Castleford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Castleford
Bridge over the Aire, Civic Centre, Carlton Street, All Saints Church and Iron Bridge)
Coat of arms
Castleford
Area	11.81 km2 (4.56 sq mi)
Population	45,106 (Wards. Castleford Central and Glasshoughton, Whitwood and Ferry Fryston)
• Density	3,819/km2 (9,890/sq mi)
OS grid reference	SE424244
• London	160 mi (260 km) SSE
Metropolitan borough	City of Wakefield
Metropolitan county	West Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CASTLEFORD
Postcode district	WF10
Dialling code	01977
Police	West Yorkshire
Fire	West Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire
EU Parliament	Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament	Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford
List of places UK England Yorkshire 53°42′58″N 1°21′22″W / 53.716°N 1.356°W / 53.716; -1.356

Castleford is a town in West Yorkshire, England. It is part of the City of Wakefield district. In 2021, about 45,106 people lived there. The town is located where the River Calder meets the River Aire. This area is also part of the Aire and Calder Navigation, a system of waterways.

Castleford is north-east of Wakefield and south-east of Leeds. It is the biggest town in the Wakefield district, apart from Wakefield itself. The town has many areas, including Airedale, Cutsyke, Ferry Fryston, and Glasshoughton.

Castleford is well-known for its rugby league team, the Castleford Tigers. They play in the Super League, which is the top league for rugby in the UK.

History of Castleford

Wheldale Colliery was one of the town's coal mines until it closed in 1985.

Castleford has a very old history, going back to Roman times. Experts believe the town was built on a Roman army settlement called Lagentium. This name might have meant 'The Place of the Swordsmen'. Roman funeral urns have been found in Castleford, which supports this idea. A Roman milestone, a stone marker, was also found here.

Queen's Park in Castleford shows signs of Roundhouses. These were homes used by the Anglo Saxons. This area was important because it had good views of the whole settlement. Later, Oliver Cromwell and his army camped nearby. This was when they were attacking Pontefract Castle.

All Saints' Church in Hightown.

All Saints' Church, Castleford, West Yorkshire

In the 1800s, Castleford grew very fast. Its population went from 1,000 to 14,000 people. This was because many coal mines, called collieries, opened around the town. However, these mines closed down in the 1900s. Other big employers like Ferrybridge Power Station also closed more recently. But new jobs have come from warehouses and distribution centres in Glasshoughton.

In 2008, TV presenter Kevin McCloud worked with the community. They started a project to improve and rebuild parts of Castleford. In 2017, Castleford Swimming Pool closed. A new swimming pool and leisure centre is planned for Pontefract Park.

The Tickle Cock Bridge was built in 1890. This underpass was fixed up in 2003 and again in 2008. It is also known by its older name, The Tittle Cot bridge.

Economy and Jobs

Carlton Street is Castleford's main shopping street.

Many people in Castleford work for big companies. Burberry, a famous fashion brand, has a factory in the town. There were plans to move it, but for now, it is staying in Castleford. A large Nestlé factory, which made sweets like Toffee Crisp, closed in 2012. The site was cleared for new homes.

Castleford also had potteries, which made pottery items, from the 1700s until 1961. One famous pottery was the Castleford Pottery. TEVA, a medicine company, also has its UK main office here.

How Castleford is Governed

Castleford Civic Centre

Castleford used to be an "urban district" with its own council. This happened in 1894. Later, in 1955, it became a "municipal borough". The Castleford Civic Centre, a main building for local government, was finished in 1970.

In 1974, Castleford became part of the City of Wakefield. Now, Wakefield Council manages the town. Three local areas, called electoral wards, cover Castleford. These are Airedale and Ferry Fryston, Altofts and Whitwood, and Castleford Central and Glasshoughton.

Fun Things to Do

Xscape in Glasshoughton, Castleford

Castleford has many places for shopping and fun. You can visit the Junction 32 shopping village. There is also the Xscape leisure complex in Glasshoughton. Inside Xscape, you'll find Snozone, which has a large indoor real snow slope. It's a great place for skiing or snowboarding.

Xscape also has restaurants like Frankie & Benny's and Nando's. There's a big Cineworld cinema with 14 screens. It even has special 4DX and Screen X screens for an amazing movie experience.

Carlton Lanes shopping centre

The town has both an outdoor and an indoor market. There is also a shopping centre called Carlton Lanes. You can find big supermarkets like Asda, Morrisons, and Aldi in Castleford.

Entry to the Castleford Forum Museum

In 2013, the Castleford Forum Museum opened. It is a library and a museum about the town's history. The old library building was redeveloped, keeping its front but building a new three-floor building behind it.

The town centre has pubs and social clubs. However, many of these have closed. Now, most of the entertainment is at the Xscape complex.

Media and News

You can watch local news and TV shows from BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire. These signals come from the Emley Moor TV tower.

Castleford has several local radio stations. These include BBC Radio Leeds, Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire, Heart Yorkshire, and Capital Yorkshire. There is also a community online radio station called 5 Towns FM.

The local newspaper is a weekly paper called the Pontefract and Castleford Express. Stoneground Records is a local music label. It is named after the old Stoneground Flour Mills.

Getting Around Castleford

Roads

Castleford is very close to the M62 motorway. It's only about 1.5 kilometres from Junction 32. Other main roads, called A roads, also go through the town. These roads connect Castleford to Junction 31 of the M62.

Waterways

The River Aire and River Calder meet just north-west of Castleford. These rivers are part of the Aire and Calder Navigation. This waterway is used for industry, but also for tourism. You can find places to moor boats on the Castleford Cut.

Railways

Castleford railway station in 2021

Castleford railway station is on two train lines: the Hallam and Pontefract lines. These lines connect Castleford directly to Leeds, Barnsley, Goole, Pontefract, and Sheffield. In 2021, the station was updated with a new waiting area and bike parking.

In December 2023, train services to York were started again. These trains go from Manchester Piccadilly to York, stopping at Huddersfield, Wakefield Kirkgate, and Castleford.

The Glasshoughton area of Castleford has its own train station. It is called Glasshoughton railway station.

Buses

A new bus station opened in Castleford in 2016. It cost £6 million and is next to the train station. This makes it easy for people to switch between buses and trains. About 12,000 people use the bus station every day.

Most local bus services are run by Arriva Yorkshire. Other companies also run some routes. Buses connect Castleford with Leeds, Pontefract, and Wakefield.

Education in Castleford

Wakefield College, Castleford Campus

For younger children, Castleford has several primary schools. Some of these are Wheldon Infant School, Castleford Park Junior, and Smawthorne Henry Moore.

For older children aged 11 to 16, the main secondary schools are Castleford Academy and Airedale Academy.

The town also has a college for further and higher education. It is the Castleford Campus of Wakefield College in Glasshoughton.

Sports in Castleford

Rugby League

Wheldon Road, home of the Castleford Tigers.

Castleford is famous for its rugby league teams. The most well-known team is the Castleford Tigers. They were formed in 1926. The Tigers were one of the first teams in the Super League when it started in 1996. They have won the Challenge Cup four times.

The team has played at Wheldon Road since 1927. Castleford also has two other rugby league teams: Castleford Lock Lane and Castleford Panthers. These teams play in lower leagues. The Castleford Tigers have mostly played in the top league since 2008.

Motorcycle Sport

From 1979 to 1980, Castleford had its own Speedway racing team called The Kings. They raced at the Castleford Whitwood Stadium. In the 1960s, motorcycle scrambling races took place at Queens Park. These races were often shown on TV.

Football

Castleford has football teams too. Glasshoughton Welfare plays in the Northern Counties East League. In the 1920s, Castleford Town played in the Midland League. They even reached the second round of the FA Cup in 1920. Castleford Town played at Wheldon Road, which is now used by the rugby league team.

Greyhound Racing

Castleford used to have two greyhound racing tracks. Both of them are now closed. One was in Whitwood and operated from 1939 to 2001. The other was the Castleford Sports Stadium, located near the River Aire.

Famous People from Castleford

Many notable people were born in Castleford. These include:

• Henry Moore (1898–1986), a very famous artist.
• Roger Millward (1947–2016), a well-known rugby player.
• Viv Nicholson (1936–2015), who became famous for winning the lottery.
• Julian Norton (born 1972), a veterinary surgeon known from TV shows.
• Mark Byford (born 1958), a former deputy director-general of the BBC.
• Many rugby players and coaches, such as Paul J. Anderson, Daryl Clark, and John Kear.
• Footballers like Martyn Woolford (born 1985).
• Writers like Val Wood and Greta Rana (1943-2023).

See also

In Spanish: Castleford para niños