Access at Sandal Castle

You can contact us in advance of your visit with any questions. You can email us at castles@wakefield.gov.uk and we will get back to you during office hours. These are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

You can also call us at the Pontefract Castle Visitor Centre on 01977 723440. This phone is manned Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm.

Sandal Castle has its own free car park.

There are no dedicated accessible spaces, but anyone can park here. There is a slight slope from front to back

The car park is a solid, smooth surface (not gravel).

The car park is open 9am to 5.30pm between October and March. It is open 9am to 7:45pm between April and September.

Sandal Castle is an unmanned site. There is usually not a member of staff present at the site.

If you would like to ask any questions before or after your visit, you can email us at castles@wakefield.gov.uk. 

Toilets are available to customers of the Castle Café, when it is open. Please note that this café is independently run and is not open every day.

Please contact 01924 256751 for opening times. You can also find the Castle Café on Facebook.

We do not have changing places facilities. The nearest changing place facility is in The Hepworth Wakefield, WF1 5AW, which is 1.4 miles away.

The paths around the site are surfaced with a self-binding gravel. They can be a little uneven in places, and at times steep. 

There is a path running around the whole of the outside of the castle earthworks. From this path you can see all of the castle site, and it is accessible for most wheelchairs and pushchairs. You can also see out across the Wakefield district from behind the castle earthworks. The path is cream in colour, and contrasts well with the grass. There are no steps on this path, and several benches along it.

The whole site has substantial steep sided grass banks of up to 25ft high. In most cases the main path is at the top of this bank.

There are information panels around the site at wheelchair height

The path has a spur leading onto the bailey (slight lip onto the bridge).  

The castle bailey area is mown grass.

Access to the castle keep is by a long flight of steep steps. The steps up to the top of the keep have handrails on both sides.

The steps up to the keep and the bridge to the bailey are wooden decking which is semi-open (you can see through to the ground below).

There is a series of steps down to the moat. These stairs have handrails on both sides. 

The site is exposed to nature and can be very windy at times. However, this does offer good views of Wakefield and the Calder valley.

In wet weather the moat can collect water. Swimming is not allowed. The water can be deep and very cold.

The paths around the site are surfaced with a self-binding gravel. They can be a little uneven in places, and at times steep.

There is a path running around the whole of the outside of the castle earthworks.

The path is cream in colour and contrasts well with the grass. There are no steps on this path, and several benches along it.

The whole site has substantial steep sided grass banks of up to 25ft high. In most cases the main path is at the top of this bank.

The path has a spur leading onto the bailey (slight lip onto the bridge).  

The castle bailey area is mown grass.

Access to the castle keep is by a long flight of steep steps. The steps up to the top of the keep have handrails on both sides.

The steps up to the keep and the bridge to the bailey are wooden decking which is semi-open (there are small, slim gaps to the ground below).

There is a series of steps down to the moat. These stairs have handrails on both sides. 

The site is exposed to nature and can be very windy at times.

In wet weather the moat can collect water. Swimming is not allowed. The water can be deep and very cold.

Sandal Castle is popular with dog walkers, and all dogs are welcome. There are dog poop bins around the site.

The site is away from main roads and surrounded on two sides by open farmland. It is typically quieter in the winter. It can be very busy in the spring / summer season, especially on sunny days.

The site is exposed to nature and can be very windy at times. However, this does offer good views of Wakefield and the Calder valley.

The site is away from main roads and surrounded on two sides by open farmland.  It is typically quieter in the winter. It can be very busy in the spring / summer season, especially on sunny days.

Sandal Castle is popular with dog walkers, and all dogs are welcome.

The paths around the site are surfaced with a self-binding gravel. They can be a little uneven in places, and at times steep.

There is a path running around the whole of the outside of the castle earthworks.

The path is cream in colour and contrasts well with the grass. There are no steps on this path, and several benches along it.

The whole site has substantial steep sided grass banks of up to 25ft high. In most cases the main path is at the top of this bank.

The path has a spur leading onto the bailey (slight lip onto the bridge).  

The castle bailey area is mown grass.

Access to the castle keep is by a long flight of steep steps. The steps up to the top of the keep have handrails on both sides.

The steps up to the keep and the bridge to the bailey are wooden decking which is semi-open (you can see through to the ground below).

There is a series of steps down to the moat. These stairs have handrails on both sides. 

We ask that you do not climb on the fragile castle remains. You can gently touch them.

The site is exposed to nature and can be very windy at times.
In wet weather the moat can collect water. Swimming is not allowed. The water can be deep and very cold.

Sandal Castle is popular with dog walkers, and all dogs are welcome.

The site is away from main roads and surrounded on two sides by open farmland. It is typically quieter in the winter. It can be very busy in the spring / summer season, especially on sunny days.

The paths around the site are surfaced with a self-binding gravel. They can be a little uneven in places, and at times steep.

There is a path running around the whole of the outside of the castle earthworks.

The path is cream in colour and contrasts well with the grass. There are no steps on this path, and several benches along it.

The whole site has substantial steep sided grass banks of up to 25ft high. In most cases the main path is at the top of this bank.

The path has a spur leading onto the bailey (slight lip onto the bridge).  

The castle bailey area is mown grass.

Access to the castle keep is by a long flight of steep steps. The steps up to the top of the keep have handrails on both sides.

The steps up to the keep and the bridge to the bailey are wooden decking which is semi-open (you can see through to the ground below).

There is a series of steps down to the moat. These stairs have handrails on both sides. 

We ask that you do not climb on the fragile castle remains. You can gently touch them.

The site is exposed to nature and can be very windy at times.
In wet weather the moat can collect water. Swimming is not allowed. The water can be deep and very cold.

Sandal Castle is popular with dog walkers, and all dogs are welcome.

The site is away from main roads and surrounded on two sides by open farmland. It is typically quieter in the winter. It can be very busy in the spring / summer season, especially on sunny days.