The Wakefield District Heritage Network consultation workshops are underway. Over the last month we have held events held in Pontefract Library, Kirkgate Station (hosted by LonGBoaT) and online. The events have been facilitated by consultants Buttercrumble and have been well attended, with positive discussion and lots of great suggestions.

If you would like to attend these events, there are still two sessions available to book:

• Thursday 27 March, 10am-12 noon – Queen's Mill, Castleford 
• Thursday 3 April, 10am-12 noon  – South Elmsall Library

Places are free, but please book in advance, so we can keep a track of numbers  

You can book on to a session here: Wakefield District Heritage Network consultation sessions

Thank you to everybody who has come along and shared their thoughts and feedback so far. Recommendations for the development of the network will be shared later in the summer.

In the Veins

The Yorkshire and North East Film Archive have launched an emotional new film exploring the story of mining communities across Yorkshire and the North-East of England. It is described as a story of hardship and hope, division and defiance, perseverance and pride. It was commissioned by Teesside University with support from the AHRC.

The film contains footage of mining areas of Wakefield and Barnsley, including Castleford, and is free to watch on the Yorkshire Film Archive’s YouTube channel. It was launched at a special screening at the National Coal Mining Museum for England earlier this month.

Wakefield District Anniversaries Film - Our Year 2024

A new short film has been produced by local filmmaker Nick Singleton as part of the Our Heritage Our Stories project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Our Heritage Our Stories is supporting people across Wakefield district to get involved in celebrating and sharing our diverse heritage.

The film celebrates some of the amazing local groups who celebrated significant anniversaries during Our Year in 2024, including a range of heritage organisations, volunteer groups with an important story to tell, custodians of local historic buildings, independent museums and even our own Wakefield Museums collection. Featuring interviews with the Wakefield Theatre Royal, the Art House and the Mental Health Museum.

Watch the film:

An exciting new digital heritage project has been launched in Castleford as part of the Our Stories project. One To One Development Trust are working with Wakefield Museums and volunteers from the Castleford Civic Society and Castleford Heritage Trust to create an exciting new digital experience introducing the town’s internationally important Roman Heritage.

The digital experience will include digital versions of Roman objects that are currently on display at Castleford Museum. These include jewellery, coins and ornate enamelled boxes used to seal letters travelling across the Roman Empire, which tell us a huge amount about life in Castleford 2000 years ago. The digital interpretation is due to be completed in September, but there will be a sneak preview of some of the work at the Castleford Roman Festival in May. More about this in a future e-news!

• Wednesday 26 March - 6-8pm
• Friday 28 March - 5-7pm