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Pontefract is a historic market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, 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, historic market town, Wakefield metropolitan borough, metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, historic county of Yorkshire, northern England. It lies east of the Pennine foothills, 4 miles (6 km) south of the River Calder above its confluence with the River Aire. Pontefract grew around a.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
One of the most infamous moments in Pontefract Castle’s history came in 1399, when Henry IV, a Lancastrian, used it to imprison and murder the deposed king Richard II. With the accession of the Lancastrians to the throne, Pontefract quickly began to hold a key position in the north of England, growing in size and importance whilst other ...
- Sarah Roller
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It was the main settlement of modern West Yorkshire. Modern day Pontefract can be traced back to the Saxon times and featured in the Domesday Book, albeit as two separate villages. The two areas slowly merged and became known as Pontefract, or Pomfret, around the 12th century. The name Pontefract is taken from the Latin Pons – meaning bridge ...
Jan 20, 2022 · The castle was extended and added to over the centuries to become one of the greatest and most feared castles in England. It was within its walls that King Richard II was imprisoned and died in 1400. The castle was served by a small garrison town and market which took the name Pontefract from the castle.
Please note: our contact number is monitored Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. museumslearning@wakefield.gov.uk. 01924 302700. Visit our blog. Known since the 13th century as the Key to the North, Pontefract Castle has been at the centre of some of English history’s most important events.
