City of Wakefield

Wakefield is a constituency created in 1832, represented by Simon Lightwood of the Labour Party since 2022. The seat is due to be abolished for the next general election.

Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield, which had a 2021 population of 353,802, the 25th most populous district in England. It is part of the West Yorkshire Built-up Area and the Yorkshire and The Humber region. In 1888, it gained city status due to its cathedral. The city has a town hall and is home to the county hall, which was the former administrative centre of the city's county borough and metropolitan borough as well as county town for the West Riding of Yorkshire. The Battle of Wakefield took place in the Wars of the Roses, and the city was a Royalist stronghold in the Civil War. Wakefield became an important market town and centre for wool, exploiting its position on the navigable River Calder to become an inland port. In the 18th century, Wakefield traded in corn, coal and textiles.

Wakefield Old Town Hall, also known as No. 5 Crown Court, is a historic building in the city centre of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, in England. After operating as a town hall from 1861 to 1880, it served as an organ factory and then as commercial offices, before being adapted for residential use.

Wakefield Museum is a local museum in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, north England, covering the history of the city of Wakefield and the local area from prehistoric times onwards.

Wakefield Mechanics' Institute is a historic building in the city centre of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, in England. The building was constructed between 1820 and 1821, to serve as public rooms, with a music saloon on the first floor. The saloon opened in 1823, and the building soon also housed a subscription library, a newsroom, a savings bank, and a public dispensary, which was in the basement. The dispensary closed in 1832 following the death of the apothecary, who was living in the damp basement. Public baths were instead installed in the basement. From 1828, the saloon housed the town's annual charity ball, its most prominent social event.In 1838, a corn exchange was opened on Westgate, and events were instead held in its assembly room. In 1842, the saloon became a mechanics' institute. In 1897, the National Federation of SubPostmasters was founded at a meeting at the institute. In 1910, the building was renamed as the Institute of Literature and Science, but it declined in popularity, and closed in 1935. It was taken over by Wakefield Council, which let rooms out to various organisations, while allowing the saloon to be used for events.In 1955, the building became Wakefield Museum, which remained there until 2012. It was Grade II* listed in 1971.The building is two storeys high and five bays wide. It is built of sandstone, with rustication on the ground floor; the roof is covered in Welsh slate. The upper floors feature Ionic order pilasters, sash windows, and above them a frieze in which is inscribed "MECHANICS' INSTITUTION". The rear elevation is stuccoed and includes windows to the basement. There are wrought iron railings, with some finials in the form of urns.

The capture of Wakefield occurred during the First English Civil War when a Parliamentarian force attacked the Royalist garrison of Wakefield, Yorkshire. The Parliamentarians were outnumbered, having around 1,500 men under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax, compared to the 3,000 led by George Goring in Wakefield. Despite being outnumbered, Parliamentarians successfully stormed the town, taking roughly 1,400 prisoners. Around 800 Parliamentarians had been taken prisoner after being defeated at Seacroft Moor, and Fairfax plotted the capture of Wakefield to take prisoners of his own to exchange for his men. He marched his force from Leeds and split it in two to attack from different directions. After around two hours of fighting early in the morning of 21 May, 1643, Fairfax broke through into Wakefield. Goring, who had been in bed suffering from either illness or a hangover, rose and led a counterattack in his nightshirt, but to no avail and the town was captured. Fairfax gained the prisoners he needed and much ammunition. According to his own account, the Parliamentarians lost no more than seven men.

Wakefield Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of All Saints in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, is a co-equal Anglican cathedral with Bradford and Ripon Cathedrals, in the Diocese of Leeds and a seat of the Bishop of Leeds. Originally the parish church, it has Anglo Saxon origins and, after enlargement and rebuilding, has the tallest spire in Yorkshire. Its 247-foot (75 m) spire is the tallest structure in the City of Wakefield. The cathedral was designated a Grade I listed building on 14 July 1953.

Wakefield Exchange is a public building in the city centre of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, in England. The building was designed to serve as Wakefield Market Hall, replacing an older market hall on the site. It was designed by David Adjaye and completed in May 2008. It is supported by glulam columns and beams, clad in cedar wood which has been stained grey, with many walls being of glass. Inside, there were three halls, housing about 50 stalls.The new market did not prove successful, and in 2014, Wakefield Council made plans to demolish much of the structure. In 2018, the market closed, and the council proposed to retain only the canopy, and replace it with restaurants and a cinema. However, in 2023, it decided instead to retain the building and convert it into the Wakefield Exchange, an events venue with restaurants, a brewery, and space for creative businesses.

The Ridings Shopping Centre is an indoor shopping centre in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It opened on 17 October 1983. The pioneering centre was a UK first and subsequently served as a template for many shopping centres throughout the UK.

Wakefield Town Hall is a municipal building in Wood Street in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It remains a venue for weddings and civil partnerships but is no longer the headquarters of Wakefield Council which is now based at County Hall. The town hall is a Grade I listed building.

The Elizabethan Gallery is a Grade II* listed historic building in the city centre of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. The building was constructed in 1598, as the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, funded by the Savile family. It was soon extended to the north, and in 1895 was also extended to the south. The school moved in 1855 to a site on Northgate, and the building became the Wakefield Cathedral School. Wakefield Council purchased the building in 1979, and in 1981, the building began being used as an exhibition space for the city art gallery. More recently, it has been hired out as an event space. The original part of the school is one storey high and six bays long. It is built of sandstone and has windows with mullions and transoms, and a stone slate roof with an original frame. In the south bay are carved the names of members of the Savile family, along with its coat of arms and an owl crest. The north extension is in a similar style, while the south wing features a Tudor arch doorway.The building is now next to the Trinity Walk shopping centre, but is distinguished from it by its lawns and stone paving.

Wakefield Court House is a historic building in the city centre of Wakefield, a city in West Yorkshire, in England. The building was constructed in 1810, to house the court of quarter sessions. It was extended between 1849 and 1850, and in the 1880s. It later served as the Crown Court and as a County Court, but closed in 1992. It was sold for redevelopment, but little work was undertaken, and the building fell into disrepair. It was purchased by Wakefield Council in 2018, with plans to convert it into a performance space, but in 2023 the council decided that the plan was unviable, and instead sold it to a private developer, Rushbond. The building is in the Greek Revival style. It is built of sandstone, and is two storeys high. It has a large Doric order portico. There are single-storey side wings, and there is a two-storey section to the left, set further back.The building has been Grade II* listed since 1971.