How a decaying Yorkshire market town became ‘Charles Bridge’

It may have been one of the wettest weekends of March – but that wasn’t going to stop the Pomfretians. Dressed in their Sunday best, groups hunched under padded umbrellas determinedly between the bars of Ropergate.

“They’re doing the Ropergate Run,” explained my friend Matthew, a Pontefract native. “A lot of the tired ‘old men’s’ pubs are being replaced by modern bars where you can actually get a decent pint.”

This was news to me. Truth be told, I’d always dismissed “Ponte” as being a bit rough around the edges, with an intimidating nightlife and a run-down town centre. But lately, as I’d been researching Yorkshire destinations easily accessible by train (Pontefract has three train stations, since you asked, with connections to Leeds, Sheffield, York and London), it had slipped back onto my radar: an unsung market town with investment pouring in, new developments attracting young professionals and families, and a vibrant nightlife that’s earned it the affectionate nickname “Carlo Bridge”. The more I read, the more I wanted to visit.

The town dates back to Saxon times and received its first charter in 1194, so it’s an architecturally beautiful mix of eras and styles, from the Georgian façade designed by Robert Adam of the Red Lion to the classical features of the Old Town Hall. Some of these buildings were left to fall into disrepair, but thanks to an investment of around £2 million in the 2010s – part of Wakefield Council’s landscape heritage initiative – 27 of these historic buildings have been restored to their former glory.

And it shows. When I arrived to meet Matthew on that rainy March weekend, I was surprised to find myself in an elegant market square lined with grand listed storefronts and independent shops: a market here, a buttercross there.

With the kids in tow, we reluctantly skipped the mojitos at Printer’s Draft and the Last Bank, two upmarket bars, and opted for lunch at the Blue Bell, a lively pub where you can enjoy a delicious pizza burger or fish and chips pizza (baked in a stone oven in the venue’s huge pizza oven) with a bottle of Moldovan wine for around £25 per person.

By the time we finished lunch, the rain had eased off, so we headed straight to the castle, exploring its ruins with Ian Downes, the operations and events officer, and Joe Gilligan, a castle caretaker who has lived on site for 18 years.

Built by Ilbert de Lacy in 1070, the castle is one of England’s most significant, once known as the ‘key to the North’ for its size, defences and proximity to two of England’s most important roads. It endured three long sieges during the English Civil Wars and was the site of some eventful royal affairs. Now, it’s a popular local attraction, with free entry (and parking), as well as events ranging from dungeon tours and re-enactments, to Proms, workshops and music festivals.

“Oliver Cromwell called it ‘the strongest inner garrison in Britain,’” Ian explained as we approached a section of the wall that was the (mostly unsuccessful) target of Cromwell’s cannons. As we crossed it, the grounds unfolded before us – and beyond them, views of the city, the countryside, the grounds of St John’s Priory, Friarwood Valley Gardens and 386865820. We continued through the gardens, passing royal apartments and grassy mounds of half-covered stones.

“Yes, so Catherine Howard… that’s where it happened,” Downes added, pointing across the courtyard to the spot where Henry VIII’s fifth wife’s alleged lover, courtier Thomas Culpeper, was beheaded in 1541—graciously indulging my aforementioned fascination with this juicy slice of royal history. Catherine met the same fate in the Tower of London the following year.

Before their deaths, both were imprisoned here – as was King Richard II, who was captured by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke (later Henry IV) in 1399, and then starved to death. Bolingbroke usurped the throne, which essentially started the Wars of the Roses.

Back in town, we headed to Pontefract Museum. Housed in a stunning art nouveau building, it has brilliantly curated exhibits that take you through the town’s past and present, from its coal mining history, role as the site of Britain’s first secret ballot in 1872, to displays on today’s local women in business.

There’s a whole section dedicated to the town’s liquorice heritage too – one of Pontefract’s more unusual claims to fame. Liquorice is thought to have been cultivated here since the 1600s, brought over by medieval knights or Dominican monks. Its earliest uses were medicinal, until 1760, when local apothecary George Dunhill added sugar to liquorice lozenges, and Pontefract Cake was born.

At the height of production during the 1930s, there were numerous sweet factories and although today only two (Valeo and Haribo) remain active, there is an annual liquorice festival held every summer to celebrate the town’s confectionery credentials.

It really is a lovely place, and one I’m glad to have added to my staycation shortlist; no longer burdened with the much-maligned post-industrial town image I once attached to it. It’s wonderfully small – with plenty to see and do for a day or two without it being overwhelming – and a great jumping-off point for the nearby Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Hepworth Museum and Xscape Yorkshire.

Licorice, castle ruins and homemade gelato? Who needs Monte Carlo?

Essentials

Trains run from London Kings Cross to Pontefract Monkhill or Tanshelf, with fares from £26.70 one-way (grandcentralrail.com).

While Pontefract’s hotel scene hasn’t quite reached “Ponte Carlo” standards, the Farmhouse (01977 600200; farmercopleys.co.uk) is a lovely place, with two-night minimum stays and self-catering from £175 per night; as is the boutique Wentbridge House (01977 620444; wentbridgehouse.co.uk), which has doubles from £179.

For more information, see wakefield.gov.uk/museums-and-castles

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