ICathedral · listed 1953Wakefield CathedralOn the list as Cathedral Church of All SaintsPhoto: Mike Kirby · CC BY-SA 2.0
Sandal Castle: motte and bailey castle and shell keep castle · Photo: Abcdef123456 · CC BY 3.0B+History Grade
History of Wakefield · Historic England
242 listed buildings, 11 of them Grade I
On the Historic England list, all of them stand inside Wakefield’s built-up area, 25 for every 10,000 residents. It also has 3 scheduled monuments. We have photos of 30 of its listed buildings and 1 old view of the town. 15% of its homes were built before 1919. Wakefield grades B+ for history: #33 of 91 in West Yorkshire.
Listed buildings
242
25 per 10,000 residents
Grade I
11
exceptional interest
Grade II*
20
more than special interest
Scheduled monuments
3
1 registered park or garden
Homes built before 1919
15%
typical UK town 15%
In pictures
Wakefield in 34 photos and old views
Nearly every Grade I and II* building, photographed, and the town before 1950. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Cathedral Church of All SaintsGrade I listed
Heath HallGrade I listed
Stone Warehouse to North of Calder and Hebble Navigation WarehouseGrade II listed
The Dam InnGrade II listed
Old Town HallGrade II listed+29See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the building’s page or its official list entry.
Through time
Wakefield in old photos
1 old photo or postcard, in date order. All public domain, made before 1950.
c. 1910Public domain, from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server. Each credit opens the image’s page with its full description and history.
The map
Where Wakefield’s history is
Every Grade I and II* building, monument and historic park, over the age of each neighbourhood’s homes.
Grade IGrade II*Scheduled monumentPark or garden
Homes built before 1919, by neighbourhoodunder 10%10–25%25–50%50%+
2 of 60neighbourhoods have mostly pre-1919 homes; in the oldest, 58% were built before 1919.
Hover a dot for its name; tap one with a photo to open it.
242 listed buildings by grade
11 Grade I20 Grade II*211 Grade II
Historic England lists buildings in three grades: Grade I for buildings of exceptional interest (about 2.5% of all listed buildings), Grade II* for particularly important buildings of more than special interest (about 5.8%), and Grade II for buildings of special interest (about 91.7%). Listing protects the whole building, inside and out.
Every entry on the National Heritage List for England whose point lies inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary. One list entry can cover a terrace or a group of buildings. Neighbourhood dots: the population-weighted centre of each Census 2021 output area, coloured by its neighbourhood’s (LSOA’s) share of homes built before 1919 (Valuation Office Agency, March 2025).
Grade I
The 11 Grade I listed buildings in Wakefield
Buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings. 10 are photographed. Each opens its own page, with the official list entry.
IPublic · listed 1952Heath HallPhoto: Ian Russell · CC BY-SA 2.0
IWalls & gates · listed 1953Chantry Chapel of St Mary the VirginOn the list as Chapel of St Mary on East Side of Wakefield BridgePhoto: Robhamhar · CC BY-SA 3.0
IPublic · listed 1971County HallOn the list as County Hall (Offices of West Yorkshire County Council)Photo: KRC58 · CC BY-SA 3.0
IPublic · listed 1953Kettlethorpe HallPhoto: Humphrey Bolton · CC BY-SA 2.0
IPublic · listed 1952The Brewhouse and East Pavilion at Heath HallPhoto: Mike Kirby · CC BY-SA 2.0
IPublic · listed 1952The Stable House, Heath HallPhoto: Stanley Walker · CC BY-SA 2.0
IHouse · listed 1952The West PavilionPhoto: Martyn Pattison · CC BY-SA 2.0
IPublic · listed 1971Wakefield Town HallOn the list as Town HallPhoto: Stanley Walker · CC BY-SA 2.0
IWalls & gates · listed 1953Chantry BridgeOn the list as Wakefield BridgePhoto: J3Mrs · CC BY-SA 3.0
Walls & gates · listed 1952Flanking Screen Walls and Gate Piers Attached to West Front of Heath Hall Linking East and West Pavilions
Grade II*
The 20 Grade II* listed buildings in Wakefield
Particularly important buildings of more than special interest. 17 are photographed.
II*House · listed 1953Austin HousePhoto: Mike Kirby · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Inns & shops · listed 1971Navigation WarehouseOn the list as Calder and Hebble Navigation Warehouse on River Calder Opposite Thornes Lane Wharf Grid Ref Se 3368 1988Photo: Mike Kirby · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Church · listed 1953Church of St Helen, SandalOn the list as Church of St HelenPhoto: SMJ . J3Mrs · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Church · listed 1971Church of St John the BaptistPhoto: Stan walker · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*Public · listed 1953Clarke HallPhoto: Mike Kirby · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Public · listed 1971Crown Court HousePhoto: SMJ · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Public · listed 1971Wakefield Mechanics' InstituteOn the list as Former City MuseumPhoto: Betty Longbottom · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 1952Heath HousePhoto: Stan walker · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*Public · listed 1953Old Cathedral Grammar SchoolPhoto: Tim Green from Bradford · CC BY 2.0
II*House · listed 1952The Dower HousePhoto: Humphrey Bolton · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Public · listed 1971Milne's Orangery (unitarian Chapel Hall)On the list as The former Milnes' Orangery, formerly the Unitarian Chapel HallPhoto: Stan walker · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*Public · listed 1979Theatre RoyalPhoto: Stan walker · CC BY-SA 3.0
Show the other 8
II*Church · listed 1971Westgate Unitarian ChapelPhoto: Mike Kirby · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 1953York HousePhoto: Dave.Dunford · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*House · listed 1953138-148 WestgatePhoto: Roger Templeman · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 19532-24 St John's NorthPhoto: Stan walker · CC BY-SA 3.0
II*House · listed 199053 and 55, NorthgatePhoto: Mike Kirby · CC BY-SA 2.0
Public · listed 1953Lupset Hall
Public · listed 1986Stable Building/Barn at Heath Hall
House · listed 1953136, Westgate
Historic streets
Westgate has the most listed buildings
Streets by the listed entries with an address on them. One entry can be a whole terrace, so long rows count once.
Westgate18 listed · 2 II*
Northgate7 listed · 1 II*
Cheapside5 listed
Bread Street4 listed
Agbrigg Road3 listed
Kirkgate3 listed
Of the 242 entries, 89 are named by a street address; the rest are named buildings such as churches, halls and bridges.
What’s protected
Most of Wakefield’s listed buildings are homes
Every listed building sorted by what its list name says it is.
Houses, terraces & villas139
Public & civic buildings44
Walls, gates & bridges30
Inns, shops & warehouses12
Churches, chapels & priories10
Memorials, crosses & tombs5
Street furniture2
139 entries (57%) are houses, terraces and villas. 10 are churches, chapels and priories, including 1 of the 11 Grade I buildings.
Buildings are sorted by words in each entry’s name (church, gate, inn, memorial…): the list’s open data has no building type. An entry named only by its address counts as a house.
Grade II
211 Grade II listed buildings
Most listed buildings are in this grade, which covers buildings of special interest. Open any building to read its official list entry.
The first 150 of 211 Grade II listed buildings, A to Z
About 12 Metres of Old Wall on East Side of Yard of Westgate End HouseAlcove Immediately East of Number 236Bank HouseBarleywood HouseBeech LawnBoat Yard HouseBoundary Wall to West of Garden of Woodthorpe HallBriar and Vine CottageBridge across the Owler Beck, about 20 metres south of Kettlethorpe HallBridge over Ings BeckCartshed and granary approximately 20 metres south west of rear of barn at Heath Hall FarmCastle MountCattle Trough and Drinking Fountain immediately south-east of entrance to Clarence ParkCentral and administrative blocks, with walls and pavilions adjoining north and south, at entrance to HM PrisonChurch of St Andrew and St MaryChurch of St JamesChurch of St PaulChurch of St PeterCliff Field HouseCliff Hill House Front Block at Number 3Cobbler's Hall and Heath Post OfficeCommemorative Stone in Burial Ground to South of Milnes Orangery (Unitarian Chapel Hall)Drinking Fountain About 50 Metres West North West of Entrance to Clarence ParkEntrance Block to Kirkgate StationForecourt Wall and Railings to Number 62Forecourt Walls to North of Clarke Hall, And Mounting BlocksForecourt Walls to Sunny LawnsForecourt walls to number 71Former Bank and Bank Manager's HouseFormer Board Room for the Aire and Calder Navigation CompanyFormer Ventilating Tower Approximately 3 Metres to South West of South West Wing of Former Paupers' Lunatic Asylum, Stanley Royd HospitalFormer Wakefield Carnegie LibraryFormer Wakefield and Barnsley Union Bank and Bank Chambers, 57 and 59 WestgateFormer Wentworth House at Girls' High SchoolFront Wall and Railings to Queen Elizabeth Grammar SchoolGarden Wall Attached to Rear of the Stable House, Heath HallGarden Wall to South West of Numbers 3 and 5Gate Piers Set in Wall Approximately 5 Metres West of Marsh CloseGate Piers and Gates to West of Church of St HelenGate Piers and Gates with Overthrow Approximately 5 Metres East of the Dower HouseGate Piers, Gates and Short Length of Flanking Wall at Former Entrance to Heath Old HallGlad Tidings HallGrove Hall CottageHa Ha and Gate Piers to South Front of the Dower HouseHa-Ha and Gate Piers to Front of Beech Lawn and Attached Garden Wall to Right of Beech LawnHa-Ha to Front of Heath HouseHatfield VillaHeath Farm CottageHeath Hall Farm Barn and Attached Farm BuildingsHopkinson's HouseK6 Telephone Kiosk Outside Crown CourtK6 Telephone Kiosk Outside Heath Post OfficeKing's Arms CottagesKings ArmsLittle Sycamore, Sycamore Cottage and Sycamore HouseLock joining Aire and Calder Navigation Old Cut with River CalderMagistrates CourtMargaret Street Clinic the CliffMarsh CloseMelbourne HouseMilepost Opposite No 34Milepost Outside No 220Milnthorpe GrangeMilnthorpe HouseMonument to Battle of Wakefield to East of Manygates SchoolMoorhouseMounting Block Approximately 20 Metres to North of Beech LawnNational Westminster BankNo. 164 WestgateNos 12A, 14, 16, 18 and 20, Including Attached Gate Piers to LeftNos. 11-23 St John's Square, No. 15 Wentworth StreetNos. 87-93, NorthgateOld Hall CottagesOld Town HallOrchard CottageOutbuilding to South of Number 274Packhorse BridgePemberton HousePolice Box in Grounds of Police Training Centre at Carr GateQueen Elizabeth Grammar SchoolQueen Elizabeth LodgeRC Church of St Austin, including attached parish hall and front boundary wall, railings and gate piersRailings on the Northern Boundary of the Cathedral GroundsRed HallRutland MillSandal HouseSandal VicarageSilcoates House and SchoolSt John's LodgeStable Block Approximately 30 Metres to North of Beech LawnStable building to north of number 17Stanley HallStanley Royd Hospital Eastern Part of Main Range Comprising Early C19 Former Paupers' Lunatic AsylumStatue of Queen VictoriaStone Warehouse to North of Calder and Hebble Navigation WarehouseSundial to Front of the Dower HouseSunny Lawns (Child Memorial Home for the Blind)Telephone Kiosk at East End of Employment ExchangeThe Black Rock Public HouseThe Blacksmith's CottageThe CottageThe Dam InnThe Elephant and Castle Public HouseThe Old School HouseThe Priest's HouseThe Three Houses InnThe Wakefield ArmsTheatre at Stanley Royd HospitalThorne's LocksThornes Pump (At Junction of Denby Dale Road and Helmfield Lane)Unity Hall (also known as Unity House), former Wakefield Industrial Co-operative Society storesUrban Studies CentreWall and Gate Pier Attached to South West Wall of Heath HouseWall on West of Drive North West of Woodthorpe Hall. Gate Piers and Gates at Main Entrance to Woodthorpe HallWalled Garden Wall on 3 Sides with Attached Gardener's Cottage and Cartsheds/Cattle Shelters at Heath Hall FarmWalls Flanking North West Entrance to Thornes ParkWalnut CottageWar Memorial at Queen Elizabeth Grammar SchoolWatermill at Ng SE33662005Wentworth LodgeWestfield House and Westfield LodgeWestgate Wesleyan Methodist ChurchWoodthorpe HallWorking Men's Monument in Burial Ground to South of Milnes OrangeryZion United Reformed Church and Lodge to North East1 and 3, Marygate1, Shaw Fold1, Tammy Hall Street1-4, South Parade1-7 Railway Terrace10, 12, 14, 14A, 16, 18, Bond Street101 and 103 Westgate, Flat 5 to rear of 97 Westgate105 Westgate and flats 6-8 to rear of 97 Westgate11 Cheapside11 Market Street11 and 13, Kirkgate11-23, George Street111 and 113, Westgate12 Market Street, (formerly United Methodist Free Church)12 Westgate12, Hill Top13 Cheapside14-22, Westgate143 and 145, Westgate147 and 149, Westgate15 and 17 Cheapside153, Westgate158, Northgate159 Westgate15A, Wentworth Street
Conservation areas
2 conservation areas cover 100% of Wakefield
Areas the council protects as a whole: demolition and changes to how buildings look need consent, and trees are protected.
No data available for publication by HE2,840 ha
No data available for publication by HE5 ha
2,845 hain conservation areas, of 2,845 ha inside the built-up area.
242 of the 242 listed buildings stand in one.
Historic England’s conservation areas layer, supplied by councils (incomplete in places, so a page fact, never graded). Hectares are the part of each area inside the built-up area.
How the list grew
95 of Wakefield’s 242 listed buildings were added in 1979
The year each building now on the list was first listed.
1979 · 951971 · 301953 · 27
19501960197019801990200020102020
The first 9 entries were listed in 1952, 5 of the 11 Grade I buildings among them. 95 came in 1979, in the national resurvey of the 1970s and 80s. Only 5 have been added in the last 15 years.
Monuments & landscapes
Monuments, parks and gardens
Designations that overlap the town by a tenth of their area or half a hectare.
3 scheduled monuments
Nationally important archaeological sites and monuments, protected by law; work on them needs consent from the Secretary of State, advised by Historic England.
1 registered park or garden
Thornes ParkGrade II
History Grade
Wakefield grades B+ for history
Protected heritage and the age of the town’s homes, against all UK towns.
Protected heritage, for its size and in all (291 points, 30 per 10,000 residents)More than 69% of UK towns
Homes built before 1919 (15%)More than 45% of UK towns
Two measures, each ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, with protected heritage counting twice as much as the age of homes. Protected heritage counts each listed building by its grade (Grade I three points, II* two, II one), each scheduled monument and battlefield two, and each registered park or garden by its grade; it is ranked both per 10,000 residents and as a total, so a village with one fine church doesn’t outrank a historic city. The second measure is the share of homes built before 1919, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records. History is a character grade: it describes the town and isn’t part of the overall grade.
Born here
56 notable people born in Wakefield before 1900
The 20 best known on one timeline, earliest first.
Joseph Moxon
John Radcliffe
John Potter
Robert Benson, 1st Baron Bingley
Esther Bakewell
Frederick Bakewell
Joseph Whitley
Sarah Whitley
John Whitton
George Gissing
Albert Leatham
George Glover
David Denton
John Travers Wood
Norman Clapham
Anne O'Hare McCormick
Nellie Spindler
Joseph Abell
Noel Gay
Maurice Yonge
16001650170017501800185019001950
George Gissing1857–1903 · English novelist (1857–1903)
John Radcliffe1650–1714 · English physician, academic and politician (1650-1714)
John Potter1674–1747 · Archbishop of Canterbury
Anne O'Hare McCormick1880–1954 · American journalist (1880–1954)
JM
Joseph Moxon1627–1691 · British hydrographer and printer (1627–1691)
GG
George Glover1870–1938 · South African cricketer (1870-1938)
David Denton1874–1950 · Cricket player of England. (1874-1950)
NG
Noel Gay1898–1954 · British composer (1898-1954)
Everyone born in Wakefield → Birthplaces from Wikidata; portraits from Wikimedia Commons.
Towns its size
Wakefield has the 14th most Grade I buildings of 112 towns its size
Places of 59,000–157,000 people outside London, by Grade I listed buildings.
Wakefield11
#33 of 112for listed buildings per resident (25 per 10,000). Bath, Shrewsbury and York lead.
13 have more. Wakefield is level with Ipswich, Guildford and Chatham. The typical town its size has 2.
Neighbours
Listed buildings in the places around Wakefield
| Town | People | Listed | Grade I | History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield | 97,871 | 242 | 11 | B+ |
| Horbury | 9,868 | 23 | 2 | B |
| Crigglestone and Durkar | 6,672 | 3 | 0 | C− |
| Ossett | 21,854 | 11 | 0 | C |
| Walton | 3,266 | 5 | 0 | C− |
| Bottom Boat | 1,191 | 0 | 0 | C− |
| Thorpe on the Hill | 1,232 | 0 | 0 | D |
| Lofthouse and Robin Hood | 4,187 | 2 | 0 | C− |
In brief
Wakefield in brief
The official list counts 242 listed buildings in Wakefield, 11 of them Grade I, including Wakefield Cathedral. Only 13 of the 112 towns nearest its size have more Grade I buildings. Its older streets lie in 2 conservation areas.
Of the whole list, 57% are houses, terraces and villas. George Gissing (1857), John Radcliffe (1650) and John Potter (1674) are among the 56 people born here before 1900. Beyond that, per resident it sits near the middle of UK towns; it also has 3 scheduled monuments; and 15% of its homes were built before 1919, close to the 15% in the typical UK town.
Questions about Wakefield’s history
How many listed buildings are there in Wakefield?
Historic England lists 242 buildings inside Wakefield’s built-up area: 11 Grade I, 20 Grade II* and 211 Grade II.
What are the Grade I listed buildings in Wakefield?
11, including Cathedral Church of All Saints, Chapel of St Mary on East Side of Wakefield Bridge, County Hall (Offices of West Yorkshire County Council), Flanking Screen Walls and Gate Piers Attached to West Front of Heath Hall Linking East and West Pavilions, Heath Hall and Kettlethorpe Hall.
Which street in Wakefield has the most listed buildings?
Westgate (18), Northgate (7) and Cheapside (5) have the most listed entries named by an address. One entry can be a whole terrace.
Are there scheduled monuments in Wakefield?
Yes, 3 scheduled monuments, including Lowe Hill motte and bailey castle, Sandal Castle: motte and bailey castle and shell keep castle and Wakefield Bridge.
How many conservation areas are there in Wakefield?
2, covering about 2,845 hectares of the town. The largest are No data available for publication by HE and No data available for publication by HE.
When were Wakefield’s buildings listed?
The first in 1952; the most, 95, in 1979.
Are there old photos of Wakefield?
Yes: 1 public-domain photo or postcard from 1910 to 1910, all on this page.
Who was born in Wakefield?
Among people born before 1900: George Gissing (1857), John Radcliffe (1650), John Potter (1674), Anne O'Hare McCormick (1880) and Joseph Moxon (1627).
How old are the homes in Wakefield?
15% of homes were built before 1919 and 33% before 1940, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records (March 2025).
© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The National Heritage List for England is the official, up-to-date register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England; check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it.
Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.