Wakefield Museums and Castles: Local History: Pontefract and Pontefract Castle resources

Discover the incredible history of Pontefract and its people through our teaching resources.

From being under siege to making political history, Pontefract has seen it all!

Bring history to life in your classroom with museum objects, photographs and historical documents.

Sharing the Stories of the Ackworth Hoard

KS2, KS3 and KS4

What can a rediscovered pot of coins tell you about the English Civil Wars? Created for use in school or on site at Pontefract Castle, with a focus on developing creative writing.

Museum objects, historical documents, supporting information and activities

The Ackworth Hoard - download PDF

$A photo of Pontefract Workhouse, a large Victorian building$

Pontefract Workhouse

KS3 and KS4

A resource pack sharing items from the collections to support enquiry about Pontefract Workhouse.

Newspaper articles, historical documents, photographs, supporting information

Pontefract Workhouse - download PDF

$An old photo of Pontefract marketplace$

Pontefract's Past - image bank

KS2, KS3 and KS4

A wide range of photographs from Pontefract's history

Photographs, supporting information

Pontefract's Past image bank - open folder in Google Drive

Potwallopers comic - Pontefract's Secret Ballot

KS3 and KS4

Pontefract, August 1872. It's election time - but you wouldn't know it. The only person shouting is the Mayor, and that's because he has to organise the first ever British election by secret ballot.

Comic book resource

Potwallopers - open comic (external site)