Wakefield is a city in West Yorkshire.
For a Yorkshire town Wakefield has been known for an unusual amount of industries that helped its economy. Textile mills were important along with the trading of cloth and raw materials. Grain, coal mining, brewing, rope making and boat building all played a part in the town’s prosperity.
The area of St. Johns still has rows of lovely 1790’s Georgian houses showing the wealth the town had in those days.
There was a large glass-making factory just out of town that was a large employer and the large brickyards also gave work to many.
St. Mary’s Chantry Chapel on the old Wakefield Bridge was built in 1340 and is one of only six bridge chapels in the UK. The bridge was an important crossing point over the river and travellers had to pay tolls to use it.
Wakefield’s Cattle Market opened its gates in 1765 and grew to be the largest in the North of England during the 1800’s. In the 1860’s and ‘70’s half a million animals passed through the market. It was sold to Wakefield Corporation in 1938 and closed in 1965.
The city is also known for its prisons. Wakefield Prison is a maximum-security prison and one of the UK’s most secure. It is a lifer main centre with a focus on serious sex offenders. It was when it was a women’s prison that the inmates had to walk their children round and round a mulberry bush hence this is where the nursery rhyme is said to have derived from. It is claimed that the original mulberry bush is still in the same place.
New Hale Prison is for women and young female offenders plus girls on remand.
Wakefield has two stations one with lines predominately to local areas; the other has lines to London, Kings Cross. The City has direct access to the Ml motorway and to the A1 and M62 motorway.
The city has always rental property available with average prices of £475pcm for a l bed flat, £550pcm for a 2 bed flat, £510pcm for a 2 bed house and £600pcm for a 3 bed house.
In 2004 Wakefield council tenants voted for all the council housing to be registered to a charity landlord. Improvements have been made and until now over £150m have
been spent on improvements. A recent report showed that 83% of tenants were satisfied with the provided services and 79% considered they got value for money.
Wakefield has sporting facilities for cricket, rugby, football, swimming and athletics.
The town has both a theatre and opera house hosting a variety of performing arts.
The city’s nightlife is good and it is said that Wakefield has the largest number of adjacent pubs in England. The famous Westgate run attracts a great many drinkers from all over the region.
The Waterfield City Centre development will bring the city in line with some of the best shopping areas in the North East.
A £175m development is due to be built in southeast Wakefield the original market and surrounding areas will be demolished. H&M, Sainsbury’s, Next and Debenhams have announced they will all take part.
The Old Farnandes brewery will be developed into retail and industrial units.
The Westgate Key Development area is where the current station and goods yard will become a retail and commercial area.
Some of the shops that can be found in town include Butterflies, Bubbles, Chimpz Kids, Morgana, Dash, River Island, Hype, The Box, Monkey and the Officers Club.
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