2023-07-09
On 9th July 2023, on the day of Pontefract’s Liquorice Festival, Daniel Williams assumed the role of King Charles I on his visit to the castle. Daniel, an avid ‘follower’ from childhood of Britain’s famously executed Civil Wars’ monarch, has appeared as Charles at a range of events over the past six years, such as the Gloucester History Festival, at Dunfermline, Scotland, the Cotswolds and many others. As Daniel remarked: the last time Charles I visited Pontefract was his staying at the castle on May 23 1633, during his ‘Great Progress’ of the nation to Scotland for his coronation in Edinburgh at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on 18th June.
2022-09-08
On 8th September 2022, King Charles III became the Duke of Lancaster on the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II. Pontefract Castle is part of the estate of the Duchy and is managed by Wakefield Council on the monarch’s behalf.
2011-12-12
On 12th December 2011, The Friends of Pontefract Castle’s analemmatic sundial was set out on the bailey of Pontefract Castle.
2010-01-07
On 7th January 2010, the BBC first broadcast Michael Portillo interviewing Tom Dixon of Pontefract in his series ‘Great British Railway Journeys’ on his travels from Pontefract to Bridlington. Tom claimed to have (then) the last growing liquorice bush in Pontefract at the house of his great grandfather built in 1810. Tom showed Michael a liquorice boot made by Hillabys of Pontefract which the company had devised for United Artists’ 1925 Charlie Chaplin film ‘The Gold Rush‘ in which the starving Little Tramp cooks and eats his footwear. Liquorice had been grown and stored at Pontefract Castle around the time of the Civil War and for many years after.
2021-08-17
On 17th August 2021, episode 6 of the documentary series “Walking Tudor England” was first broadcast by 5Select when Professor Suzannah Lipscomb, an historian, author, broadcaster, and award-winning professor emerita of history at the University of Roehampton and Professor Andy Wood, Professor of Social History at Durham University discussed the Pilgrimage of Grace of 1536 and its strong links with Pontefract Castle, whilst in the castle grounds.
2021-06-09
On 9th June 2021, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb, an historian, author, broadcaster, and award-winning professor emerita of history at the University of Roehampton and Professor Andy Wood, Professor of Social History at Durham University came to Pontefract Castle to film what was to become part of Episode 6 of the television series “Walking Tudor England”. Episode 6 concentrated on the Pilgrimage of Grace of 1536 and its strong links with Pontefract Castle.
2019-02-14
On 14th February 2019, to commemorate the death of Richard II, A video ‘The Sacred King‘ was published on YouTube. The film which was shot in the ‘dungeon’ at Pontefract Castle, was of the often-called ‘prison speech’ from William Shakespeare’s historical tragedy Richard II, taken from the beginning of Act 5, Scene 5. The scene of the king’s final speech had never been filmed at the historic site before. The Sacred King was directed by Yvonne Morley, filmed by Ben Porter, performed by Mark Burghagen with music by Shakespeare contemporary John Dowland, performed by tenor John Potter and lutenist Jacob Heringman.
2019-01-10
On 10th January 2019, ‘The Sacred King’ was filmed in the ‘dungeon’ at Pontefract Castle. It was a filmed version of the often-called ‘prison speech’ from William Shakespeare’s historical tragedy Richard II, taken from the beginning of Act 5, Scene 5. The scene of the king’s final speech had never been filmed at the historic site before. The Sacred King was directed by Yvonne Morley, filmed by Ben Porter, performed by Mark Burghagen with music by Shakespeare contemporary John Dowland, performed by tenor John Potter and lutenist Jacob Heringman
2019-10-01
On 1st November 2019, DigVentures started a five-weeks’ archaeological dig to uncover the gatehouse that had protected Pontefract Castle’s main entrance in the 1300s.
2017-09-08
On 8th September 2017, the Elizabeth Love Will Trust (No. 1174576) was registered as a charity to establish and run a museum at 6 Castle Chain, Pontefract in accordance with the last will and testament of Elizabeth Love.