Church of All Saints, Pocklington

All Saints’ Church stands in the market town of Pocklington, East Yorkshire. Built mainly between the 12th and 15th centuries, it is a Grade I listed building and is often called the Cathedral of the Wolds. The church’s foundations date back to Saxon times, and fragments of the original Norman building remain visible. The clock on the tower, installed in 1841, uses a single train to strike the hours and chime the quarters, a mechanism found in only one other church clock in England. Extensive repairs in the late 19th century added most of the stained glass and the carved pulpit, which depicts the Good Samaritan and St Peter healing the lame man. A heritage appeal in the early 2000s funded work to restore the west end and repair crumbling stonework. The churchyard holds the Sotheby Cross, a 15th-century memorial with an inscription noting that St Paulinus preached here in AD 627. The cross was rediscovered in 1835, moved inside the church, and returned to its original site in 2006 after research into an 1880s drawing. The Sotheby family, who gave their name to the famous auction house, once lived in Pocklington and produced a vicar and headmaster in the 17th century. In 1733, the Flying Man of Pocklington died while attempting to cross a rope between the church and the Star Inn; he is buried at the east end where a plaque marks the spot. Inside, the church offers a mix of medieval fabric and Victorian restoration. The pulpit and most stained glass date from the 19th century, while the tower clock remains an unusual example of early engineering. The building continues to host local events and supports links with the nearby Church of England Infants’ School. The current vicar, the Reverend Dr Jacob Belder, has led the parish since 2020. Beyond the churchyard, the Benefice includes six other village churches across the Yorkshire Wolds.