Pocklington, is a small market town situated at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds. 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.
Pocklington hosts a market every Tuesday in the main square, it also has many shops and two supermarkets. There are several pubs, some of which serve food daily. It also boasts an Indian, Chinese, Italian and English restaurant which are open both lunch and evenings. There are several take aways, including Fish & Chips, Pizzeria, Indian and Chinese.
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 James, 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 2006's event, 19 casks (or about 452 litres) of ale were consumed.
The town also has a council-run sports centre, which includes a swimming pool and gym.
There are two golf clubs lying just outside Pocklington :
· Kilnwick Percy Golf Club
· Allerthorpe Park Golf Club
Near the centre of Pocklington is Burnby Hall Gardens. 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
