Wakefield Museums and Castles

A group of mostly young female workers packing sweets into boxes. One worker is looking and smiling at the camera.

Industry

The Wakefield district has been home to many different industries. We've crafted liquorice and glass. We've mined for coal and made pioneering sports equipment. Discover objects that tell the stories of some of our most important industries.

Vintage liquorice allsorts packaging with sweets design on a bold blue background and a simplified image of Pontefract Castle

Liquorice and sweets

Pontefract is famous for liquorice. Find out how the plant took root here. It grew into a thriving local confectionery industry.
Black and white photograph of two workers pouring molten glass in a factory

Glass making

The Wakefield district has a proud heritage of glass making. Find out about historic factories in Castleford and Knottingley.
Steam billowing from a tall colliery tower in the 1950s

Coal mining

For 200 years coal mining was a central part of the Wakefield district. The industry changed the local landscape.

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