Sandal Castle (official)

Sandal Castle (official) Sandal Castle, scene of the Battle of Wakefield in 1460 - where Richard of York gave battle in vain. The castle has a small car park which is also free.
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Sandal Castle is open every day, is free entry and there is no need to book in advance. Please note signs on the gate as this closes at night. Sandal Castle stands in a commanding position overlooking the River Calder, Pugney's Country Park, the city of Wakefield, and the M1. The castle is best known for the famous Battle of Wakefield which was fought nearby in 1460 during the Wars of the Roses. R

ichard, Duke of York was killed in the battle. During the English Civil War in the 1640s Sandal Castle was besieged twice by Parliamentary forces. Afterwards, it was stripped of its defences. Remains of the 13th century stone castle and the fine motte and bailey can be seen on site. Visitors can climb to the top of the motte where they are treated to superb views of the Calder Valley. The castle has been extensively excavated and finds can be seen in the displays at Wakefield Museum in the City Centre.

Sandal Castle makes us feel like this too 🥰🙌Thanks to Sheryl Appleby for sharing this wonderful photo with us - it's mad...
26/08/2026

Sandal Castle makes us feel like this too 🥰🙌

Thanks to Sheryl Appleby for sharing this wonderful photo with us - it's made our day!

Sandal Castle is open all day, every day, to bring you joy just like this. 🏰

**Update: both tours are currently sold out, but you can join the waiting list and we will let you know if tickets becom...
24/08/2026

**Update: both tours are currently sold out, but you can join the waiting list and we will let you know if tickets become available.**

Our popular Heritage Open Days: Sandal Castle Tour is back on Saturday 12 September. Free for Heritage Open Days! 🏰

Discover the history of Sandal Castle on this tour around the castle grounds and ruins.

Join our volunteers for a fascinating journey through 500 years of history.

There will be two routes around the grounds available for attendees with different levels of mobility.

Tours at 11am and 1:30pm, Saturday 12 September.

Book and browse our full guide at https://museumsandcastles.wakefield.gov.uk/discover/news-and-blog/heritage-open-days/

These photos make it very clear why Sandal Castle had such strategic importance 🏰Just check out the view across Wakefiel...
17/08/2026

These photos make it very clear why Sandal Castle had such strategic importance 🏰

Just check out the view across Wakefield and the surrounding area from the castle's vantage point!

Thanks to David Bodden for sharing these fantastic photos with us.

Relive the partial eclipse at Sandal Castle through Mick Wilson's brilliant photos ☀🌕Mick also wanted to shout out all t...
13/08/2026

Relive the partial eclipse at Sandal Castle through Mick Wilson's brilliant photos ☀🌕

Mick also wanted to shout out all the lovely people he met at the castle and shared his solar viewing equipment with. "We all had an amazing time."

Keep sharing your photos of the eclipse and meteor shower in the comments - we can't get enough!

What a spectacle we were treated to yesterday, and so many of you turned out for it! 🤩We'd love to see your photos from ...
13/08/2026

What a spectacle we were treated to yesterday, and so many of you turned out for it! 🤩

We'd love to see your photos from the partial eclipse and Perseid meteor shower - pop them in the comments.

We'll share our favourites over on our Instagram too (@ wakefieldmuseums)

Photo credit: John Whitaker

Looking for somewhere special to watch the and Perseid meteor shower this Wednesday? ☀️☄️The Sandal Castle site is ope...
10/08/2026

Looking for somewhere special to watch the and Perseid meteor shower this Wednesday? ☀️☄️

The Sandal Castle site is open 24/7! We've got a brilliant vantage point looking out over the horizon to watch the wonders of space.

How to enjoy Sandal Castle in the evenings:

🚶 The best way to reach us in the evenings is on foot or by bike!

🛻 The free car park closes at 7:45pm. Any cars left after this time will be locked in overnight. Please don't park along the road up to the castle, as this blocks entrance for emergency vehicles.

🚅 Sandal Castle is 0.7 miles from Sandal and Agbrigg railway station. There is a gentle slope uphill from the station towards the castle.

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

We'd love to see your photos from the eclipse and the meteor shower. Pop them in the comments for your chance to feature on our page!

Photo credit: Sarah Horncastle

Wakefield Council

These stunning photos of the Yorkshire Day sunset have been shared with us by Maggie Birkenshaw 🌇🏰Maggie has perfectly c...
06/08/2026

These stunning photos of the Yorkshire Day sunset have been shared with us by Maggie Birkenshaw 🌇🏰

Maggie has perfectly captured the sun going down through the arches of Sandal Castle!

Who says Wakefield doesn't have sea (Pugney's lake), sun and sand(al castle)?

Sandal Castle is a stunning spot to witness the summer solstice - for humans and pups alike 🏰☀Here's Badger the corgi ta...
22/06/2026

Sandal Castle is a stunning spot to witness the summer solstice - for humans and pups alike 🏰☀

Here's Badger the corgi taking a moment to watch it 🐕

Did you see the solstice at the castle this year or in previous years? We'd love to see your photos - post in the comments!

Sandal Castle has seen many things over the years - and now it bears witness to newly wedded bliss 🏰❤️We love these wond...
09/06/2026

Sandal Castle has seen many things over the years - and now it bears witness to newly wedded bliss 🏰❤️

We love these wonderful wedding photos from Nigel and Kasia's big day, taken by Eternity Photo.

Thanks to all involved for choosing the castle for your photos, and allowing us to share them! Congratulations! 🎉

This week was our annual condition survey of the Sandal Castle ruins 🏰🔍We check on our stunning site regularly. In addit...
15/05/2026

This week was our annual condition survey of the Sandal Castle ruins 🏰🔍

We check on our stunning site regularly. In addition, each year we spend a day crawling over every single stone. We check for any changes, and go into places we wouldn't normally go.

The first photo is from the Keep, in the tower facing Wakefield city centre. It's known as the Richard III Tower. The second one shows another view of the tower.

King Richard III had most of his landholdings in North Yorkshire. He needed a more 'southern' base. So, he chose Sandal. He had spent some of his childhood here.

In 1484, he had one of the towers of the keep renovated - the one we know as the Richard III Tower.

In the first photo, you can see the remains of the fireplace in the ground floor chamber of the tower. This room also contains the Keep's well and one of the many garderobe (toilet) shafts!

We really appreciate your help in keeping our castle site looking splendid. If you ever notice anything you think we should know about, you can:

📧 Email us at [email protected]
📱 Call on the 24-hour line at 03458 506 506

We're sure Richard III would appreciate you looking out for his favourite Yorkshire castle too!

Address

Manygates Lane Off The A61)
Wakefield
WF27DS

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