Visit Wakefield - So much more than you imagined

Experience Wakefield Again – Home of iconic art and sculpture, captivating history and heritage and mouth-watering food and drink

Picturesque vales, secluded woods and vibrant towns and cities, the vivid, varied landscapes of Wakefield have inspired artists for centuries. The birthplace of world-renowned sculptors Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth is home to a thriving artist community today. Be wowed at multi-award-winning venues Yorkshire Sculpture Park and The Hepworth Wakefield as you discover magnificent works of art, and use their settings as space for personal reflection.

And there’s so much more, too. Defying gravity or whizzing down real snow slopes at Xscape. Taking in the panto in the splendid surrounds of Theatre Royal Wakefield . Exploring the nature trail at Newmillerdam Country Park and so much more.

So what the ‘eck are you waiting for? Come and visit! You never know what you’ll discover when you experience Wakefield.

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Accommodation in Wakefield

See also our hotels in Wakefield page and Wakefield bed and breakfast page.

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Things to do in Wakefield

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Wakefield Food

Wakefield loves good food. Whether you’re after afternoon tea in cosy cafes, exciting fusion and innovative city center cuisine, or the wholesome flavours of field to fork, we’ve got it in spades. The city also hosts the legendary Rhubarb Festival each February. A tribute to Wakefield’s history in the Rhubarb Triangle, it’s packed full of delicious local produce, cooking workshops and demos, as well as a full programme of live entertainment.

Beer lovers rejoice: we’re proud to have a commitment to real ale, with small, local breweries producing show-stopping flavours to suit every palate.

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Wakefield on the Map

You will find Wakefield is very centrally located for travel from North, South, East or West. Both the A1 and the M1 pass close by, as does the M62 Manchester to Hull motorway.

Wakefield lies just south of Leeds and north of Barnsley. Immediately to the west you’ll find Dewsbury and to the east, Pontefract.

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Wakefield History

The Wakefield district has a history stretching back thousands of years. From the Roman settlement of Lagentium – present-day Castleford – to the story of medieval might at Pontefract Castle, the Palladian grandeur of National Trust Nostell, the world’s first nature reserve (thanks to Victorian conservationist Charles Waterton) at Anglers Country Park and Haw Park Woods and above all, coal mining.

The toil for “coyl” is in the very fabric of the district. Come and experience the fascinating stories of the work which became a way of life at The National Coal Mining Museum. But that’s not the only legacy of the many mines across the district. Spend a long, lazy day at RSPB Fairburn Ings or Pugneys Country Park and experience the beauty of these man-made lakes, carved out of the earth by local mining activity and now home to myriad plants, insects and birds.

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Wakefield FAQs

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Where next?

Head down the A1 to the Peak District or East out to Spurn Point.