the Middle Ages onwards.
Crops grown include traditional arable crops seen elsewhere in the country but also include rape seed, turf and sugar beet
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
. The last is a familiar sight being hauled by tractor in large open-top trailers to York, where it is used by firms such as Nestle
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
and British Sugar. Recent job cuts have put this crop in jeopardy, although feasibility studies have shown that sugar beet could be used commercially to produce cleaner car fuel.
Pocklington is bisected by the largely invisible (it now runs underground for much of its length) Pocklington Beck, a small stream that feeds into the Pocklington Canal. The beck and canal are usually good fishing grounds but a sewerage overflow in 2003 killed thousands of fish and severely damaged the ecosystem, from which it is still recovering.
Demography
Due to its rural location in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Pocklington has not seen any great influx of immigrants since Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times. The civil parish is therefore not very ethnically diverse, with the 2001 UK census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
reporting 98.8% of the 7,632 inhabitants being white.
Economy
The high street contains a mix of public houses, shops (overwhelmingly independents, very few national chain stores), banks and restaurants.A large number of Pocklington residents are commuters to nearby cities York, Hull and Leeds. Of those who work within the local area, of those not employed within the cluster of town centre services, a number work on the Pocklington Industrial Estate (light industrial) and Pocklington Business Park (commercial). Leading employers include Bond International (tyre distributors), Vebra, Ryedale Telecommunications and Phoenix Software. Agriculture is still a large employer, both directly in the form of farming, and also in secondary enterprises such as Yara Phosyn (Agrochemicals).
Tourism
Near the centre of Pocklington is Burnby Hall GardensBurnby Hall Gardens
Burnby Hall Gardens, also known as Stewart’s Burnby Hall Gardens and Museum, are located close to the centre of Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They are home to the United Kingdom's national collection of hardy water lilies, and contain the largest such collection to be found in a...
. These gardens are home to the National Collection of Hardy Water Lilies - the biggest such collection to be found in a natural setting in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The Burnby Hall Gardens collection of water lilies has been designated as a "National Collection" by the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens.
Day trippers also visit Millington Wood (a Site of Special Scientific Interest) and Pocklington Canal Head, with footpaths along the canal. The canal has been named one of the top ten places to see watery wildlife in Britain.
Nearby Allerthorpe Lakeland Park has parkland for walking, a lake with watersports facilities, a separate lake for fly fishing, and a BMX trail. There is also a large caravan park for holidaymaker
Holidaymaker
The Holidaymaker is a special seasonal publication produced by the Cambrian News and distributed in Wales.The Holidaymaker covers three main regions - Ceredigion & Mid-Wales, Gwynedd & Pembrokeshire, and is printed three times a year - in the Spring, Easter and Summer time.It is a full-colour, free...
s.
Entertainment and culture
The Pocklington Arts Centre, which opened in 2000, "offers a mixed programme of film, music, drama, dance, lectures, workshops and exhibitions". Previous performers at the arts centre include the comedians Jenny Éclair, Clive JamesClive James
Clive James, AM is an Australian author, critic, broadcaster, poet and memoirist, best known for his autobiographical series Unreliable Memoirs, for his chat shows and documentaries on British television and for his prolific journalism...
, Dave Gorman
Dave Gorman
David James Gorman is an English author, stand-up comedian and presenter. He has performed comedy shows on stage in which he tells stories of extreme adventures and presents the evidence to the audience in order to prove to them that they are true stories...
and Barry Cryer
Barry Cryer
Barry Charles Cryer OBE is a British writer and comedian. Cryer has written for many noted performers, including Dave Allen, Stanley Baxter, Jack Benny, Rory Bremner, George Burns, Jasper Carrott, Tommy Cooper, Les Dawson, Dick Emery, Kenny Everett, Bruce Forsyth, David Frost, Bob Hope, Frankie...
and the musicians Midge Ure
Midge Ure
James "Midge" Ure, OBE is a Scottish guitarist, singer, keyboard player, and songwriter...
and Steve Harley
Steve Harley
Steve Harley is an English singer and songwriter, best known for his work with the 1970s rock group Cockney Rebel, with whom he still occasionally tours .-Biography:As a child, Harley suffered from polio, spending four years in hospital up to the...
. The centre also puts on "second screenings" of recently released movies.
In a tribute to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
's traditional Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
, Pocklington also hosts its own annual Pocktoberfest. Unlike the original on which it is based, Pocktoberfest is pared down to a single-issue event: beer. In the 2006 event, 19 casks (or about 452 litres) of ale were consumed.
In 2006, Pocklington celebrated its second annual Flying Man Festival with a multitude of themed events from 12 to 14 May, in memory of the showman Thomas Pelling, the "Flying Man of Pocklington", who, with a pair of homemade wings, attempted a flight from the top of the local church, meeting his end when he collided with one of the church's buttresses.
Sport
Pocklington is the home of the Pocklington RUFC rugby team based on Burnby Lane. The first rugby game in Pocklington took place on West Green on Wednesday 12 November 1879 between "Pocklington Town and District" and "Pocklington Grammar School". The first Pocklington rugby club Pocklington FC was formed in 1885. Pocklington RUFC also hosts the traditional "Good Friday Sevens" tournament - Yorkshire's longest-established sevens tournament launched in 1958 and Pocklington's premier sporting event, which sees teams local, county-based and even international teams compete.The town also has a council-run Francis Scaife Sports Centre, which includes a 20 metre swimming pool, and gym. The town also has swimming, football and cricket clubs.
There are two golf clubs lying just outside Pocklington:
- Allerthorpe Park Golf Club - 18-hole course
- Kilnwick Percy Golf Club
In 2007, Michael Woods
Michael Woods (footballer)
Michael James Woods is an English professional footballer who last played for Chelsea F.C. as a midfielder.-Club career:...
, a Pocklingtonian, made his debut for Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
Pocklington currently run four men’s Saturday teams competing in the Humber Premier, York and Driffield leagues. The 1st team competing in the Humber Premier league finished 6th and were runners up in the Grays league cup during the 2007–08 season. The club had floodlights installed during July 2008, allowing the club to make progress in the football league pyramid.
Undeniably though the 4th Team had the most successful season in 2009-10 winning the league cup. There is also an U19s team and girls team.
Media
Pocklington has a local weekly newspaperNewspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, the Pocklington Post. Pocklington is also the home to Pock FM, a local radio station run by young people for the community. It is only on-air for certain very limited periods each year due to budgetary constraints. A full-time community station, Vixen FM
Vixen FM
Vixen 101 is a community radio organisation based in the town of Market Weighton, East Riding of Yorkshire, England....
, based in nearby Market Weighton
Market Weighton
Market Weighton is a small town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is one of the main market towns in the East Yorkshire Wolds and lies midway between Hull and York, about from either one...
, broadcasts to the town.
Education
Although Pocklington is a relatively small town its has three schools/pre-schools:- Pocklington School
- Pocklington Community Junior School
- Woldgate College
Religion
Churches within Pocklington include:- All Saints' Church, known in the area as the Cathedral of the Wolds, dates from the late 12th to early 15th century.
- Pocklington Christian Fellowship, formerly known as Pocklington Pentecostal Church, meets in the church building originally constructed in 1807 as a Desenters chapel, known as Ebenezar Independent Chapel. http://www.p-c-f.co.uk/
- Pocklington Methodist Church, originally the Wesleyan Methodist Church, built in 1864 in the Grecian style - 150 members. http://www.nicholls128.freeserve.co.uk/
- St Mary & St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church.
There are no non-Christian houses of worship within Pocklington, but Kilnwick Hall, just outside Pocklington, is home to a large resident Madhyamaka Buddhist Meditation Retreat Centre. It runs regular Buddhist meditation classes.
Freemasonry
Pocklington has its own Masonic Hall which is situated on the Mile. It is home to several lodges and orders including:- Beacon Lodge
- Old Pocklingtonian Lodge
- Beacon Chapter
Car
Pocklington lies on the A1079 roadA1079 road
The A1079 is a major road in northern England. It links the cities of York and Kingston upon Hull, both in Yorkshire.-Route:The road begins in central York, heading east initially as Lawrence Street and then Hull Road. After it meets the A64 at a grade separated roundabout and gains primary status...
, the main arterial route between the cities of York and Hull.
The A1079 trunk road between Hull and York along which Pocklington lies is now generally acknowledged to be over-capacity. It has several accident blackspots and turning onto the road at rush hour is almost impossible and causes almost weekly accidents. Ambulance statistics indicate that between 1999 and 2005 there were an average of 90 accidents per year. The "Action Access A1079" group is campaigning for the Government to provide funding for the upgrading of the A1079, including a roundabout at Pocklington.
Bus
Pocklington is served by a number of bus routes provided by East Yorkshire Motor ServicesEast Yorkshire Motor Services
East Yorkshire Motor Services is a large bus and coach operator which operates throughout Kingston upon Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, the North Yorkshire coast and the North York Moors. In and around Scarborough, EYMS operates as Scarborough & District Motor Services...
(EYMS). Including the numbers 746 and X46 services which run, respectively, as stopper and express services between York and Hull.
Air
Pocklington Airfield has three concrete and tarmac runways of 1600 yards (1,463 m) - sufficient length to play host to RAF bombers during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
but in September 1946 the airfield was closed. Although the site remains in use with gliders
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
- and occasionally hot air balloonists - a lot of the concrete runway surface has gone, and the control tower is not in operation. It is therefore classified as "limited flying". The airfield is now wholly owned by the Wolds Gliding Club. It is unlikely ever to be developed beyond its present use.
The nearest commercially operating airport is Humberside Airport
Humberside Airport
-Cargo flights:Icelandair Cargo operate a weekly Sunday flight from Keflavík which then departs to Liege-Passenger statistics:-Bus service:An hourly daytime bus service runs from Grimsby and Hull to the airport from Monday to Saturday.-External links:**...
, another former RAF airfield.
Rail
Pocklington was once part of the rail network, with a station dating back to 1847. This was closed as a result of the Beeching ReportBeeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
in November 1965. There is a small but vocal pressure group trying to get the station and line re-opened. The City of York Local Transport Plan for 2006 notes that: "work has recently been undertaken by East Riding of Yorkshire Council to examine the feasibility of reopening the former direct York – Pocklington - Beverley line that closed in 1965... given the unavailability of funding for such a scheme at present and the extensive time required for any reinstatement of a rail line, the scheme remains a longer-term aspiration."
The Minsters Rail Campaign is campaigning to re-open the railway line between Beverley and York (with stops at Stamford Bridge, Pocklington and Market Weighton). The re-opened railway would skirt the southern edge of the town as the former alignment has since been developed. . As of 2006, the issue of re-opening the line has been raised in Parliament and, although still prohibitively expensive, it is otherwise looked upon favourably.
The old railway building, designed by George Townsend Andrews
George Townsend Andrews
George Townsend Andrews was an English architect born in Exeter. He is noted for his buildings designed for George Hudson's railways, especially the York and North Midland Railway...
, was saved from demolition due to its interesting architecture. It now serves both as a bus shelter, and also a sports hall for nearby Pocklington School.
Boat
The Pocklington CanalPocklington Canal
The Pocklington Canal is a broad canal which runs for through nine locks from the Canal Head near Pocklington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, to the River Derwent which it joins near East Cottingwith...
, previously in commercial use in the 19th century by barges, is now navigable as far as Melbourne Basin. Full restoration of the canal is one of the aims of the Pocklington Canal Amenity Society, which was formed in 1969. http://www.pocklingtoncanalsociety.org
Notable people
Alphabetically:- Mike Bennett (businessman)Mike Bennett (businessman)Mike Bennett, is a businessman who started one of the UK's very first digital agencies in Bristol with his partners Stuart Avery. He is actively involved in the wider media and creative landcape of Bristol and the South West of England...
, award winning serial entrepreneur, E3 Media (digital agency)E3 Media (digital agency)E3 Media is a privately owned digital communications agency founded in Bristol in 2000. It specializes in interactive marketing, design and build, and user experience and currently has a total of 50 employees in Bristol and Farringdon, London....
went to school at Woldgate between 1987–1992 - Matt Brash, celebrity vet, Zoo Vet at LargeZoo Vet at LargeZoo Vet at Large is a television series following the work of zoo vet Matt Brash at Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire. The programme originated from Yorkshire Television and is also shown world wide on channels such as Sky Travel and the Danish channel Viasat.Matt Brash has been called the James...
(TV series) - Thomas CookeThomas CookeThis page is about the instrument maker. For other persons named Thomas Cooke, see Thomas CookeThomas Cooke was a British instrument maker based on York. He founded T. Cooke & Sons, the instrument company-Life:...
, 19th century instrument maker, born in nearby AllerthorpeAllerthorpeAllerthorpe is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately south west of the town of Pocklington.The civil parish is formed by the village of Allerthorpe and the hamlet of Waplington.... - Adrian EdmondsonAdrian EdmondsonAdrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson is an English comedian. He is probably best known for his comedic roles in the television series The Young Ones and Bottom , for which he also wrote together with his long-time collaboration partner Rik Mayall.-Early life:Edmondson, the second of four children, was...
, comedian, The Young OnesThe Young Ones (TV series)The Young Ones is a British sitcom, first broadcast in 1982, which ran for two series on BBC2. Its anarchic, offbeat humour helped bring alternative comedy to television in the 1980s and made household names of its writers and performers...
and BottomBottom (TV series)Bottom was a British sitcom television series that originally aired on BBC2 between 1991 and 1995. It was written by comic duo Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson who star as Richie and Eddie, two flatmates living on the dole in Hammersmith, London... - Richard HerringRichard HerringRichard Keith Herring is a British comedian and writer, whose early work includes his involvement in the double-act, Lee and Herring...
, comedian, was born in Pocklington - Ralph InesonRalph InesonRalph Ineson is an English actor best known for playing the character of Chris Finch on the BBC television programme The Office. He has a rich Yorkshire accent and is an avid supporter of Leeds United A.F.C. Ralph Ineson was educated at Woodleigh School, North Yorkshire...
, comedian, The OfficeThe Office (UK TV series)The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious... - Joseph Malet LambertJoseph Malet LambertJoseph Malet Lambert played a prominent part in the history of Hull from 1881 until 1931. He was involved in great reforms in education and social affairs, proposing universal education as an economic stimulus. His Two Thousand Years of Gild Life Joseph Malet Lambert (1853–1931) played a prominent...
, 19th century author and social reformer - Xavier PickXavier PickXavier Pick was born in York, England in 1972. He was brought up in Yorkshire and attended Pocklington School. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art and The Royal College of Art.He has won critical acclaim for his visual story telling...
, English artist - George Herbert StancerGeorge Herbert StancerGeorge Herbert Stancer OBE was a notable English racing cyclist of the late 19th century who became one of the most notable administrators of the British Cyclists' Touring Club after World War I...
, cyclist, cycling journalist and administrator - Sir Tom StoppardTom StoppardSir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
OM, CBE, contemporary playwright, Shakespeare in LoveShakespeare in LoveShakespeare in Love is a 1998 British-American comedy film directed by John Madden and written by Marc Norman and playwright Tom Stoppard.... - Andy StrangewayAndy StrangewayAndy Strangeway , a decorator, adventurer and islomaniac from the Yorkshire Wolds, is the first - and so far the only - person to complete the challenge of landing and sleeping on all 162 of Scotland's islands of 40 hectares and above...
, decorator, first man to visit and sleep on all of Scotland's notable islands - Rob WebberRob WebberRob Webber is a rugby union player for London Wasps in the English Premiership. Webber's position of choice is as at hooker and he can also play in the back-row.-Club career:...
, Wasps rugby player - William WilberforceWilliam WilberforceWilliam Wilberforce was a British politician, a philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire...
, 18th century anti-slavery campaigner - Michael WoodsMichael Woods (footballer)Michael James Woods is an English professional footballer who last played for Chelsea F.C. as a midfielder.-Club career:...
, Fourth youngest to ever play for ChelseaChelsea F.C.Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. - oelephine Saltmer (poof), Top Poof].