Place:Castleford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 44,209 as of 2020. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the town centre the River Calder joins the River Aire and the Aire and Calder Navigation. It is located north east of Wakefield, north of Pontefract and south east of Leeds. Castleford is the largest town in the Wakefield district after Wakefield itself.

The town is the site of a Roman settlement. Within the historical Castleford Borough are the suburbs of Airedale, Cutsyke, Ferry Fryston, Fryston Village, Glasshoughton, Half Acres, Hightown, Lock Lane, Townville, Wheldale and Whitwood.

Castleford is home to the rugby league Super League team Castleford Tigers.

History

the following text is based on an article in Wikipedia

Castleford is built on the site of a Roman army settlement that was named Lagentium or Legioleum. Funeral urns dating from the time of the Romans have been found there. The town's modern name is derived from the fort, castle (referring to the fort) and ford (a low crossing point through a river).

An old ariel photo of Queens Park in Castleford clearly shows two circles on the playing field area, which could be the remnants of round houses used by early Anglo Saxons. Standing over 250 feet above sea level, it is thought that the area which is Queens Park would have offered a great defensive advantage and it would also offer a clear line of sight of the Roman settlement within the town below.

From 1630 until his deprivation during the Interregnum, the Rector of Ackworth was the Reverend Thomas Bradley, DD (Oxon), who attended King Charles the I of England at his execution.

Oliver Cromwell (1597–1659), had an encampment in Ferrybridge. It is reputed that his cannons faced towards Pontefract Castle from the Redhill plateau, which would have extended from Queens Park, across what is today the estate of Airedale and finishing at Hollywell Wood.

Castleford grew significantly in the 19th century, when collieries opened in Glasshoughton, Whitwood, Methley and Wheldale (1868–1987)--all of which closed in the 20th century. The opening of Ferrybridge power station and Kellingley Colliery in Knottingley have kept employment in the Castleford area, whilst the many warehouses and distribution centres in Glasshoughton are a further source of employment.

Queens Park is historically significant in so far as the land making up the park was donated by two local landowners: the Monkton Milnes family of Fryston Hall and the Blands family of Old Kippax Park Hall in 1887. Queens Park was officially opened to the public to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Queens Park boasted of having the first library where local people could read the latest papers and loan books. The park still has its original bandstand built in 1900 by Messers McFarlane and a bowling pavilion built 1910. Over the years Queens Park has played a significant role in the social development of the area, and many major events such as Miners Rallys, Wakes Week, and Home Guard manoeuvres during World War 2.

GENUKI provides a description of Castleford from a gazetteer of the 1820s, as well as further information on data sources for the town over the 19th century, particularly.

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