After 1485, Sandal Castle fell into disrepair. Surveys in 1538, 1545, 1564, and 1565–66 documented its increasing decay, By the 17th century, most of the stonework was in ruins. Briefly re-fortified during the Civil Wars, the castle was surrendered OTD 1 October 1645. A

Today's @artukdotorg.bsky.social #OnlineArtExchange is animals! Taxidermy is art, right? A taxidermied beloved pet dog from the 1900s is definitely art. Rosie *is* art.

On this day in 1905 the original Pontefract Library opened. Due to lack of space and growing demand for books, the library moved to a newer building next door in 1975. The old library is now home to Pontefract Museum. @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social @handhyorkshire.bsky.social

Today's @artukdotorg.bsky.social #OnlineArtExchange is impressive buildings. How much more impressive can you get than a castle? 🏰 This is Alexander Keirincx's painting of Pontefract Castle. Keirincx was commissioned to paint it by Charles I around 1640. On display at Pontefract Museum (1 / 2)

Today's @artukdotorg.bsky.social #OnlineArtExchange is ceramics. These pieces are by influential Castleford art teacher Alice Gostick. They are in her 'Peasant Pottery' style. Gostick taught at Castleford Grammar School and delivered evening classes. Among her students was a young Henry Moore.

Hello there, little one! 🐝 Our district is well known for its mining heritage. But, did you know that Pontefract Castle is home to chocolate mining bees? ⛏🐝 The holes in the side of the rampart (to the left of the main drive) are made by these busy bees. Here's one of our tiny fuzzy residents!

Is it too late to enter the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards on Jack Hulme's behalf..? #ComedyWildlife

It's the return of the Great British Bake Off tonight! 🥳 🍰 We love this photo Jack Hulme took of his wife Rose, prepping ingredients for some tasty treats. You can also browse more of Jack Hulme's photos at bit.ly/JackHulmePho... (please note this webpage can take a moment to load) #GBBO

Is it too late to enter the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards on Jack Hulme's behalf..? #ComedyWildlife

🦋 We are delighted to announce that the Sandal Library caterpillars are starting to hatch into butterflies! Come down to the library to see them for yourself! #Butterflies #Libraries #Insects @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social @wakefieldcivicsoc.bsky.social

"The gentle wash of the watercolours suggesting the passage of time" Today's #OnlineArtExchange is time. Michelle Duxbury provides #AudioDescription of Cynthia Kenny's 'Garden Street, Wakefield' (1971). Kenny captured snapshots of the Wakefield cityscape in her work. Some have been lost to time.

"The gentle wash of the watercolours suggesting the passage of time" Today's #OnlineArtExchange is time. Michelle Duxbury provides #AudioDescription of Cynthia Kenny's 'Garden Street, Wakefield' (1971). Kenny captured snapshots of the Wakefield cityscape in her work. Some have been lost to time.

Even more walks across the District are also available and easily bookable via www.storytrails.co.uk Once Upon a Story-Trail has been supported by Wakefield Council Culture Grants and Our Heritage, Our Stories @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social @nationallottery.bsky.social

If you are anywhere near Wakefield this long bank holiday weekend don't forget that its fascinating chantry chapel is open 10-4 each day. Why not combine it with a visit to nearby Sandal Castle @wflibraries.bsky.social @wfdhistsoc.bsky.social @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social

Happy #NationalPhotographyDay! 📸 The first photographic image was created in 1816. The camera obscura was combined with photosensitive paper to create the Nicéphore process. Find out more about the history of photography in this thread, with some stunning cameras from our collection (1 / 6)

🏰 Wakefield Library is currently displaying a model of Sandal Castle! It was painstakingly built and donated by Michael Faulkner, a big thank you to him! Come and see it for yourself at Local Studies of Wakefield Library (next door to Wakefield Museum)! #Wakefield #History #Castles

Our friends at @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social have created an incredible interactive version of Alexander Keirincx's painting of Pontefract Castle! Check it out for yourself here: wakefieldmuseumsandlibraries.blogspot.com/2023/07/pont... #History #Pontefract #Castles #Medieval

Wakefield-based Hungarian-British painter, György Gordon (1924-2005) arrived in the UK as a refugee in the 1950s. He made lasting contributions to his new home's cultural life. Arpad Bak, PhD student, wrote this guest blog exploring Gordon's life and legacy: bit.ly/GyorgyGordon

Wakefield-based Hungarian-British painter, György Gordon (1924-2005) arrived in the UK as a refugee in the 1950s. He made lasting contributions to his new home's cultural life. Arpad Bak, PhD student, wrote this guest blog exploring Gordon's life and legacy: bit.ly/GyorgyGordon

Happy #WorldElephantDay!🐘 Here's a lovely toy elephant crafted by soldier Bill Brooks while at hospital in India, in 1941.

Lots of experimentation in today’s Colour Chemistry from Nature’s Rainbow workshops at Pontefract Castle @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social

We are pleased that the model of Sandal Castle, which was kindly donated to Wakefield Libraries by Mr Michael Faulkner has safely arrived in its new home in Wakefield Library! Please call-in during library opening hours to have a look and see how the model of Sandal Castle may have looked in 1485!

Happy #YorkshireDay! ☕ We're proudly flying the Yorkshire flag at Pontefract Castle today.

An exhibition celebrating the life & work of Wakefield artist Cynthia Kenny (1929-2021) includes work by artist & Postgraduate Researcher Michelle Duxbury @alabamathirteen.bsky.social brings Kenny’s artworks to life with a new soundscape &creative audio descriptions ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/new...

Welcome to new members @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social A museum service with 5 free-to-visit sites across the district – from ancient castles to hands-on museums. Explore, create, and discover! Events: bit.ly/EventsWMandC Info: wakefield.gov.uk/museums-and-castles #WYCANN #WakefieldMuseums

Self portraits are @artukdotorg.bsky.social's #OnlineArtExchange 🎨 In a departure from her usual architectural and landscape paintings, Cynthia Kenny painted this striking self portrait in 1968. It's part of our new exhibition celebrating her life and work at Wakefield Museum: bit.ly/CynthiaKenny

Cornfields at Walton (Walton Colliery), Cynthia Kenny, 1980 Creative #AudioDescription by Michelle Duxbury This artwork is part of Cynthia Kenny: a city framed at Wakefield Museum. The artworks are brought to life by a new soundscape and creative AD, created by Michelle Duxbury. (1 / 2)

You learn something new everyday. We'll even forgive them the pun 🤣

Did you know that liquorice made in Pontefract featured in an iconic Bond film moment? 👀 In 'Moonraker', Jaws is seen biting through a thick electric cable. Yep, that's Pontefract liquorice! Liquorice really has been used for all sorts! 🍬 More tasty #FunFacts in this thread (1 / 5)

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend and would like to take a deep dive into woad, there’s still time to book your place on the ‘Wonderful Woad’ full day workshop at Pontefract Castle! www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/pon... @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social #growingcolourtogether #woad

Now open - Cynthia Kenny: A city framed at Wakefield Museum Celebrate the life and work of local artist Cynthia Kenny. Explore our changing city through her eyes. Her works include rural landscapes, city skylines and studies of backyards and buildings. experiencewakefield.co.uk/event/cynthi...

Happy #InternationalPineappleDay!🍍 We've got out this incredible coffee (or chocolate) service specially. The set is made of glowing white porcelain and have the texture of prickly pineapple skin. The pineapple-like scales have been picked out with glorious gilding. Can you spot the faces? 👀

This wonderful former Wakefield shop was at the centre of alleged political corruption. In 1883, Albert Gosnay sent 24lbs of pork pies to a local polling station where the returning officer served it to voters with champagne, sherry and bottles of beer

Roll Up! Roll Up! Wakefield Libraries is in possession of a collection of historic circus posters! Local bookseller John Cryer collected and stored dozens of circus posters from c.1810-65. You can see our full collection here: bit.ly/WFCircus #History #Circus #Wakefield #Libraries

how we wish we were spending today... and how we're really spending it #heatwave

Thanks to the incredible hard work of our volunteers, we now have 164 different plant varieties in our Medieval Herb Garden at Pontefract Castle! 🌱💚 You can find out more about Lovage, the plant of the week, in their latest blog: wakefieldmuseumsandlibraries.blogspot.com/2025/06/mhg-...

A hot cross bun that survived the Crimean War, a packet of commemorative Bovril flavoured crisps, and a jar of plums from 1914... we've got all sorts in our Museum Store! 👀 Volunteer Wayne has been helping us to look after our food collections. Read all about it in his blog: bit.ly/WayneGuestBlog

This invititation is from Michelle and Lyn's 2016 wedding at the Unitarian Chapel on Westgate. It was one of the first religious lesbian weddings in Wakefield ❤️🏳️‍🌈 We're very proud to have it in our collection! #LoveIsLove #PrideMonth

Pretty, but perilously poisonous... the foxglove is our #Medieval Herb Garden Volunteers' plant of the week 🪻 But, just where does the name 'foxglove' come from? 🦊🧤 Find out and discover more facts in their latest blog: wakefieldmuseumsandlibraries.blogspot.com/2025/06/mhg-...

Happy Pride Month from Pontefract Castle! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ #HappyPrideMonth #Pride

Operation Big Bug Hotel is underway at Pontefract Castle! 🐞🏨 Our fabulous site officers are being helped by visitors to create a minibeast mansion that will stay here on site. It's going to need a name... any suggestions?

It's #NationalSnailDay too - obviously! 🐌 This mini silver gilt mount shows a knight emerging from a snail shell, on the back of a goat. It dates to around 1200 to 1350 AD. It was found in Pontefract. Snails and snail-men pop up throughout the #medieval period. They sometimes symbolise cowardice.

#NationalBiscuitDay you say? 👀 How about this hand-painted, decorated trench biscuit from the First World War? The rationed trench biscuit was known to be almost inedible. Staff Sergeant Charles Shaw asked a colleague to paint a Yorkshire terrier on one. He kept it for years afterwards.

Our Plant of the Week is the lily of the valley. Explore facts and folklore about this favourite plant in our Medieval Herb Garden volunteers' latest blog: wakefieldmuseumsandlibraries.blogspot.com/2025/05/mhg-... #Medieval #Gardening

zebra or horse in disguise? 👀

On 8 May 1945, people all across the continent celebrated the end of the Second World War in Europe. Communities came together to enjoy street parties. Of course, Jack Hulme was there to photograph the celebrations in Fryston! Enjoy these photos, as we remember all of those who served. #VEDay80

The people of Pontefract raised over £1 million for the Second World War effort. We're paying tribute to their incredible efforts in a new display, specially installed for #VEDay80 at Pontefract Museum. Read all about it in our latest blog: bit.ly/PontefractWarFundraising #WW2

Our Plant of the Week is the Forget-me-not, appropriately for the 80th anniversary of VE Day. 🌸 Explore facts and folklore about this favourite plant in our Medieval Herb Garden volunteers' latest blog: wakefieldmuseumsandlibraries.blogspot.com/2025/05/mhg-... #Medieval #Gardening

Happy #MayDay! Here's some (slightly creepy) Victorian children using the Pontefract Castle bailey for a Maypole dance in the 1890s. Like today, in the Victorian period the castle was used for a variety of recreational activities – such as tennis, picnics and archery.

Have you ever seen this incredible map from the 1648 siege of Pontefract Castle before? 🏰 Perhaps the eagle-eyed amongst you can spot an error the artist made when naming some of the parts of the site 👀 #EnglishCivilWars