Wake-up to Wakefield!

There’s a surprising amount to do in and around Wakefield – from country parks to a historic castle – making the area a wonderful destination for a day out.

Attractions range from Nostell Priory and Sandal Castle to Pugneys Country Park, Newmillerdam Country Park and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

You couldn’t see them all in one day, unless you took a whistle-stop tour, but you could certainly visit a couple as they are all within easy reach of each other.

Former home of the Winn family for 300 years, Nostell Priory was built in 1733 by James Paine on the site of a medieval priory for Sir Rowland Winn. Although the house isn’t open until Spring, the grounds are well worth visiting, with more than 300 acres to explore.

On February 13 and 14 you can try the Signs of Spring garden trail, where you can discover banks of snowdrops, daffodils, crocus and winter aconites if they bloom on schedule after the recent cold snap.

Sandal Castle, two miles south of Wakefield on the A61, is best known for the famous Battle of Wakefield, which was fought nearby in 1460 during the Wars of the Roses, when the Yorkist leader, Richard, Duke of York, was killed. Richard had been sheltering in the castle with his forces while a larger Lancastrian army was based around nearby Pontefract Castle.

Short of supplies, the Yorkists sallied out of the castle, but were caught in open ground by the Lancastrians, surrounded and massacred, with the loss of many notable lords. Among them was Richard’s son, Edmund, Earl of Rutland, whom legend has it was captured fleeing the battle and stabbed through the throat on Wakefield Bridge by Lord Clifford of Skipton in vengeance for the death of his own son. Gruesome stuff indeed!

Later, in the 1640s, the castle was besieged twice by Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War, when it was all but destroyed.

At first glance, there is little of the castle remaining; just a few jagged walls of stone on the bailey, and the strong base of the inner barbican’s twin towers and gate in the motte’s ditch. But if you have the energy to climb to the top of the motte you will be rewarded with the most superb views of the Calder Valley over Pugneys Water Park.

Previously an open cast mine and a sand and gravel quarry, Pugneys is a 250-acre site which was turned into a country park in 1985. There are two lakes, the larger of which is a 100-acre watersports lake for non-powered watersports such as canoeing, sailing and windsurfing. Equipment is available to hire, or you could take own craft.

If you don’t want to get wet, the larger lake has a footpath which runs all the way around – about one-and-a-half miles – and is just right for a leisurely stroll.

The smaller of the lakes is only 24 acres and is a nature reserve which is overlooked by two bird hides, where you can watch the wildlife in their own habitat.

Nearby, on the main Barnsley-to-Wakefield road, you will find another country park – Newmillerdam – which is ideal for short walks or longer rambles on the surrounding network of public rights of way.

The bridleways and disused Chevet Branch Line permissive path offer good off-road routes for horse-riders and cyclists, although that isn’t allowed on the lakeside path, which is a suitable route for wheelchair or booster scooter users, as well as families with pushchairs.

Newmillerdam is now managed as a nature reserve by Wakefield Council’s Countryside and Conservation Service. It is an important habitat for both water and woodland birds. There’s a pay-and-display car park, and several good pubs for refreshments.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park, set in the grounds of the Bretton Estate just off Junction 38 of the M1, is home to modern and contemporary sculptures by artists from around the world. But you won’t find the art projects indoors; instead they are ‘au natural’, dotted around the 500 acres in wooded areas and open spaces.

The park – and adjacent lake and woodland – is a great place to see outdoor sculpture in a natural setting any time of the year. It’s child-friendly, as they can run about and explore the grounds, and although they can touch the sculptures, they are discouraged from climbing on them.

There is a good free guide with a map of the park, but it’s nice to wander about as the fancy takes you.

Allow plenty of time, as you can walk for miles, and although there are excellent cafe and restaurant facilities in the new visitor centre, if you take children it is worth taking food and drinks as it can be some distance to the nearest facility.

Factfile:
* Nostell Priory is off Doncaster Road, Nostell, near Wakefield. Admission prices to the garden only, which is open from 11am to 4pm, Wednesday to Saturday, are £4.80 for adults, £2.70 for children and £12 for a family.

* Sandal Castle, Manygates Lane, (off the A61), Sandal, Wakefield, is open from 11am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday during the winter. Limited parking on site, although you can park at Pugneys Country Park.

* Pugneys Country Park, Asdale Road, off Denby Dale Road, Wakefield, off the A6186, is open 9am to 5.30pm until the end of March, and entry is free. There is a pay and display car park.

* Newmillerdam Country Park, off the A61 Barnsley Road about four miles from Wakefield, has a pay-and-display car park.

* Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, Wakefield, is open from 10am to 5pm, and entry is free. There is a £4 per day car parking fee, but Blue badge holders park free of charge.

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