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Castleford, West Yorkshire

Castleford
Arms of the former Castleford Borough Council
Castleford is located in West Yorkshire
Castleford
Castleford
Castleford shown within West Yorkshire
Population 40,210 (Wards. Castleford Central and Glasshoughton, Whitwood and Ferry Fryston)
OS grid reference SE424244
• London 160 mi (260 km) SSE
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town CASTLEFORD
Postcode district WF10
Dialling code 01977
Police West Yorkshire
Fire West Yorkshire
Ambulance Yorkshire
EU Parliament Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
YorkshireCoordinates: 53°42′58″N 1°21′22″W / 53.716°N 1.356°W / 53.716; -1.356

Castleford is the largest of the five towns in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, near the M62 motorway.

Castleford has a population of 40,210, the appropriate wards (Castleford Central and Glasshoughton, Ferry Fryston and Whitwood) in the 2011 and 2001 censuses. It is historically part of the Osgoldcross Wapentake in West Riding of Yorkshire. To the north of the town the River Calder joins the River Aire and the Aire and Calder Navigation canal.

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

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

Castleford’s history dates back to Roman times, archaeological evidence points to modern day Castleford being built upon a Roman army settlement which was called Lagentium (thought to mean 'The Place of the Swordsmen'). Roman funeral urns have been found in modern-day Castleford, giving further evidence to this theory. A Roman milestone was unearthed in Beancroft Road, now believed to be in Leeds City Museum.

Queen’s Park in Castleford provides evidence of round houses used by the Anglo Saxons. This was a strategic area due to the views of the entire settlement. The history of the area includes Oliver Cromwell’s encampment in nearby Knottingley and Ferrybridge (originally thought to be in Castleford itself) whilst his forces laid siege to Pontefract Castle.


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