Wakefield: Discover Art, Nature and History

Wakefield combines international art, mining history, historic buildings and designated natural areas to create a diverse destination. The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is particularly distinctive: it is considered a leading international centre for modern and contemporary sculpture and is located on the 500-acre Bretton Hall estate, dating from the 18th century.

Culture

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is the only place in Europe where Barbara Hepworth’s The Family of Man can be seen in its entirety. It also offers a year-round programme of temporary exhibitions in three indoor exhibition spaces and outdoors. The Hepworth Wakefield focuses on something different on Wakefield’s historic waterfront overlooking the River Calder. The gallery presents major exhibitions of international modern and contemporary art.

Wakefield Museum presents stories, objects and exhibitions about the history of Wakefield; admission is free. The Castleford Museum’s displays reach back 15,000 years and include both Roman remains and the local industrial history. Pontefract Museum conveys the town’s royal connections and displays treasures from the English Civil War. Pontefract Castle was built around 1086 by Ilbert de Lacy. Today, visitors can explore the ruins and take part in family activities about the castle’s history. Wakefield Cathedral retains 29 Victorian and Edwardian stained-glass windows, 23 of which were designed and made by the Victorian artist Charles Kempe.

History

The National Coal Mining Museum for England makes the history of mining accessible in a variety of ways. The underground tour is led by a former miner and descends 140 metres underground. The Time Tunnel is a digital journey through the ages of mining. The museum also includes a 42-acre site with a nature trail through woodland and reedbeds.

Nature

Anglers Country Park is a Green Flag Award-winning park. Its landscape includes woodland, wetlands and paths for exploration. Bird hides and feeding stations provide opportunities to observe wildlife. Waterton Park is widely regarded as the world’s first nature reserve established specifically to protect native wildlife. Haw Park Wood is designated as a local nature reserve, and the Waterton Trail runs through the area. Signposted routes of 2 miles, 1 mile and half a mile are available for walks.

Things to do

Pugneys Country Park offers open spaces for walking and cycling. It is also home to the Blown Away adventure trail, featuring five sculptures of Windy the Dog. In Pontefract Park, Pete’s Peregrine Trail leads through the grounds as an entertaining educational trail with facts, challenges and surprises, providing information about local wildlife.

Thornes Park has a two-mile circular route around its open spaces. It also features a miniature steam railway that runs on most summer weekends. Anyone wishing to explore Wakefield by bicycle can follow The Wakefield Wheel, a signposted 38-mile circular cycling route. Pugneys Water Park and Anglers Country Park are recommended as starting points.

For further orientation, the local pages lead to Wakefield, Castleford, Hessle and Darrington.

For the higher-level travel overview: Yorkshire And The Humber.

Further destinations

Other places within the same destination:

East Riding Of Yorkshire, Kirklees, Calderdale, Barnsley.