Wakefield, Cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England
Wakefield is a city on the River Calder in West Yorkshire with train stations, shopping streets and parks. The center clusters around an open market square with sandstone buildings and pedestrian zones.
The settlement appears in 1086 in the Domesday Book as a small village with a church and mill. Wool trade and later coal mining brought growth and new buildings in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The name comes from Wacafeld in the Domesday Book, meaning field where the watch was kept. Visitors today find a neoclassical town hall and several churches from different centuries.
A visit is best started on foot from the train station, as main attractions lie close together. Weekdays are quieter than weekends, when the market is fuller.
The cathedral holds a rare medieval stone pulpit from the 15th century. The Chantry Chapel on the river is one of only four surviving bridge chapels in England.
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