West Yorkshire
As the crow flies, the town is 3 miles south-east of Castleford , 8 miles east of Wakefield , 11 miles south-west of Selby , 12 miles south-east of Leeds and 14 miles north-north-west of Doncaster .
The historic town once had Yorkshire's most dominant castle, but this has been in ruins for nearly 400 years.
The castle is believed likely to be the place where King Richard II died in 1400 — this later referred to as Pomfret in William Shakespeare's play Richard III. In the Civil War the castle was a royalist stronghold and withstood three sieges between 1644 and 1649. Its final siege by Oliver Cromwell did not come to an end until a surrender almost two months after the execution in January 1949 of King Charles I. After the years of problems from the sieges, the Pontefract townspeople supported the demolition of the castle.
Pontefract has been a market town since the Middle Ages and its town centre has several historic listed buildings around its Market Place, including its market buttercross with pump, which dates from 1734. The Old Town Hall, dating from 1785, was originally a market building with a jail at the back and assembly room above. The market history continues at a nearby Market Hall where the frontage dates from around 1860, although this building's interior was rebuilt around 100 years later.
Pontefract has become well known for sweet-making and particularly its sweets known as Pontefract Cakes, originally made from liquorice grown in the area. There is still a sweet smell in the air of the town from the large sweet-making factory close to the town centre.
The town has three railway stations — Tanshelf, Monkhill and Baghill — serving different lines and sides of the town centre.
Town features
Pontefract has a castle (see Places to Visit below).
Pontefract has an old parish church.
The town has a historic market, town hall and site of friary.
Pontefract has one of Yorkshire's nine horse racecourses. 
Pontefract has town centre and out-of-town shopping. 
Pontefract has an indoor and an outdoor market (Wed, Sat) (Fri - farmers' market)
The town has a Post Office.
Pontefract has bank and building society branches. 
The town has pharmacies. 
The town has pubs and social clubs. 
Restaurant dining and cafes can be found in Pontefract. 
A wide range of takeaway food outlets can be found in Pontefract. 
Pontefract Library is at Shoemarket. 
Pontefract has a museum. 
The town has a leisure centre with swimming pool.
Pontefract has a community centre. 
Places of worship: Anglican, Catholic, Methodist.
Travel
Pontefract Tanshelf station Park Road
⇆ Most trains to Knottingley return to Leeds via Castleford (and vice-versa).
Station managed by: NORTHERN. Operator/s: NORTHERN.
NATIONAL RAIL - Departure and station infoExternal link to National Rail live departure board for services at this station (opens in new tab).
Pontefract Monkhill station Monkhill Lane
!! Only one service a day operates beyond Knottingley. None on Sunday.
Station managed by: NORTHERN. Operator/s: NORTHERN, GRAND CENTRAL.
NATIONAL RAIL - Departure and station infoExternal link to National Rail live departure board for services at this station (opens in new tab).
Pontefract Baghill station Station Lane
CHECK TIMETABLES: A sparse service is provided on the direct York - Sheffield route with three daily Monday to Saturday trains each way and two on Sundays.Station managed by: NORTHERN. Operator/s: NORTHERN.
NATIONAL RAIL - Departure and station infoExternal link to National Rail live departure board for services at this station (opens in new tab).
Pontefract bus station Horsefair
Metro - Pontefract Bus Station
Metro - Pontefract Bus Station Link to Metro - external web page with details of services and buses at this bus station.
Road travel
Pontefract can be reached via the Places to Visit
Sandal Castle
Manygates Lane, Sandal Magna, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire
About two miles south of the city centre, the ruins of the medieval motte and bailey castle are freely open to the public and overlook the River Calder and the city. Some walkways at the castle, including steps to the keep, have recently been undergoing renovation and repairs following a £700,000 investment by Wakefield Council. The castle stood just above the site of the War of the Roses Battle of Wakefield in December 1460. Its damage, however, was ordered by Parliamentarians after the surrender of a Royalist garrison there in October 1645 during the English Civil Wars. More information at the Wakefield Council - Sandal Castle web pages.
Wakefield Council - Sandal Castle Find on map: 
Sandal Castle
Sandal Castle 
The Hepworth, Wakefield
Gallery Walk, Wakefield
A modern building next to the River Calder in Wakefield provides purpose-built gallery space for a collection donated by the family of Wakefield-born artist and sculptor Dame Barbara Hepworth, who died in 1975, together with visiting contemporary art exhibitions. Find out more at The Hepworth website.
The Hepworth Find on map: The Hepworth, Wakefield
The Hepworth, Wakefield National Coal Mining Museum for England
The National Coal Mining Museum for England is mid-way between Wakefield and Huddersfield , about 6 miles from each, on the main
More details at the
National Coal Mining Museum Yorkshire Sculpture Park
West Bretton
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is the UK's leading open-air sculpture gallery, situated at More information at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park website.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park Find on map: Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Yorkshire Sculpture Park 
Nostell
off Doncaster Road, Wragby , near Wakefield
The site of a medieval priory, Nostell features a mid-18th century Palladian-style house which has been described as an architectural masterpiece. It includes interiors added by Robert Adam and furniture by Yorkshire-born furniture designer Thomas Chippendale. The house, 6 miles south-east of Wakefield and 5 miles south-west of Pontefract , is set in more than 120 hectares of parkland, including lakeside walks. Feature gardens include a kitchen garden with many varieties of rhubarb and vegetables typical of those grown in the 18th and 19th centuries and also the Menagerie Garden, created in 1743 and once the home of several exotic species. Nostell is managed by the National Trust. More information can be found on the National Trust - Nostell web pages.
National Trust - Nostell Pontefract Castle
Castle Garth, Pontefract
Once the most impressive castle in Yorkshire, Pontefract Castle has been a ruin for nearly 380 years. It is believed to be the place where King Richard II died in 1400, the king having been imprisoned there in 1399. The castle was referred to (as Pomfret) in William Shakespeare's play Richard III as the place where Richard II was 'hack'd to death', although many historians put starvation as the likely cause. Mystery still surrounds the death as there were also stories of Richard's escape to Stirling in Scotland. The castle was visited in August 1541 by King Henry VIII with his queen of the past year, Catherine Howard, and also Thomas Culpeper. Culpeper was at the end of that year beheaded in London for his alleged adultery with the queen, who was herself executed a few weeks later. Pontefract Castle was a royalist stronghold in the English Civil War and was beseiged several times by Parliamentarian forces before its remains were destroyed in 1649. Low and excavated sections of the castle's once formidable walls and towers and parts of the cellars of the castle are all that remain today. The castle is managed by Wakefield Council. More information at the Experience Wakefield - Pontefract Castle website.
Experience Wakefield - Pontefract Castle Find on map: Pontefract Castle
Pontefract Castle Fairburn Ings
Near FairburnSituated 2 miles north-east of Castleford (3.5 miles by road), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve at Fairburn Ings offers hides, trails and a visitor centre. It has a variety of birdlife habitats, including lakes, woodland and wet grassland with resident and migrating birds depending on the season. The visitor centre is open each day except Christmas Day. The reserve holds events and discovery days through the year and there are also opportunities for pond-dipping.
Emergency services
West Yorkshire Police West Yorkshire Police West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 
Local government
Metropolitan district council
Wakefield CouncilWakefield Council covers an area extending many miles beyond the city of Wakefield itself. The area includes many separate small towns and villages, among them Castleford , Featherstone , Hemsworth , Horbury , Knottingley , Normanton , Ossett , Pontefract ,
The council is made up of 63 councillors elected 3 per ward across 21 wards. Elections held in 3 in every 4 years elect one councillor per ward for 4-year terms.
Political composition after May 2024 election:
63 members
Link to Wakefield Council website .
Wakefield Council County strategic authority
West Yorkshire Combined AuthorityCovers some combined services of the five metropolitan district councils of
Bradford , 
Calderdale , 
Leeds , 
Kirklees and 
Wakefield — which were at one time provided by a West Yorkshire metropolitan county council, with the addition of the non-contiguous unitary authority area of the City of 
York council as well as the unelected Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership. Since 2021 it has operated with an elected mayor as chairman and decision-maker for some responsibilities. These include transport, housing and planning and finance powers. The responsibilities also include those of Police and Crime Commissioner, a role substantially delegated to an appointee deputy mayor. Elected mayor:
West Yorkshire Combined Authority Police and Crime Commissioner
The Police and Crime Commissioner for West YorkshireThis role has become one of the many responsibilities of the West Yorkshire elected mayor since May 2021.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority National government region
Yorkshire and the HumberFire Authority
West Yorkshire Fire AuthorityThe fire authority is made up of elected members of each of the five metropolitan district councils of West Yorkshire - Bradford, Calderdale, Leeds, Kirklees and Wakefield.
West Yorkshire Fire Authority Parliamentary constituency
Pontefract, Castleford and KnottingleyElected MP: