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Pontefract
Pontefract is a historic market town in the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district in West Yorkshire, England. It lies to the east of Wakefield and south of Castleford. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of the towns in the City of Wakefield district and had a population of 30,881 at the 2011 Census. Pontefract's motto is , Latin for "After the death of the father, support the son", a reference to the town's Royalist sympathies in the English Civil War. Small villages and settlements in the immediate area include Stapleton. Etymology At the end of the 11th century, the modern township of Pontefract consisted of two distinct localities, Tanshelf and Kirkby.Eric Houlder, Ancient Roots North: When Pontefract Stood on the Great North Road, (Pontefract: Pontefract Groups Together, 2012) p.7. The 11th-century historian Orderic Vitalis recorded that, in 1069, William the Conqueror travelled across Yorkshire to put down an uprising which had sa ...
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Pontefract Castle
Pontefract (or Pomfret) Castle is a castle ruin in the town of Pontefract, in West Yorkshire, England. King Richard II of England, Richard II is thought to have died there. It was the site of a series of famous sieges during the 17th-century English Civil War. History The castle, on a rock to the east of the town above All Saints' Church, was constructed in approximately 1070 by Ilbert de Lacy on land which had been granted to him by William the Conqueror as a reward for his support during the Norman Conquest. There is, however, evidence of earlier occupation of the site. Initially the castle was a wooden structure which was replaced with stone over time. The Domesday Survey of 1086 recorded "Ilbert's Castle" which probably referred to Pontefract Castle. Robert de Lacy failed to support King Henry I of England, Henry I during his power struggle with his brother, and the King confiscated the castle from the family during the 12th century. Roger de Lacy (1170–1211 ...
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Old Town Hall, Pontefract
The Old Town Hall is a historic town hall in Market Place in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. It was completed in 1785 and was replaced by Pontefract Town Hall which was completed in 1882. It was designated a Grade II* listed building in 1950. History The first building on the site was a saxon moot hall which was destroyed during the English Civil War; this was replaced by a later building in 1656 which was demolished to make way for the current structure. The current structure, now known as the "old town hall", was designed by Bernard Hartley of Pontefract in the Classical style as a municipal building with market room and gaol on the ground floor and assembly room (now known as the "Nelson Room") on the first floor; it was completed in 1785. In 1855, Benjamin Oliveira MP, attended the town hall to donate the original plaster cast relief (i.e. the mold) from which the final bronze relief of " The Death of Nelson at Trafalgar" found on the pedestal of Nelson's Column had ...
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All Saints' Church, Pontefract
The Church of All Saints in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England is an active Church of England parish church in the archdeaconry of Pontefract and the Diocese of Leeds. The church consists of two structures, an outer church constructed in the 14th and 15th century and ruined in the English Civil War and a smaller inner church completed in the late 1960s. The church has been Grade II* listed since 29 July 1950. The church is one of two Anglican churches in the town centre; the other being St Giles'. History The outer structure dates from the 14th and 15th century. The church was held by the Royalists at the beginning of the English Civil War; in December 1644 the Parliamentarians besieged the church which was held by the Royalists armed with 11 cannons. In the siege by Parliamentarians, the church suffered extensive damage with 60 18lb cannonballs being fired in one day from Monkhill. In June 1645, the church now under the occupation of Parliamentarians was besieged by Roy ...
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Pontefract Racecourse
Pontefract Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. Layout The track is left-handed undulating course with a sharp bend into the home straight. Horses drawn low (i.e. on the inside of the track) usually have the advantage. The final 3 furlongs of the track are uphill, making it quite testing. The course was originally a horseshoe of 1½ miles, but in 1983, it was converted into a full circuit of about 2m ½f. This made it the longest continuous flat racing circuit in Europe and allowed it to stage one of the longest races in the calendar, the Pontefract Marathon at 2m 5f 139y. History Racing is recorded as having taken place in Pontefract as early as 1648, just before the local Pontefract Castle, Castle was taken by the forces of Oliver Cromwell. Races were held in the meadows near the town but these were discontinued by 1769. The townsfolk restarted the sport in 1801 and it has continued ever since. In 1827 the rac ...
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Pontefract, Castleford And Knottingley (UK Parliament Constituency)
Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley is a constituency in West Yorkshire of the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, it was first contested at the 2024 general election. It is currently represented by Yvette Cooper of the Labour Party, who currently serves as Home Secretary under the government of Keir Starmer. Cooper was MP for the predecessor seats of Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford from 2010 to 2024, and Pontefract and Castleford from 1997 to 2010. Boundaries The constituency is composed of the following wards of the City of Wakefield (as they existed on 1 December 2020): * Airedale and Ferry Fryston * Altofts and Whitwood * Castleford Central and Glasshoughton * Knottingley * Pontefract North * Pontefract South ''It comprises the former Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford seat excluding the Normanton ward, which includes the town of Normanton and the civil parishes of W ...
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St Giles' Church, Pontefract
The Church of St. Giles' in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England is an active Anglican parish church in the archdeaconry of Leeds and the Diocese of Leeds. The church is Grade II* listed. St Giles is one of two Anglican churches in the town centre; the other being All Saints' which united into one benefice in June 2019. The current priest is Ian Bullock. History The church was rebuilt in the early 18th century; though additions have since been added later in the 18th century. The building was Grade II* listed on 29 July 1950. Architectural style Exterior The church is built of Ashlar gritstone and sandstone with pitches slate and lead roofs. The church has a west tower with nave and chancel under a continuous roof. There are seven bays of round-arched windows with three-light windows. There is a pedimented sundial above the paneled door. The octagonal bell tower was rebuilt in the 1786 and is of three stages and has a south doorway and clock faces to the south and north. I ...
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Castleford
Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield district, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 45,106 at a 2021 population estimate. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the town centre the River Calder, West Yorkshire, River Calder joins the River Aire and the Aire and Calder Navigation. It is located north east of Wakefield, north of Pontefract and south east of Leeds. Castleford is the largest town in the Wakefield district after Wakefield itself. The town is the site of a Roman Britain, Roman settlement. Within the historical Municipal Borough of Castleford are the suburbs of Airedale, Castleford, Airedale, Cutsyke, Ferry Fryston, Fryston Village, Glasshoughton, Half Acres, Hightown, Lock Lane, Townville, Wheldale and Whitwood. Castleford is home to the rugby league Super League team Castleford Tigers. History Castleford's history dates back to Ancient Rome, Roman times, archaeological evidence points to ...
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City Of Wakefield
Wakefield, also known as the City of Wakefield, is a Local government in England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status and a metropolitan district in West Yorkshire, England. Wakefield, the largest settlement, is the administrative centre of the district. The population of the City of Wakefield at the 2011 Census was 325,837. The district includes the ''Five Towns'' of Castleford, Featherstone, Knottingley, Normanton, West Yorkshire, Normanton and Pontefract. Other towns include Hemsworth, Horbury, Ossett, South Elmsall and South Kirkby (also forms the civil parish of South Kirkby and Moorthorpe). The city and district are governed by Wakefield Council from the County Hall, Wakefield, County Hall. In 2010, Wakefield was named as the UK's third most musical city by PRS for Music. Economy The economic and physical condition of several of the former mining towns and villages in Wakefield District have started to improve due to the booming ...
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West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire to the south, Greater Manchester to the south-west, and Lancashire to the west. The city of Leeds is the largest settlement. The county has an area of and a population of 2.3 million, making it the fourth-largest ceremonial county by population. The centre of the county is urbanised, and contains the city of Leeds in the north-east, the city of Bradford in the north-west, Huddersfield in the south-west, and Wakefield in the south-east. The outer areas of the county are rural. For local government purposes the county comprises five metropolitan boroughs: City of Bradford, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, City of Leeds, Leeds, and City of Wakefield, Wakefield, which collaborate through West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The cou ...
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Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield, which had a population of , the most populous district in England. It is part of the West Yorkshire Built-up Area and the Yorkshire and the Humber region. In 1888, it gained city status due to its cathedral. The city has a town hall and is home to the county hall, which was the former administrative centre of the city's county borough and metropolitan borough as well as county town for the West Riding of Yorkshire. The Battle of Wakefield took place in the Wars of the Roses, and the city was a Royalist stronghold in the Civil War. Wakefield became an important market town and centre for wool, exploiting its position on the navigable River Calder to become an inland port. In the 18th century, Wakefie ...
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West Riding Of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire was one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the riding was an administrative county named County of York, West Riding. The Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire, lieutenancy at that time included the city of York and as such was named "West Riding of the County of York and the County of the City of York". The riding ceased to be used for administrative purposes in 1974, when England's local government was reformed. Contemporary local government boundaries in Yorkshire largely do not follow those of the riding. All of South Yorkshire (except Finningley) and West Yorkshire were historically within its boundaries, as were the south-western areas of North Yorkshire (including Ripon), the Sedbergh area of Cumbria, the Barnoldswick and Slaidburn areas of Lancashire, the Saddleworth area of Greater Manchester and the part of the East Riding of Yorkshire around Goole and southwest of the River Ouse, Yorkshire, ...
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Doncaster
Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Noted for its Horse racing in Great Britain, racing and History of rail transport in Great Britain , railway history, it is situated in the Don Valley on the western edge of the Humberhead Levels and east of the Pennines. It had a population of 87,455 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, whilst its urban area, built-up area had a population of 160,220, and the wider metropolitan borough had a population of 308,100. Adjacent to Doncaster to its east is the Isle of Axholme in Lincolnshire, which contains the towns of Haxey, Epworth, Lincolnshire, Epworth and Crowle, Lincolnshire, Crowle, and directly south is Harworth Bircotes in Nottinghamshire. Also, within the city's vicinity are Bar ...
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