Sandal Castle (official)

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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.

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!

06/05/2026

This stunning cinnabar moth was spotted at Sandal Castle recently!

What wildlife have you seen on your walks lately?

📸 _me_myself_and_iphone on Instagram

01/05/2026

Let's go fly a kite! Sandal Castle is open all day, every day - including the Bank Holiday weekend 🏰

Our free car park is open 9am to 7:45pm.
If the car park is full, or you are visiting out of hours, please do not park along the road near to Sandal Castle. This prevents critical access for emergency vehicles.

Tag us in your springtime walks, spectacular sunsets and pawfect pup photos! 📸

30/04/2026

It's a glorious day here at Sandal Castle! ☀️

If you can't quite make it to the beach today, why not pop over to your local Sand(al) Castle instead? 🏖️🏰

01/04/2026

1 April marks the change to our spring / summer car park opening hours ☀🏰

The free car park will be open 9am to 7:45pm every day.

The Sandal Castle site remains open all day, every day.

Longer days mean more time to relax, enjoy and explore our magnificent site. We're looking forward to spectacular sunsets!

Wakefield Council Experience Wakefield

19/03/2026

Fantastic news, just in time for a sunny weekend! ☀️🏰

12/03/2026

We hope these pawesome photos of our four-legged visitors put a spring in your step 🐾🐕

Sandal Castle is the perfect spot for walkies as we march into the spring season!

You too could get your photos featured on our socials and website! Tag us or use on Facebook and Instagram.

You can also upload your photos directly to our portal https://museumsandcastles.wakefield.gov.uk/get-involved/share-your-photos/

Photo credits:
1 - lowe_cp via Instagram
2 - jbutterworth_photography via Instagram
3 - davidsmart26 via Instagram
4 - itchy_feet_restless_soul via Instagram
5 - arthur_bibbidy_bob via Instagram
6 - solo_wolfdog via Instagram

03/03/2026

Spring has finally sprung! 🌼🏰

You can see daffodils and crocuses beginning to bloom here at the moment.

Also look out for little spots of green on the hedges as they start to come into bud. This includes the new hedge plants we planted with local schools two years ago!

For the eagle-eyed, the top of the keep is a great spot for birdwatching over Pugneys Country Park.

We love seeing your photos of Sandal Castle in all seasons! These photos are by:

1 and 2: Tatiana Hepplewhite
3: Sue Billcliffe (via our Share your Photos portal)
4: flip5022 on Instagram
5: Maxine Norman (via our Share your Photos portal)

30/01/2026

We always love seeing your photos from your visits to Sandal Castle 🏰💜

And now, it's even easier to get them featured on our website and social media!

Tag on Facebook or Instagram, or upload your photos to our portal.

Here's some photos recently shared with us - browse them all and upload your own at https://museumsandcastles.wakefield.gov.uk/visit/sandal-castle/your-gallery/

Featured are:
1. explo_reay_tion via Instagram
2. davidsmart26 via Instagram
3 and 5. beefy63 via Instagram
4. itchy_feet_restless_soul via Instagram
6. willows_cockapoo_adventures via Instagram
7. arthur_bibbidy_bob via Instagram

Experience Wakefield Wakefield Council

23/12/2025

Did you know you can still visit Sandal Castle over Christmas and New Year? 🎄🏰

We're open all day, every day!

Our free car park is also open throughout the festive season, 9am to 5:30pm.

Perfect for a crisp, refreshing winter's walk.

Spend some time with Sandal Castle this Christmas season!

Address

Manygates Lane Off The A61)
Wakefield
WF27DS

Website

https://museumsandcastles.wakefield.gov.uk/visit/sandal-castle/

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