Our next stop is at Pontefract, a small town that was historically of considerably greater significance than it is now. Today, it is a market town with an attractive central market place that would probably attract more visitors were it located in Derbyshire or North Yorkshire. It is probably most famous to the general public for Pontefract Cakes, which are actually revolting sweets made of liquorice (sweet manufacturing remains an important local industry, thanks to the presence of Haribo), but to anyone with an interest in history, it has far sweeter treats to offer. Until the end of the eleventh century, it consisted of two distinct and separate Anglo-Saxon localities known as Tanshelf and Kirkby (and is named as such in the Domesday Book), which became Pontefract (from the Latin for “broken bridge”) during the twelfth century. It boasts the sites of not one but two monasteries, but its biggest tourist attraction is its castle, built by the Normans and helping the town to become – for a time – the fourth biggest in Yorkshire, holding sway over estates that included Leeds and Bradford. Famously, the castle is where King Richard II met his end, an event described (with considerable artistic license) by Shakespeare in Richard II.
Pontefract has three stations, of which two are on the Pontefract Line; the walk is circular and includes all three, but we shall start from Monkhill, which is the best served (Baghill, incidentally, is not a recommended starting point due the fact that it is on a completely different railway line and has a very limited service, more on which below). Pontefract Monkhill opened in 1848 and remained open when the Pontefract Line closed from 1967 to 1992 by virtue of also being served by the Grand Central Line from Wakefield to Doncaster. Sadly, in spite of this, no longer has any permanent station buildings and is much like the last two stations we have visited. Leave the station and follow the drive to North Baileygate, where one of the towers of Pontefract castle can be seen directly opposite; this particular tower was bisected when the road was widened, and its empty interior thus faces out into the street. Turn right and follow the road, with the walls of Pontefract Castle – which we shall visit later – on your left. Stay on North Baileygate, continuing straight ahead when it becomes Northgate, then turn right along Skinner Lane, passing the castellated gate house of the former barracks of the Pontefract Corps of the West Yorkshire Rifle Volunteers, which dates from c.1851.
Continue past the gate house, bear left along Headlands Lane, then immediately cross over and enter Pontefract Cemetery. Bear left again, passing the impressive and well-maintained Mortuary Chapel, and continue straight on (unless wanting to explore further) and turn right to regain Headlands Lane. Turn right and follow this to a crossroads, then turn right along Colonel’s Walk. This ends at a bridge under the railway line; continue straight ahead under the bridge and follow the path to Beechnut Lane. Turn left and when the lane ends at Park Lane, turn left again, shortly passing the second Pontefract’s three railway stations down a ramp to the left. This is Pontefract Tanshelf, also on the Pontefract Line, which opened in 1871 as Tanshelf, was renamed Pontefract Tanshelf in 1936, and closed with the line in 1967 only to reopen with it again in 1992. If it ever had station buildings, they are long gone and the station layout is markedly similar to that of Monkhill.
Follow the road over the bridge across the railway line, shortly passing the Queen’s Hotel on the right. Continue straight ahead at the junction with Stuart Road and proceed along Park Lane as it becomes Front Street and curves left. Bear left along Cornmarket, and when the Haribo factory appears on the left, look right along Liquorice Way to see a blue plaque that briefly details the history of liquorice in the town. Continue along Cornmarket, passing The Lockwood pub on the right and the Sessions House on the left. This was built in 1807 and today is home to a café and several antiques dealers. Just past this on the left is the Barley Mow Hotel, and further along on the left two more pubs – the Green Dragon and The Ponty Tavern. Directly opposite the Ponty Tavern, Pontefract War Memorial dominates the market place, and on the right hand side of Cornmarket is another pub, the Maltshovel. Take a detour along an alleyway next to this to see the Counting House, dating from the sixteenth century and believed to be Pontefract’s oldest intact building. Previously used as a pub, it is currently undergoing long-overdue restoration.
After passing the Maltshovel, continue to Beastfair Vaults (yet another pub!) and turn left along an alleyway next to it. The modern – and rather ugly – Pontefract Library is directly opposite, and just past this, along Salter Row to the left, is Pontefract Museum, which is housed in the former Carnegie library building. After visiting this if you wish, return to Beastfair Vaults then turn right past the Church of St. Giles. This Grade II*-listed church started life as a chapel-of-ease – St. Mary’s in the Market Place – built in the twelfth century and was enlarged over the centuries before becoming the Parish Church of Pontefract in the late eighteenth century. Continue past this to Market Place, where Pontefract’s distinctive Buttercross immediately catches the eye. The Buttercross (also Grade II*-listed) was built in 1734 on the site of St. Oswald’s Cross.
The Buttercross.
From the Buttercross, turn left, following Market Place, which is lined with historic buildings, many of them restored in recent years. On the left hand side is the Market Hall, which opened in 1860, followed by the Red Lion Hotel and the Liquorice Bush public house, whilst on the left on various eighteenth century houses later (and currently) used as shops, pubs and – in one case – a branch of Barclays Bank. At the end of Market Place is the Old Town Hall, behind which (and attached to it) is the current Town Hall. The Old Town Hall was built in the late eighteenth century and is currently home to Pontefract Register Office. Walk to the left of the town halls, passing the Magna Carta Memorial on your left, then turn right along Baxtergate, following the Horse Vaults pub on the corner. At the end of Baxtergate, turn left along Southgate, shortly passing the currently derelict and boarded-up former General Dispensary, hidden beneath which is Pontefract’s well-hidden single Grade I-listed building, the Hermitage, which was hewn out of sandstone in 1386.
Proceed along Southgate, ignoring a set of steps on the left, but then taking the next left turn to enter Friarwood Valley Gardens. This pleasant park was opened to the public in the mid-twentieth century, having been laid out as private pleasure gardens at the end of the nineteenth. The site’s history dates from much earlier however; the park occupies the site of the gardens of Pontefract’s Dominican friary, which was founded in 1256 and fell victim to the Dissolution in 1539 (a blue plaque on the wall near the entrance on Southgate briefly describes the friary). Follow paths downhill through the gardens, generally bearing left, and eventually exiting on Mayor’s Walk. Turn left (the road becomes Friarwood Lane at this point) and walk past Pontefract Hospital, then turn right along Grove Road. Turn left again along Priory Chase and at the end continue along a path to Pontefract’s third railway station, Pontefract Baghill. This opened in 1879 and is situated on the Dearne Valley Line between Sheffield and York. It retains its original buildings (albeit in a rather dilapidated state), and has the dubious honour of being the town’s least useful station, since it is served by only about three trains a day in each direction.
Continue past the station along Station Lane, then left along Midland Road and at a crossroads proceed directly ahead along Robinson Street to Southgate. Cross over and continue straight ahead along Board Lane, then turn right along Micklegate, passing a former pub (now apartments) called the Old Castle on the left. Proceed straight ahead along Castle Garth, passing the entrance to Pontefract Castle, which dates from 1070.
Pontefract Castle.
Built by William the Conqueror’s follower Ilbert de Lacy, it was (like most castles from that time) originally made of wood and later rebuilt in stone, and like Sandal Castle it is now a ruin, demolition having begun in 1649 on the orders of Parliament. It provides one of the City of Wakefield’s most historic attractions, since King Richard II is believed to have died in the castle on 14th February 1400. Entry to the ruins is free, and from the highest point there are fine views over the surrounding area. The castle also has a gift shop and café.
After visiting the castle, return to Castle Garth and follow it down the hill, bearing right at a fork to follow the Booths to North Baileygate. On the right is the Booths itself, which was once the only place in town outside of the market place reserved for the sale of fresh meat. Opposite this are the remains of Kirkebi Anglo-Saxon Church, which are marked by an information board. Cross over North Baileygate to visit All Saints Church, Pontefract’s other Grade II*-listed church and arguably its most interesting: dating from around the 1300s, it was destroyed during the Civil War and a new church built inside the ruins during the nineteenth century and the nineteen-sixties. The church boasts a rare double helix spiral staircase, one of only two in the country.
After visiting the church, turn right along North Baileygate and follow it to Bondgate, passing another pub – The Olde Tavern Lodge – on the left. Continue along Bondgate, then turn left along Box Lane, passing an open grassy field on the left. This is the site of the Cluniac Priory of St. John the Evangelist, which was founded c.1090 by Robert de lacy, the second Baron of Pontefract, and was – like the Dominican Friary – destroyed following the Dissolution of the Monasteries. There are no visible remains above ground, but the site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and the priory’s existence is remembered in the name Monkhill. Continue along Box Lane past the site, and at the end of the lane turn left along Ferybridge Road. Follow this until it ends at the junction of Mill Dam Lane and Monkhill Lane, where the Railway Inn can be seen opposite. Finally, turn right and then climb steps on the left leading to the car park of Monkhill station.
From Pontefract, we have one further stop along the line named after it, at another town, which, like Pontefract, was once of much greater historical importance than it is today…
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