Wakefield Area Guide

Brief History of the City of Wakefield

Earliest Times
Although there is evidence of human activity in Wakefield since prehistoric times there is little to show that people actually settled here. Flint and stone tools have been found, as well as later bronze and iron implements.

The Brigante tribe controlled much of the West Riding area until the Romans took over in 43 AD. The Romans concentrated their presence around Castleford.

Wakefield itself was probably not permanently settled until the Germanic tribe, the Angles sailed up the Calder and decided to make it their home sometime in the 5th - 6th century AD. It is believed that the name Wakefield has origins in the Anglo-Saxon, Waca's Feld or Wacanfeld, meaning the field belonging to Waca.

In 867 the Vikings took control of York and divided the area into 'wapentakes'. Wakefield became part of the Wapentake of Agbrigg. A local court met somewhere near Heath Common although the rest of the settlement developed around the three roads that became known as Westgate, Northgate and Kirkgate ('gate' comes from the Viking word for 'road'). Here in the centre of the settlement was the first church to be built in the town, a small, probably wooden, building dedicated to All Hallows.

It seems to have become quite a rich town and there are claims that it may have been the capital of the West Riding.

1900 - 2000
Although the 19th century had been a time of wealth and growth for Wakefield it had not developed at the same rate as other nearby towns, Leeds and Bradford for example. Leeds in particular was now beginning to see itself as the dominant town in the area even if Wakefield was still the administrative centre for the West Riding.

An electric tram system was introduced in Wakefield from August 1904 taking over from the horse-drawn bus service. It helped people from the growing suburbs get into and out of the city centre until 1932 when motorised buses became the main means of public transport.

A major extension to the east end of the cathedral was completed in 1905. This was a memorial to its first Bishop, William Walsham How.

A statue of Queen Victoria was unveiled in the Bull Ring in 1905. It was moved to Clarence Park in the 1950s before returning to the Bull Ring once again in 1985.

A free library in Drury Lane was opened in 1906 paid for by the Scottish-American millionaire ironmaster, Andrew Carnegie.

In 1912 King George V and Queen Mary undertook a tour of the industrial north. They called in at Wakefield on 10 July visiting Newmillerdam, Cradock's ropeworks, the Seamless Steel Boat Company and the E. Green & Sons factory on Calder Vale Road before moving on to Ossett. Green's was famous for manufacturing the 'Economiser', patented in 1845 by Edward Green. It was a device fitted to a boiler which saves energy by using the exhaust gases from the boiler to pre-heat the cold water used to fill it.

After the First World War a large number of new brick semi-detached housing estates were built. Beginning in 1921 Portobello was the first of these new estates, with Lupset following in 1924, Eastmoor and Thornes Road in 1930 and Peacock and Flanshaw in 1936.

1933 was Wakefield's "Year of Progress". Organised by the Chamber of Trade it included numerous pageants involving schools and local societies to celebrate the history of the town. A new bridge was built across the Calder, parallel to the old medieval one which was no longer suitable for modern vehicles.

The great cattle market, for so long a major factor in the town's prosperity was sold to the council in 1938. It was eventually closed altogether in 1963.

Sun Lane baths was opened in 1938, a more modern facility than the baths in Almshouse Lane built in 1874. Sun Lane also had a stage for theatrical performances. It was demolished in 2006 as part of the regeneration of the market and Marsh Way area.

During World War II Wakefield was lucky in that it was not a main target for German bombers. However, there were several air raids on the city. The first was on 28 August 1940 near Belle Vue injuring several people and destroying a number of houses. Others followed on 16 September and 12 December, causing damage to houses but not injuring anyone. The most serious raid was on 14 March 1941 with six people killed when two bombs fell on Thornes Road causing extensive damage to many houses.

In 1946 Wakefield Trinity won the Rugby League Challenge Cup for the second time beating Wigan 13 points to 12. The team paraded the Cup through the streets on the back of a Beverley's brewery lorry before attending a civic reception at the Town Hall. The first win had been in 1909 against Hull (17-0). They went on to win again in 1960 (Hull 38-5), 1962 (Huddersfield 12-6) and 1963 (Wigan 25-10 ).

1952 saw a new bus station open on Union Street.

The first high rise flats in Wakefield, Carr House off George Street, were ready for occupation in 1961. Primrose House, in Kirkgate, followed in 1963. Each of the buildings was 11 floors high.

A new indoor market on Brook Street was opened in 1963 on the site of the old Borough Market that had been there since 1865.

The Ridings shopping centre opened in October 1983.

Since the 1950s Wakefield has undergone huge changes in many ways. The centre was redeveloped in the mid 1950s and again in the early 1980s. Although no longer the centre of the West Riding the city became a metropolitan borough in 1974 providing services for a diverse collection of towns and villages. The area has also had to recover from the collapse of the mining industry - it has been a long struggle but Wakefield is again looking forward, redeveloping its centre and looking to other industries to maintain its prosperity and character.

About The District

Location, Location
Wakefield's location at the heart of England and at the centre of the UK's communications network offers unsurpassed transport links, providing fast connections by road, rail, and air.

At the intersection between the M1 and M62 and with the A1 at its eastern boundary, the district is well placed to access other regional centres such as Leeds, Sheffield and York.

Ease of commuting extends beyond the region with Wakefield Westgate, the city's mainline station situated on the high speed east coast mainline, offering excellent connections to key UK destinations. Direct half-hourly services operate to London throughout the day with the quickest journey taking under 2 hours. Sheffield, York, Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle are also within easy reach.

Several airports offering domestic and international flights are nearby, including Leeds Bradford, Robin Hood Airport, Manchester and East Midlands. Leeds Bradford, Manchester and East Midlands all provide direct flights to London and Brussels.

The district has emerged from over a century of reliance on coal mining to become a thriving manufacturing, shopping and distribution centre, taking full advantage of its place at the heart of the region's transport network.

Future Vision
Wakefield is a district with a proud heritage and a buoyant future, whose people are represented by forward-looking Wakefield Council that has a vision for the future:-

"in ten years time, Wakefield will be a distinctive, vibrant city at the heart of the district's economy with a skilled workforce, making a real contribution to the prosperity and diversity of the Yorkshire and Humber region.

The city will be a place for people, with a strong public transport system allowing quick and convenient access to and around the city and surrounding neighbourhoods.

Wakefield will be a thriving commercial centre presenting distinctive retail areas, modern office accommodation, a range of quality residential opportunities and a mix of excellent leisure opportunities."

The City
Wakefield city is a historic seat of regional government in Yorkshire and for two centuries provided the county headquarters of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Today the city retains its strong tradition of public service employment with the headquarters of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, the Yorkshire and Humber regional assembly and the West Yorkshire Police located at its heart within the civic quarter.

Public sector presence extends to the health service including the headquarters of the West Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

The District
Wakefield district covers some 350 square kilometres and is home to 315,000 people in a diverse range of city, urban and rural communities, and an amalgam of what were previously 14 different local authorities.

The north west includes Horbury, Ossett, Wrenthorpe, Stanley and Altofts, while Normanton, Castleford, Pontefract, Knottingley, Featherstone and a host of smaller settlements make up the five towns. In the south east, there are the towns of Hemsworth, South Kirkby and South Elmsall as well as other communities.

Some 70 per cent of the rural communities of the district is designated as green belt. Dotted about the rolling countryside are villages like Middlestown, Crigglestone, Crofton, Woolley and Ackworth.

Wakefield Council and its partner organisations in the Wakefield District Partnership are making great strides in bringing new life to the old mining communities of the south east. Major achievements have already been made in reclaiming former colliery sites for both leisure and industrial use.

Leisure and Sport
The district boasts several nationally recognised cultural and leisure facilities including the National Coal Mining Museum for England and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and is birthplace to two giants of modern sculpture; Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore. A new sculpture gallery is planned for the city's Waterfront, the Hepworth, to house original works by local sculptor, Barbara Hepworth.

The city centre is vibrant with pavement cafés, restaurants, bars and an exciting nightlife enhancing its cosmopolitan feel. A multi-million pound regeneration project will see a significant transformation of the city's retail core at the northern gateway into the city, introducing a department store and new retail outlets to complement the existing Ridings shopping centre situated in the heart of the city.

Europe's largest shopping village, the Junction 32 Outlet Village (formerly Freeport) at Castleford, offers a wide selection of shops including many designer names. Adjoining Junction 32 is the new Xscape development, housing one of the largest indoor real snow ski slopes in Europe. The complex, incorporating an ice climbing wall, multiplex cinema, bowling alley, shops and restaurants under one roof, attracts visitors from all over the country.

The city and surrounding areas are a stronghold of sport including; rugby league where Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats share a long tradition with teams like Featherstone Rovers; and horse racing - the longest continuous flat circular course can be found at Pontefract.

There is an abundance of walking and cycle paths throughout the district with country parks, nature trails, waterways and lakes all waiting to be explored. The lake at Pugneys Country Park is a haven for sailing enthusiasts and canoeists and is within a mile of the city centre.

Bus and Coach Travel

The links below will help you find out more about travelling by bus in the Wakefield District and beyond.

MetroLine
Phone MetroLine on 0113 245 7676 for advice and information on bus and train service throughout West Yorkshire. MetroLine is open from 7:00am to 10:00pm every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Bus Stations in the District
Location details of the main bus stations in the district

Journey Planner
A service provided by Metro. Just put in your place of departure and your destination to find out which trains or bus to catch.

YourNextBus
The YourNextBus service provided by Metro gives you the predicted departure time of a bus at a stop or the scheduled time should a prediction be unavailable. You can access the bus information via text message and WAP on your mobile phone or the Internet.

Travel Line
Covering all travel by rail, air, coach, bus, ferry, metro and tram within the UK, (including the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Northern Ireland) and between the UK and Ireland. Plus all rail, ferry and coach travel between the UK and mainland Europe. This is THE definitive index to timetables, fares, ticket-types, passenger facilities and lots more.

Transport Direct
The comprehensive UK journey planning service for car, air, coach or train. Includes live travel information for checking possible delays by road or rail.

Arriva
ARRIVA is one of the UK's largest bus operators and the main operator within the district.

National Express
The UK's largest scheduled coach company. The site features an extensive online journey planner for coach travel throughout the UK. Tickets can also be booked online.

West Yorkshire Metro
West Yorkshire Metro provide bus and train services throughout West Yorkshire. Their website offers full bus and train timetables for the West Yorkshire area along with route maps, guides and information leaflets to download.

Older People - Bus Passes
Information on bus passes for the over 60s.

Wakefield Free City Bus
A new free bus service is now operating in the city centre

Travelling by Rail

MetroLine
Phone MetroLine on 0113 245 7676 for advice and information on bus and train service throughout West Yorkshire. MetroLine is open from 8am to 8pm every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

West Yorkshire Metro
West Yorkshire Metro provide bus and train services throughout West Yorkshire. Their website offers full bus and train timetables for the West Yorkshire area along with route maps, guides and information leaflets to download.

Journey Planner
A service provided by Metro. Just put in your place of departure and your destination to find out which trains or bus to catch.

Rail Stations in the District
Location and access information for all rail stations in the Wakefield area

National Rail
"The gateway to Britain's Rail network." Plan journeys and book rail tickets online, as well as buses, coaches, ferries and hotels.

UK Railways On The Net
This site includes online railway timetables covering the whole of the UK and background information on UK rail companies and services.

Transport Direct
The comprehensive UK journey planning service for car, air, coach or train. Includes live travel information for checking possible delays by road or rail.

Public Transport Information
Covering all travel by rail, air, coach, bus, ferry, metro and tram within the UK, (including the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Northern Ireland) and between the UK and Ireland. Plus all rail, ferry and coach travel between the UK and mainland Europe. This is THE definitive index to timetables, fares, ticket-types, passenger facilities and lots more.

Education

Adult Education and Lifelong Learning
Local, regional and national organisations offering adult education at all levels

Before and After School Childcare
Find out about breakfast clubs, before and after school clubs, school holiday clubs and playschemes

Children and Young People's Plan
Local authorities have a responsibility to produce a plan aimed at improving the lives of children and young people in the District, but what is a CYPP and how will it affect you? Visit the Children and Young People's Plan pages to find out more.

Colleges and Universities
Links to the websites of further and higher education establishments within the district or within easy travelling distance.

Early Years - childcare
Information for families, carers, teachers and associated professionals concerned with children under the age of 19.

Educational and Related European Opportunities
Links to useful websites for information on studying and working in Europe.

Education and Training Yearbook
Online version of the booklet helping to give an overview of learning opportunities in and around Wakefield

Independent Schools
Links to the websites of Independent schools in the Wakefield area

Schools - Wakefield LEA
Everything you need to know about education in the district for parents, pupils and governors

Young Peoples Service
Information about the services available to young people in the district

Teaching In Wakefield
Find out why Wakefield is a great education authority to work for

Multi-million pound new look for The Ridings
The Ridings Shopping Centre is currently in the throws of an exciting new development, which is all set to revolutionize shopping in Wakefield.

In addition to 100,000 sq ft extension, which is sure to attract new retailers, the Centre is also undergoing a whole host of cosmetic and structural changes that will soon see customers benefiting from a much improved and more stylish shopping environment.