Essential Hotels > England > West Yorkshire > Wakefield

Wakefield has existed as a settlement for centuries; it is thought that people have lived in the area since before Roman times. It has experienced the War of the Roses, the Vikings and the English Civil War as well as some events with perhaps fewer far-reaching consequences such as Rhubarb Festivals, many markets and a plenty of rounds of golf. The city, complete with cathedral, is situated in the county of West Yorkshire, not far to the south of Leeds and to the east of Huddersfield. The northern parts of the expansive Peak District National Park are also in close proximity, proving suitable for day-trips and such like.

The city of Wakefield is a stone’s throw from the M1 and so access to both the north and south of England is made easy. The M62 is also nearby, travelling horizontally to the north of the city. A fairly small settlement compared to regional powerhouses Leeds and Bradford, Wakefield has in the region of 75,000 inhabitants and is found next to the River Calder on the edge of the Pennines, with the water no doubt helping in the positioning and subsequent trade of the city in years gone by. Inside the city of Wakefield there are things to see and do in the form of the National Coal Mining Museum, the annual Rhubarb Festival (Wakefield is capital of the so-called rhubarb triangle), the Theatre Royal Wakefield and the 2011-opened Hepworth Wakefield Art Gallery. A prominent rugby league team plays in the city too.

Before the Romans ruled the land the area now known as Wakefield provided a home for the Brigantes. From 867 though the Vikings took control of the area after Roman rule had dissipated. In the 1086 Domesday Book Wakefield was recorded as Wachefeld and it was larger than the present-day settlement. In 1203 a grant was made to hold a market in the town and at this time also games and sports were organised in an effort to amuse townspeople, hence its name ‘Merrie Wakefield’. In 1460 the War of the Roses left its mark on the town thanks to the Battle of Wakefield in which the Duke of York was killed. Almost 200 years later it was a Royalist stronghold during the Civil War but was captured by the Parliamentarians in 1643. Then, in the 19th century, Wakefield became a wealthy market town, with the wool and corn trades proving particularly fruitful.

It should also be noted that the well known nursery rhymes ‘Here we go round the mulberry bush’ and ‘The grand old Duke of York’ have associations with Wakefield.