Discount Hotels Wakefield
Historical interest: Wakefield
    
Historically, Wakefield and the immediate surrounding area have figured prominently
in English history. In the town centre are a variety of well preserved buildings
from medieval times through to the Victorian and Georgian era.
The motte and bailey Castle at Sandal, dates back from the 12th century. The
later stone castle overlooks the site of the Battle of Wakefield (1460), where
Richard III was planning to make his permanent stronghold in the north when
he was killed at Bosworth Field. Pontefract Castle was once the residence to
royalty around 1399 and was where Richard II died.
The stone bridge on which the Chantry Chapel of St Mary stands was built in
the early 1340's and was of great economic importance to the people of Wakefield
because it provided a vital crossing over the river for travellers, who paid
tolls to use the bridge. It's a rare example of a medieval bridge, one of only
four remaining in England.
Wakefield prospered for many years as an inland grain and cloth port and it
was the wealth of the textile merchants in the 18th century that produced the
grand town houses that still grace St Johns Square.
Later, the Wakefield district was at the forefront of the industrial revolution
and its mines were intrinsic to its development.
Selection of hotels in this region:
Holiday Inn Wakefield M1, Junction 40 | | Days Inn Wakefield | |
Click below for a
full list of hotels and online booking
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