Pontefract Park

Wakefield Countryside Events

Find out what events are going on at your local park.

People walking dogs while feeding ducks and geese at the lakeside

Pontefract Park sits one mile north of the town centre and offers visitors the chance to enjoy a leisurely stroll or a quick jog. The park holds around 20 events each year and has a racecourse that holds around 16 race meetings annually between April and October.

  • Location:

    Pontefract Park
    Park Road
    Pontefract
    WF8 4QD

    Open every day.

Facilities and services

  • Free parking
  • Sports pitches
  • Enclosed kids' play area
  • Cafe@thePark

Cafe@thePark opening times

Day Time
Monday 8:30am-5pm
Tuesday 8:30am-4pm
Wednesday 9am-7pm
Thursday 8:30am-4:30pm
Friday 8:30am-3:30pm
Saturday 8:30am-4pm
Sunday 9am-4pm


Located inside the Aspire Leisure Facility and welcome all park users. The café is open 7 days a week.

New play area

As part of the Council's commitment to improving play areas across the district, we have invested £450,000 on a new play area in Pontefract Park. The work was completed January-March 2023.

An aerial view of the new play area in Pontefract Park

The play area at Pontefract Park has a fairy-tale theme to match the nearby racecourse and castle. Toddlers can play dragon hunt, make potions and find a gingerbread house. Juniors can play on thrilling equipment like a castle with a slide and a 9m tall 'giant's unit'. There are also areas for making music and storytelling.

The play area has 30 pieces of equipment with 250 features suitable for babies and children aged up to 14.

Nature conservation

Pontefract Park North is a Local Nature Reserve with a variety of habitats, including grassland, woodland, wetland, and a lake.

Countryside officers do conservation work, and educate visitors. 

Free events are organized by officers and local enthusiasts.

Volunteers

We encourage volunteers and friends groups to have their say too which in-turn makes the park more enjoyable. If you are interested in local volunteering opportunities on this and other sites, please contact us using the details on this page.

Cycling

Pontefract Park has set routes for cycling to maintain the enjoyment of park users, following historic byelaws from 1926.

Contact Us

Waterton Countryside Discovery Centre Anglers Country Park Haw Park Lane Wintersett Wakefield WF4 2EB

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