Pickering

Pickering

Pickering is a lively market town on the edge of the North York Moors. Visitors can explore the ruined castle and medieval church, browse traditional shops, or take a steam train from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to Goathland or Whitby. It is an ideal starting point for exploring the surrounding moors and dales.

Getting to the edge of the North York Moors is a breeze by coach, and Pickering is the perfect place to start your adventure. This lively market town is the southern end of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, where you can watch gleaming steam trains head off into the hills, and the local ruined castle and medieval church add a wonderful touch of history.

Spend your time browsing the traditional shops and market stalls, taking a steam train ride to Goathland or Whitby, and exploring the stunning moors and dales nearby. It’s a welcoming spot with plenty of genuine Yorkshire character. Take a look at our coach holidays to Pickering and let us handle the driving.

Places of Interest

North Yorkshire Moors Railway

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage line running from Pickering through the North York Moors National Park to Grosmont and Whitby. Visitors can ride steam and vintage diesel trains through landscapes of heather and woodlands. Highlights include the 1930s-style Pickering station, the film location at Goathland, and engine sheds at Grosmont where locomotives are restored.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is one of the finest heritage lines in the world. It stretches about eighteen miles from the market town of Pickering through the stunning North York Moors National Park to Grosmont, with many trains continuing on to the coast at Whitby. Originally opened in 1836 as the Whitby and Pickering Railway under George Stephenson, the line was eventually saved by volunteers and has since grown into a beloved charitable venture.

Passengers are pulled by steam and vintage diesel engines through breathtaking landscapes of purple heather, deep valleys, and woodlands. Pickering station is designed to feel like the 1930s, while Goathland is famous for playing Hogsmeade in the first Harry Potter movie and Aidensfield in Heartbeat. At Grosmont, visitors can head into the engine sheds to see locomotives being restored. Between the period stations, dining cars, and special galas, it truly is one of the most memorable railway trips in the UK.

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