Pontefract is a historic market town in the metropolitan borough of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, famous for its centuries‑old liquorice industry and the eponymous "Pontefract cakes" – small, soft liquorice sweets once made from locally grown root. The town is dominated by the dramatic ruins of Pontefract Castle, a once‑formidable medieval fortress linked to the imprisonment and death of Richard II and to several sieges during the Civil War, and it also hosts the well‑regarded Pontefract Racecourse.
Traditionally a market and coal‑mining centre, Pontefract has evolved into a mixed economy with retail, light industry and commuter links; it still runs a lively market and local events. Transport is notable for having three local stations – Pontefract Monkhill, Pontefract Tanshelf and Pontefract Baghill – giving convenient rail connections into the wider West Yorkshire and beyond.
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