Key facts
- Operator
- English Heritage
- Condition
- Partial ruin
- Access
- Staffed, ticketed
Pinpoint
Castlegate, Pickering YO18 7AX
Telephone 01751 474989
Website www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/pickering-castle
Possible Opening hours
Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.
| Monday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Thursday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Friday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Saturday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Sunday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
A compact motte-and-bailey ruin in the market town of Pickering, small enough to see properly in under an hour, with staff reviewers praise for filling in the gaps left by the absence of an audio guide. Some towers are open to climb for views, and there's occasional dress-up and outdoor activities for children.
Worth the trip
The staff themselves - reviewers repeatedly say a knowledgeable member of staff talking you through the site does more work here than any signage.
Before you go
There's no audio guide, so timing your visit for when staff are free to talk you through it is worth doing; non-EH members should weigh the roughly £10 entry fee against how quick a visit this is.
Reviewers generally enjoy Pickering Castle as a compact ruin with a welcoming, engaging member of staff, though a few feel it's a fairly quick visit compared to somewhere like nearby Helmsley. One notable gap flagged by more than one reviewer is the lack of an audio guide, and one visitor felt the roughly £10 entrance fee was a bit steep for the amount there is to see.
“Part of British Heritage, so used my pass purchased in Australia.”— Gordon Holley, visitor review
