Plan your visit to Sandal Castle

Sandal Castle

Plan your visit to Sandal Castle

Visiting Sandal Castle

Get ready for your visit to Sandal Castle! Read on for our opening hours and facilities. Find out how to get here by car or public transport.

Sandal Castle is free entry for all.

Opening times and free entry

Sandal Castle opening times

Sandal Castle is open all day, every day. This includes bank holidays.

The free car park is open:

9am to 5:30am (1 October to 31 March)
9am to 7:45pm (1 April to 30 September)

Sandal Castle address

Sandal Castle is on Manygates Lane, Wakefield, WF2 7DS.

Use What3Words code first.tricky.airstrip

Get directions

Sandal Castle admissions

Sandal Castle is free entry for all, all year round. You do not need to book.

Sandal Castle is on Manygates Lane, Wakefield, WF2 7DS.

Two wide open wooden gates either side of the entrance to the car park at Sandal Castle

Car park entrance

The entrance to the free car park looks like this. The gates will be propped open during the car park's opening hours. The car park is on the right of this entrance. There is a slight slope from front to back across the car park surface.

A woman walking a dachshund and a man walking a border collie across the bridge at Sandal Castle

Dogs

All well-behaved dogs are welcome to visit Sandal Castle. Please keep dogs on a lead at all times. Please be mindful that other dogs and children are likely to be visiting at the same time.

Castle Café

Follow the Castle Café on Facebook for opening hours and updates. The Castle Café is run by a friendly family team, external to Wakefield Council.

Memorial benches

Over the last few years we have installed a few memorial benches at Sandal Castle. The castle site is a scheduled ancient monument. This means we have to get permission to make any changes to the site, including adding new benches.

All of the benches we were allowed to add have now been allocated. We're sorry that we can't take any new requests.

How to get to Sandal Castle

Sandal Castle is on Manygates Lane, Wakefield, WF2 7DS.

How to get to Sandal Castle by public transport

Sandal Castle is 0.7 miles from Sandal and Agbrigg railway station. There is a gentle slope uphill from the station towards the castle. The route involves crossing the busy Barnsley Road (A61), but there are pedestrian crossing points.

Sandal Castle is 0.6 miles from the nearest bus stop on the Barnsley Road / A61 (St Thomas A Becket School).

For details about local buses and trains please see Metro.

How to get to Sandal Castle by car and coach

Sandal Castle is easily accessible from the M1 via Junction 39. It can also be reached from the A636 and the A6186. Use WF2 7DS in your sat nav.

The road from the A61 to Sandal Castle is narrow in places.

Parking at Sandal Castle

Sandal Castle has a small car park with limited spaces. Parking is free.

The car park is open:

9am - 5:30pm (October to March)
9am - 7:45pm (April to September)

Please note that cars will be locked in at closing time and a fee may be payable for release.

There are no coach parking spaces in our car park. There is space for one coach further down Manygates Lane, near Castle Grove Park.

If the car park is full, or you are visiting out of hours, please do not park along the road near to Sandal Castle. This prevents critical access for emergency vehicles.

Frequently asked questions

Is Sandal Castle free to visit?

Yes, Pontefract Castle is free entry.

Do I need to book in advance?

No, you do not need to book in advance to visit Sandal Castle. You do not need a ticket.

When is Sandal Castle open?

Sandal Castle is open all day, everyday. The free car park is open

9am to 5:30am (1 October to 31 March)
9am to 7:45pm (1 April to 30 September)

Are dogs allowed?

Yes, well-behaved dogs on leads are allowed at Sandal Castle.

Is Sandal Castle wheelchair accessible?

Most of the Sandal Castle site is wheelchair accessible. There are some restrictions due to the historic nature of the site. Full access information for Sandal Castle.

Are there activities for families and children?

Yes, there are lots of things families can do at Sandal Castle! Explore our guide to Sandal Castle for families.

Does Sandal Castle have a café?

Yes, the Castle Café is on the Sandal Castle site. Follow the Castle Café on Facebook for opening hours and updates. The Castle Café is run by a friendly family team, external to Wakefield Council.