Pontefract: West Yorkshire's Liquorice Town With a Ruined Castle and Racing History
Pontefract is known for two things: liquorice and its castle. The liquorice plant was grown here from at least the 16th century, brought by Dominican monks, and the town still produces Pontefract cakes, the small round liquorice sweets stamped with an owl and a castle. Haribo now operates the main factory. The castle, meanwhile, was one of the most significant fortresses in northern England until the Civil War, when it was besieged three times and eventually demolished by order of Parliament. Richard II is believed to have been murdered there in 1400. The ruins, managed by Wakefield Council, are free to visit and offer good views over the town. Pontefract's population is around 32,000. It sits in the metropolitan district of Wakefield, about 15 miles southeast of Leeds.
Pontefract Racecourse, the longest continuous flat racing circuit in Europe at just over two miles, runs meetings from April to October. The town centre on Market Place, Ropergate, and Beastfair has an old-fashioned market town character. The Buttercross, a stone market shelter in the centre, is a scheduled monument. Pontefract has three railway stations (Pontefract Monkhill, Baghill, and Tanshelf), which is unusual for a town its size and reflects its historical importance as a junction. The A1(M) passes to the east, and the M62 is accessible via junction 32. For those interested in adult companionship in the Wakefield district, Pontefract's road and rail connections put Leeds, Wakefield, and Doncaster all within a short journey.
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Pontefract is known for two things: liquorice and its castle. The liquorice plant was grown here from at least the 16th century, brought by Dominican monks, and the town still produces Pontefract cakes, the small round liquorice sweets stamped with an owl and a castle. Haribo now operates the main factory. The castle, meanwhile, was one of the most significant fortresses in northern England until the Civil War, when it was besieged three times and eventually demolished by order of Parliament. Richard II is believed to have been murdered there in 1400. The ruins, managed by Wakefield Council, are free to visit and offer good views over the town. Pontefract's population is around 32,000. It sits in the metropolitan district of Wakefield, about 15 miles southeast of Leeds.
Pontefract Racecourse, the longest continuous flat racing circuit in Europe at just over two miles, runs meetings from April to October. The town centre on Market Place, Ropergate, and Beastfair has an old-fashioned market town character. The Buttercross, a stone market shelter in the centre, is a scheduled monument. Pontefract has three railway stations (Pontefract Monkhill, Baghill, and Tanshelf), which is unusual for a town its size and reflects its historical importance as a junction. The A1(M) passes to the east, and the M62 is accessible via junction 32. For those interested in adult companionship in the Wakefield district, Pontefract's road and rail connections put Leeds, Wakefield, and Doncaster all within a short journey.
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