Wakefield - Culture

Culture

The ruins of Sandal Castle, with its visitor centre, are open to the public. The Theatre Royal Wakefield on Westgate, designed by architect Frank Matcham opened in 1894 and currently presents a programme of entertainment including musicals, drama, live music, stand up comedy and dance. Wakefield Museum is in the city centre. In May 2011 The Hepworth Wakefield art gallery opened on the south bank of the River Calder near Wakefield Bridge and the chantry chapel, with works by local artists Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore and other British and international artists. The gallery designed by architect David Chipperfield is thought to be the largest purpose-built gallery to open in the United Kingdom since 1968.

Wakefield Library in Balne Lane manages a regional collection of over 500,000 items of music and 90,000 copies of plays for Yorkshire Libraries & Information (YLI). In October 2011 the collection was threatened with closure, to take effect in April 2012. The Yorkshire Music and Drama Library at Balne Lane closed on 31 March 2012 with the Music Service now available from Yorkshire Music Library, Huddersfield and the Drama Service available from Leeds Libraries. West Riding Registry of Deeds on Newstead Road is the headquarters of the West Yorkshire Archive Service housing records from the former West Riding and West Yorkshire counties as well as being the record office for the Wakefield Metropolitan District.

Wakefield's three contiguous parks have a history dating back to 1893 when Clarence Park opened on land near Lawe Hill, the adjacent Holmefield Estate was acquired in 1919 followed by Thornes House in 1924 making a large park to the south west of the city. Clarence Park Music Festival is held annually in Clarence Park, promoting local bands.

Two children's nursery rhymes with Wakefield connections are "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" which may have been sung by women inmates at Wakefield prison. and "The Grand Old Duke of York" which may allude to the Battle of Wakefield in 1460, referring to Richard Plantagenet, the 3rd Duke of York.

Wakefield is known as the capital of the Rhubarb Triangle, an area notable for growing early forced rhubarb. In July 2005 a statue was erected to celebrate this facet of Wakefield which also hosts an annual Rhubarb Festival.

Wakefield has two newspapers, The Wakefield Express and the Wakefield Guardian, and a radio station, Ridings FM.

The National Coal Mining Museum for England (an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage), the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Nostell Priory are within the metropolitan area as is Walton Hall, a Georgian mansion set in what was the world's first nature reserve, created by the explorer Charles Waterton, now a hotel.

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