Pontefract
West Yorkshire
As the crow flies, the town is 3 miles south-east of
The historic town once had Yorkshire's most dominant castle, but this has been in ruins for nearly 400 years.
The castle is believed likely to be the place where King Richard II died in 1400 — this later referred to as Pomfret in William Shakespeare's play Richard III. In the Civil War the castle was a royalist stronghold and withstood three sieges between 1644 and 1649. Its final siege by Oliver Cromwell did not come to an end until a surrender almost two months after the execution in January 1949 of King Charles I. After the years of problems from the sieges, the Pontefract townspeople supported the demolition of the castle.
Pontefract has been a market town since the Middle Ages and its town centre has several historic listed buildings around its Market Place, including its market buttercross with pump, which dates from 1734. The Old Town Hall, dating from 1785, was originally a market building with a jail at the back and assembly room above. The market history continues at a nearby Market Hall where the frontage dates from around 1860, although this building's interior was rebuilt around 100 years later.
Pontefract has become well known for sweet-making and particularly its sweets known as Pontefract Cakes, originally made from liquorice grown in the area. There is still a sweet smell in the air of the town from the large sweet-making factory close to the town centre.
The town has three railway stations — Tanshelf, Monkhill and Baghill — serving different lines and sides of the town centre.
Town features





















Travel
Pontefract Tanshelf station Park Road
⇆ Most trains to Knottingley return to Leeds via Castleford (and vice-versa).
Station managed by: NORTHERN. Operator/s: NORTHERN.

External link to National Rail live departure board for services at this station (opens in new tab).
Pontefract Monkhill station Monkhill Lane
!! Only one service a day operates beyond Knottingley. None on Sunday.
Station managed by: NORTHERN. Operator/s: NORTHERN, GRAND CENTRAL.

External link to National Rail live departure board for services at this station (opens in new tab).
Pontefract Baghill station Station Lane
CHECK TIMETABLES: A sparse service is provided on the direct York - Sheffield route with three daily Monday to Saturday trains each way and two on Sundays.Station managed by: NORTHERN. Operator/s: NORTHERN.

External link to National Rail live departure board for services at this station (opens in new tab).
Pontefract bus station Horsefair
Metro - Pontefract Bus Station

Link to Metro - external web page with details of services and buses at this bus station.
Road travel
Pontefract can be reached via the
Places to Visit
Sandal Castle
Manygates Lane, Sandal Magna, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire
About two miles south of the city centre, the ruins of the medieval motte and bailey castle are freely open to the public and overlook the River Calder and the city. Some walkways at the castle, including steps to the keep, have recently been undergoing renovation and repairs following a £700,000 investment by Wakefield Council. The castle stood just above the site of the War of the Roses Battle of Wakefield in December 1460. Its damage, however, was ordered by Parliamentarians after the surrender of a Royalist garrison there in October 1645 during the English Civil Wars. More information at the
Wakefield Council - Sandal Castle web pages.

Find on map:
Sandal Castle

The Hepworth, Wakefield
Gallery Walk, Wakefield
A modern building next to the River Calder in Find out more at
The Hepworth website.

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The Hepworth, Wakefield

National Coal Mining Museum for England
The National Coal Mining Museum for England is mid-way between
More details at the

Yorkshire Sculpture Park
West Bretton
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is the UK's leading open-air sculpture gallery, situated at More information at the
Yorkshire Sculpture Park website.

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Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Nostell
off Doncaster Road, Wragby , near Wakefield
The site of a medieval priory, Nostell features a mid-18th century Palladian-style house which has been described as an architectural masterpiece. It includes interiors added by Robert Adam and furniture by Yorkshire-born furniture designer Thomas Chippendale. The house, 6 miles south-east of More information can be found on the
National Trust - Nostell web pages.

Pontefract Castle
Castle Garth, Pontefract
Once the most impressive castle in Yorkshire, Pontefract Castle has been a ruin for nearly 380 years. It is believed to be the place where King Richard II died in 1400, the king having been imprisoned there in 1399. The castle was referred to (as Pomfret) in William Shakespeare's play Richard III as the place where Richard II was 'hack'd to death', although many historians put starvation as the likely cause. Mystery still surrounds the death as there were also stories of Richard's escape to Stirling in Scotland. The castle was visited in August 1541 by King Henry VIII with his queen of the past year, Catherine Howard, and also Thomas Culpeper. Culpeper was at the end of that year beheaded in London for his alleged adultery with the queen, who was herself executed a few weeks later. Pontefract Castle was a royalist stronghold in the English Civil War and was beseiged several times by Parliamentarian forces before its remains were destroyed in 1649. Low and excavated sections of the castle's once formidable walls and towers and parts of the cellars of the castle are all that remain today. The castle is managed by Wakefield Council. More information at the
Experience Wakefield - Pontefract Castle website.

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Pontefract Castle

Fairburn Ings
Near FairburnSituated 2 miles north-east of Castleford (3.5 miles by road), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve at Fairburn Ings offers hides, trails and a visitor centre. It has a variety of birdlife habitats, including lakes, woodland and wet grassland with resident and migrating birds depending on the season. The visitor centre is open each day except Christmas Day. The reserve holds events and discovery days through the year and there are also opportunities for pond-dipping.
Emergency services
West Yorkshire Police 
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Local government
Metropolitan district council

Wakefield Council covers an area extending many miles beyond the city of
The council is made up of 63 councillors elected 3 per ward across 21 wards. Elections held in 3 in every 4 years elect one councillor per ward for 4-year terms.
Political composition after May 2024 election:
63 members
Link to
Wakefield Council website .

County strategic authority
West Yorkshire Combined AuthorityCovers some combined services of the five metropolitan district councils of






Elected mayor:

Police and Crime Commissioner
The Police and Crime Commissioner for West YorkshireThis role has become one of the many responsibilities of the West Yorkshire elected mayor since May 2021.

National government region
Yorkshire and the HumberFire Authority
West Yorkshire Fire AuthorityThe fire authority is made up of elected members of each of the five metropolitan district councils of West Yorkshire - Bradford, Calderdale, Leeds, Kirklees and Wakefield.

Parliamentary constituency
Pontefract, Castleford and KnottingleyElected MP: