A guide to living in Wakefield
Wakefield is a small modern city of around 350,000 people surrounded by green open space. It’s located in West Yorkshire, England, located 9 miles southeast of Leeds on the River Calder.
Fancy a day out with your children or interested in art? Visit the famous Yorkshire Sculpture Park, located just 20 minutes drive from Wakefield. The stunning park won ArtFund Museum of the Year Award 2014 and showcases art from both British and international artists.
For children
Happy Days Play Centre is Wakefield’s new indoor soft play centre catering for children from 0-8 years. For the older ones, there is Wakefield’s junior race school where teens can practise F1 Indoor Karting.
Schools
There are over a dozen "good" primary schools says Ofsted. And Alverthorpe St Paul's boasts "good" with some "outstanding features". In terms of secondary schools, The Cathedral School is "good" and "increasingly effective". St Thomas a Becket Catholic college is "good" with some "outstanding features".
Transport
Wakefield has good access to the motorway system, with the intersection of the M1 and M62 motorway. By train, there’s the choice of Kirkgate and Westgate stations. Trains to Leed run around every 20 minutes and take 20 minutes to get there. Trains to Doncaster run every half an hour and take just 17 mins. It’s just over two hours to London King's Cross with this service running half hourly. The nearest airport is Leeds Bradford International Airport, 19 miles (31 km) to the north of the city at Yeadon.
Shopping
Wakefield Market Hall is in the heart of the city, opposite Trinity Walk Shopping Centre. It’s also conveniently located next door to Wakefield Bus Station.
Eating & drinking in Wakefield
In terms of dining, Wakefield offers a diverse range of styles and cuisines. For example, Rustico Italian Restaurant based in central Wakefield. This well-loved Italian restaurant serves authentic, rustic dishes in a comfortable, bright atmosphere. For mouth-watering grill and tapas, head to Qubana where locally sourced ingredients re-create the Latin flair of Cuba and Spain. Smokehouse is a real BBQ joint. It offers a variety of choices, from classic burgers to BBQ ribs (as you would expect). Greek and Mediterranean café, Delphi offers a delicious selection of fresh Greek salad, keftedes (meat balls), baklava and more.
City of culture
The most prominent landmark in Wakefield is Wakefield Cathedral, which at 75 metres has the tallest spire in Yorkshire. Other landmarks include Hepworth Art Gallery, National Coal Mining Museum, country parks and medieval remains, Sandal Castle.
Pubs & Nightlife
Revelers travel from far and wide to party and dance the night away in Wakefield’s lively night club scene. So if you want to party or go dancing, you have a lot of options in Wakefield. Dance clubs and live music venues, stylish cocktail bars or iconic pubs. There is also a variety of pubs in Wakefield. Some of the best rated pubs are The Hop, Henry Boons, and Fernandes and Elephant & Castle.
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