Discover Preston: Church, Village Centre and Nun’s Walk

Preston combines a historic village centre with the Church of All Saints and traces of the medieval landscape. These points of interest prompt different questions: What is the church building’s design like, how closely packed is the central village centre, and what traces of earlier land use can be found around Preston? This makes it possible to plan a stay that combines architecture, local history and a walk. For families who enjoy exploring together, the different themes offer conversation starters and ways to give the day a clear focus.

The Church of All Saints and its architectural history

The Church of All Saints in Preston is a Grade I listed building. Its north arcade dates from the 13th century. The building is constructed partly of cobbles and partly of ashlar; the tower is designed in the Perpendicular style. This brings together a dated architectural feature, different materials and a named tower style in one building.

An arcade is a row of arches. Cobbles are rounded stones, while ashlar is dressed stone. These terms make the construction easy to picture, even if you have not previously taken an interest in architecture. For a trip with an interest in architectural history, the church therefore provides a concrete point of reference: you can explore the building through its architectural features, materials and style, rather than seeing it only as a name on an itinerary.

Village centre and historical traces

The historic village centre is the focus of the Preston Conservation Area. In the central core, the buildings stand close together, directly beside the pavement. This describes the structure of the streetscape: the buildings stand close to the footpath and form a continuous street frontage. Anyone who enjoys looking at the shape of a place as a whole will find a different perspective here from the individual architectural features of the church.

The name Preston also has a recorded history. In the Domesday Book, the place was recorded as “Prestune” in 1086; the name means “priest’s farmstead”. Until 1830, traffic between Hull and Hedon passed through Preston because there was no direct main road. The early forms of the name and the historic route complement one another without telling the same kind of local history: one points to written records, the other to earlier connections between places.

Field systems and Nun’s Walk

Examples of medieval field systems can be seen around Preston. They add another historical dimension to the landscape alongside the dense village centre and church architecture. Different scales therefore sit side by side in Preston: the architectural form of a single building, the settlement pattern of the village centre, and traces of earlier land use.

Nun’s Walk is the locally used name for a public footpath between Main Street and Luck Lane. Preston Parish Council renovated Nun’s Walk in 1995 as part of the Preston Parish Trail. A proposed route change was put out for consultation on 14 July 2026. If you plan to use the path for a walk, check its current route beforehand. The footpath offers a practical point of reference for planning, while the field systems complement this more activity-focused theme with a view of the historic landscape.

Choosing the right focus for your stay

When looking for a holiday rental in Preston, you can start by deciding which of these themes matters most to you. If you are interested in architectural history and the continuous streetscape, the Church of All Saints and the historic village centre are natural points of reference. If you would also like to plan walks and explore the history of the landscape, include Nun’s Walk and the field systems in your considerations. This makes choosing your accommodation part of a trip that suits your plans, without letting a place name alone dictate the routes you take.

Discover more destinations: Aldbrough, South Cave, Paull, Barmby Moor, Rudston, Howden, Withernwick, Eastrington.

For the wider travel overview: East Riding Of Yorkshire.