42º30N 71º04W, pop (2000e) 24 800. Town in Middlesex Co, NE Massachusetts, USA; incorporated as South Reading in 1812; the town prospered when Cyrus Wakefield established the Boston and Maine Foundry Company (1851) and the Wakefield Rattan Company, which popularized the use of wicker in the US; town re-named Wakefield in his honour (1868); birthplace of Lucius Beebe, Carleton Coon, David Dellinger, Royal Little; railway; residential area for commuters to Boston; high-tech industries.
Wakefield is a city in Yorkshire, south of Leeds, and by the River Calder. The city suffered a double blow through the closure of local pits and the abolition of West Yorkshire County Council, which had been based in Wakefield.
Wakefield Cathedral is a 14th century parish church, which was restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the 19th century.
There are two train stations in the city centre -Wakefield Westgate (trains mainly to Leeds, Doncaster, Sheffield and stations on the East Coast Mainline, including the terminus at London King's Cross} and Wakefield Kirkgate (trains mainly to Barnsley and Castleford) - as well as the "Sandal & Wakefield Westgate station is maintained by Great North Eastern Railways (GNER), who operate the Leeds-London service, and is manned with facilities such as secure car parking, ticket office and shops. Kirkgate station is operated by Northern Rail
Wakefield has a very large range of cultural attractions: one of Europe's foremost sculpture parks, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, what was to have been the Duke of York's stronghold in the North, Sandal Castle, the nearby National Coal Mining Museum for England, a town-centre art gallery and a museum.
Wakefield is distinctive in having had an unusually high amount of council housing, and in 2004 when tenants voted overwhelmingly to transfer the entire housing stock to a new registered social landlord (called Wakefield District Housing) it became the second largest stock transfer in British history. The city of Wakefield itself contains seven council estates and was almost 50% council-rented, whilst the wider Wakefield district also includes nearby towns such as Pontefract, Castleford, Hemsworth, Horbury and Ossett.
The Wakefield Labour Club is housed in a distinctive wooden building on Vicarage Street South.
Wakefield is also known for the Wakefield Cycle, a collection of 32 mystery plays, dating from the 14th century, which were performed as part of the summertime religious festival of Corpus Christi and revived in recent times.
The film, "This Sporting Life (1963)" is about Wakefield and the hard realities of the mines and Rugby League, directed by Lindsay Anderson, written by David Storey and starring Richard Harris.
Wakefield is also occasionally known as the capital of the Rhubarb Triangle, an area famous for its early forced Rhubarb. In July 2005 a statue was erected to celebrate this facet of Wakefield
In June 2005 Wakefield was the scene of the television programme Most Haunted, who hosted a summer solstice special in various locations around the city, including Wakefield Opera House.
Wakefield has its own newspaper, the Wakefield Express, and radio station Ridings FM.
In 1460, during the Wars of the Roses, the Duke of York was defeated near this city (then a town) in the Battle of Wakefield.
Wakefield was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1848 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835.
Visit Wakefield Tourist Information Centre, located on The Bull Ring near Queen Victoria statue, for more information about the Wakefield District.
Information about Wakefield’s Museums, Galleries and Castles can now be found on the website Museums Castles and Galleries
As well as everyday information such as opening hours of the District’s seven museums there is a What's On diary and links to help you carry out historical research on the web.
Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Sport Denise Jeffery said: “Our museums, castles and galleries provide so much heritage and enjoyment to everyone who visits and this can now be extended to them in their homes or libraries. “
The site has been produced with Label Media Web Design Studio in Leeds and complements the information already available on the Wakefield Council website.
Music
Indie groups The Cribs (official site) and The Research went to college in Wakefield.
The Wakefield Cathedral Choir consists of boys, girls and men who perform at religious services, concerts and recitals at the cathedral.
Scott Wakefield of Cranbourne stemmed from the Wakefield bloodline
Famous people born in or near Wakefield
Adele Stevens - Adult Entertainer Anne Elizabeth McCormick - Journalist, first woman to win the Pulitzer prize Barbara Hepworth - Sculptor Bill Nelson - Rock Guitarist, Singer/Songwriter Charles Waterton - Naturalist David Hope - former Archbishop of York David Mercer - Playwright David Storey - Novelist and playwright Denis Parkinson - Grand Prix winner and commentator George Gissing - Novelist and misanthrope Henry Moore - Sculptor John George Haigh - 1940s serial killer known as the Acid Bath Murderer John Harrison - Clockmaker, the genius who solved the longitudinal problem, leading to Sea Power & GMT John Radcliffe - Scientist and founder of the eponymous library in Oxford Jonty Parkin - Former Rugby League Player and England Captain Wayne Rockett - Local activist sung about by the band Obvious Pseudonym Kenneth Leighton - Composer Martin Frobisher - Explorer, found the Northwest Passage Mike Tindall - England and Gloucester Rugby Union Player Noel Gay - Popular Composer Paul Sykes - Boxer Robin Hood - Outlaw, his fight with the Pinder of Wakefield being commemorated in the song "George a Green" Jane McDonald - Singer and Television Personality Jonathan M. Stone - 2006 National President of Junior Chamber International (JCI) United Kingdom (formerly known as British Junior Chamber of Commerce) John Healey - Politician and the present Financial Secretary to the Treasury David R Thompson - Currently governor of Wakefield Prison The Cribs - Rock bandFamous songs regarding Wakefield
"Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush" - about Wakefield Gaol "The Grand Old Duke of York" - commonly attributed to be written about the battle of Wakefield, referring to Richard, the grand old duke.Sport
Wakefield is known for its rugby league club, the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.
Wakefield RFC were the city's rugby union club from 1901 to 2004 when the club ceased playing after relegation and lack of funding.
Wakefield FC play their football in the Unibond League First Division after their move from the village of Emley in 2001.
Cricket and amateur rugby league is played in many of the villages around the city.
One other notable team was skater hockey's Wakefield Warriors, which during their short life, were crowned British and European Champions.
Prisons
Wakefield is less celebrated but nevertheless well known for its prisons.
Location Grid
| North: Leeds | ||
| West: Dewsbury | Wakefield | East: Pontefract |
| South: Barnsley |
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