Welcome to the new Wakefield District Heritage Network newsletter. This is a regular update on heritage news and events taking place across Wakefield district, including the Our Heritage Our Stories project. If you have news or events that you would like us to share in future newsletters please let us know at: heritage@wakefield.gov.ukIf you missed the first newsletter in October, you can catch up on all the news here: Wakefield District Heritage Network - October Update
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Pontefract Civic Society members celebrating with The Prince of Wales Hospice mascot.
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Pontefract Civic Society Given King’s AwardWe are delighted to hear that Pontefract Civic Society has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2024. The King’s Award is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE. The society is a registered charity and was formed in 1969 to lobby for the protection of buildings and spaces in the Pontefract area. The society member are all volunteers and do a huge amount of work to promote Pontefract, including celebrating and raising awareness of the town’s important heritage. They support and run public events and heritage talks and tours, and work with local businesses and schools. Pontefract Civic Society is one of 281 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups across the country to receive the prestigious award this year, including 8 other groups from West Yorkshire. The award is in recognition of their outstanding work in their local community. For more information about Pontefract Civic Society please visit their website: www.pontefractcivicsociety.org.uk
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Wakefield’s Heritage Champion
We are so pleased to introduce our Heritage Champion, Councillor Natalie Walton. Councillor Walton has over 20 years’ experience of working in heritage and culture and is passionate about ensuring that heritage is accessible to all. She is a director of HATCH who curate the WOVEN in Kirklees festival, a celebration of textile heritage and innovation. She works closely with museums, archives and communities, and is the vice chair of Wakefield’s Local Cultural Education Partnership SPARK. She is also deputy portfolio holder for Culture, Leisure and Sport within the council.
Councillor Walton will be closely involved in the development of Wakefield’s Heritage Network and the promotion of the new Heritage Framework. She is particularly interested in ensuring that all of the District’s stories are celebrated, including the many rich stories of migration and diversity which make Wakefield the place it is today.
The Heritage Champion network is supported by Historic England, who encourage all councils to nominate a champion to promote all aspects of the historic environment in their area, at both a strategic and local level. Find out more about Heritage Champions on the Historic England website: What is a Heritage Champion? | Historic England |
Heritage At Risk Register 2024 |
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Left: Horbury Old Hall, right: Carr Lodge Mansion
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Heritage At Risk Register launched for 2024
Historic England have launched their Heritage At Risk Register for 2024. This gives a snapshot of the health of protected historic sites and buildings across the country. Sites on the register are currently at risk of damage through neglect, decay or inappropriate changes. This year 124 sites have been taken off the register as the result of investment and restoration projects, but sadly 155 new sites have been added, including 1 new site for the Wakefield District.
The national list covers grade 1 and grade 2* listed buildings, scheduled ancient monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, wreck sites and conservation areas. Some local councils, including Wakefield, also keep local Heritage At Risk registers of grade 2 listed buildings.
Historic places on the national 2024 Heritage At Risk register in the Wakefield District include Horbury Hall, which is a new entry for this year. Other local sites that remain on the register from previous years include Lupset Hall, Dame Mary Bolle’s Water Tower, Pontefract Hermitage, Whitwood Conservation Area and the bridge and medieval gateway at Walton Hall. Carr Lodge Mansion has been taken off the local Heritage At Risk register this year, as it has been repaired and converted into apartments. |
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Story of the Pakistani Community in Wakefield
Migrants from India and Pakistan have played a huge part in UK history over the past 200 years. But how much do you know about the story of the Pakistani community in Wakefield? The Next Generation have a fantastic online resource in partnership with the West Yorkshire Archive Service, which was created through engagement with community members and funding from The National Archives. It includes resources for teachers and documents the experiences of Pakistani workers who came to Wakefield in the 1950s to work in the textile mills, and what it was like growing up in the Pakistani community in Wakefield in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. |
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Pakistani Wedding Celebrations in a Wakefield Street
Image © Next Generation, Wakefield Asian Archive
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If you’d like to find out more about West Yorkshire Archive Service and the collections they care for, you can get in touch via their website, or call in to the Wakefield History Centre during opening hours. For more information, visit: West Yorkshire History Centre | Contact Us |
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Friends of Waterton Wall plan 200-year celebration
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Waterton's Wall, Walton, Wakefield. Image © Friends of Waterton's Wall
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In 1826 Charles Waterton completed the ambitious boundary wall around his parkland at Walton, and in doing so created the World’s first ever nature reserve right here in Wakefield District. The Friends of Waterton Wall are planning a month-long festival in May 2026 to celebrate 200 years since the completion of the wall at Walton Park and are looking for people to get involved. The festival will feature events and activities based around four themes; nature, heritage, creativity and well-being.
For more information, contact the friends via their website - Friends Of Waterton's Wall
Alternatively, you can find out more by scanning this QR code:
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Hope and Heritage at Featherstone
October saw the launch of Hope and Heritage, a beautiful new public artwork in Featherstone inspired by the area’s proud mining history. The sculpture, by artist Luke Perry, features two halves of a refurbished pit wheel inscribed with words from local people. On one side the words remember the area’s mining heritage and on the other are hopes for the future from young people from Featherstone. The artwork was unveiled in a public ceremony with Featherstone Male Voice choir on 18 October.
For more information, visit: Hope and Heritage - Beam Arts UK |
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Hope and Heritage sculpture by Luke Perry
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Heritage Project Spotlight |
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The Horbury Tapestry. Image © One to One Development Trust
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Horbury Tapestry
If you’ve visited Horbury Library recently, you're likely to have seen the stunning Horbury Tapestry in pride of place on the library wall. It was created in 2004 by a group of 70 local volunteers led by Janet Taylor and is a 3D map of Horbury showing the things (people, places and stories) that were important to local people.
In 2024, the Friends of Horbury Library were successful in applying for a Culture Grant from Wakefield Council for a ‘Then and Now’ project, to celebrate 20 years since the tapestry was finished. The Friends worked with One to One Development Trust to create new digital interpretation for the tapestry and invited local people to take photographs capturing what is important about Horbury to them now. The results are hosted on a new website, where you can get up close to the original tapestry and find out more about the stories behind it, and how it was made. |
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Unveiling of the Peter & Fred Asquith's first supermarket blue plaque
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Plaques for Pomfretians
Pontefract Civic Society have been awarded a grant from the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund for a series of new heritage plaques to celebrate notable historic figures in the town. This new project is an opportunity to recognise historic Pomfretians who have made the town what it is today. The civic society are currently looking for suggestions and volunteers to support the historical research for the plaques. The project will run over the next few months. For find out how to get involved, or to suggest a Pomfretian who deserves a plaque, please email chairman@pontefractcivicsociety.org.uk/
Find out more about the current Pontefract heritage plaques on the civic society website: Blue Plaques – Pontefract Civic Society |
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Funding for creative heritage projectsIf you're a constituted community group or VCSE organisation based in Wakefield district and have an idea for a creative heritage project with your local community, you may be interested in Wakefield Council's Culture Everywhere grants which offer support of up to £1,500.
There is one last round of applications for 2024. The deadline for applications is 5pm on 16 December.
For more information and to apply, visit the Culture Everywhere webpage: Culture Everywhere Micro Grants up to £1500 - Wakefield Council
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Sentinel visualisation, Studio Vertigo
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Light Up Festival at the National Coal Mining Museum 22-24 November
As part of Light Up 2024, the National Coal Mining Museum are running their Light Up Festival across this weekend, 22-24 November. The event includes Sentinel, a large-scale immersive artwork by Studio Vertigo. Its sweeping curves are inspired by the protective wings of a canary, drawing on Wakefield’s renowned coal mining heritage and the special role of canaries in the mines. The NCMM will also be showing a new hand drawn animation by Fabric Lenny on the Museum's buildings, inspired by the workings, history, animals and wildlife at the site.
Visit the Experience Wakefield website for more information about the event: Light Up Festival | Experience Wakefield
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Copyright, it’s complicated! Online workshop November 27The West Yorkshire Archive Service are running an online session on copyright on 27 November at 5pm. The session is a light-hearted introduction to the joys of copyright for researchers, family and local historians and lovers of history everywhere.
If you're a writer, researcher or blogger who uses original source material in your work this workshop is for you! No prior knowledge necessary but you will need an internet connection and access to Zoom to join the workshop. Tickets £5. Please book in advance. for more details and to book, visit: online workshop introducing the subject of copyright
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Image © West Yorkshire Archive Service
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The Liquorice Story, New College Pontefract November 29
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Join students from New College Pontefract as they tell the story of Pontefract and its distinct and unique relationship with liquorice through their new play 'The Liquorice Story'.Developed through extensive research with local community groups such as the Pontefract Heritage Society, The Liquorice Story provides a rich, comprehensive exploration of the town’s past. Exploring liquorice’s origins in the town, when medieval knights returned from the crusade and planted it at Pontefract Castle, the play follows its history through to the modern-day mass production of liquorice sweets. By the end of the performance, audiences will find out why the town of Pontefract has such a unique place in Yorkshire’s history, and how a simple plant can have such a significant impact on a community over hundreds of years.The performance will take place in the John Godber Theatre, New College Pontefract, and will then be taken on tour to several local primary schools. This production is suitable for all ages and the event will include an post show Q&A session with the student performers about their research and production of the play.The Liquorice Story has been supported with a Culture Grant from Wakefield Council as part of Our Year – Wakefield District 2024.
To book a free ticket, visit: The Liquorice Story Tickets, Fri 29 Nov 2024 at 18:00 | Eventbrite
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Excavations at Sandal Castle, Wakefield in the early 1970s. Photo courtesy of Wakefield Historical Society
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Wakefield Historical Society Centenary Celebration December 14
Wakefield Historical Society are celebrating their 100-year anniversary with a special event at Wakefield Town Hall on Saturday December 14, 10.30am-4pm.
There will be a programme of talks, a new heritage plaque unveiling, book stalls and a very special birthday cake by Karen Wright, Wakefield’s star baker.
The event is free to Wakefield Historical Society members and representatives of other local historical groups, and £10 for others (including lunch). For more information and to book a place please contact the Wakefield Historical Society: info@wakefieldhistoricalsociety.org.uk |
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If you have any heritage events or opportunities that you would like other groups to be aware of, please let us know!
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Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. The Wakefield District Heritage Network is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players.
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