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- The castle, built in 1069, became an important stronghold, sustaining three sieges in the mid-17th-century English Civil Wars before the Royalists surrendered. With the development of coal mining in the locality in the 19th century, Pontefract acquired industries, especially engineering. Today it is still a market and service centre.
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Nov 24, 2020 · Originally a Norman structure, Pontefract castle played an increasingly important role in English Royal history for over 500 years. Today it lies in ruins but has much for visitors to enjoy, including its underground dungeons.
- Sarah Roller
Pontefract is a historic market town in the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district in West Yorkshire, England. It lies to the east of Wakefield and south of Castleford.
Pontefract (or Pomfret) Castle is a castle ruin in the town of Pontefract, in West Yorkshire, England King Richard II is thought to have died there. It was the site of a series of famous sieges during the 17th-century English Civil War .
Its robust defences and position on a rocky outcrop made it almost impenetrable, while the strategic inland location meant the castle played a crucial role in politics and the balance of power in the North of England. There are even more reasons why Pontefract Castle is unusual and very special.
Pontefract Castle, in Yorkshire, England (or Pomfret Castle, as it was known at its time) used to be the most important, and most terrifying castle in the whole of Early Modern England. However, visitors today would find this unbelievable to understand.
As the principal royal castle in the north of England, Pontefract was a vitally important castle for the royalist cause during the Civil War, and an important target for Parliament. After the fall of York Parliamentarian armies under Sir Thomas Fairfax and Colonel Lambert moved on to Pontefract.
Pontefract grew around a Norman castle as the market centre of a rich agricultural area. The castle, built in 1069, became an important stronghold, sustaining three sieges in the mid-17th-century English Civil Wars before the Royalists surrendered.
