Talk Castleford with Tony - the blog

Twenty-two years ago, a group of us stood together on a rather ordinary patch of grass in Redhill, Castleford, to have our photograph taken for the local newspaper. With four adults were local children. Some had a natural desire to smile at the camera. We told them to avoid doing so; this was a serious matter. At that time, there wasn't a playground there.  There wasn't much of anything there, really. Wakefield Council cut the grass and there was a single goalpost. Children used the field because it was close to their homes and because, as children tend to do, they made use of whatever space was available to them. And there was another possible future for that piece of land. A developer had approached the council about putting an access road across it to serve a proposed housing development. We thought there was a much better use for it. The local children wanted to carry on playing there, and we adults wanted to support them. Even more, we wanted a playground there....

St Paul's, Glasshoughton To celebrate Heritage Open Days, we look at five old buildings in Castleford to seek an answer to: What should happen to a building we value when it’s no longer needed for its original purpose?  1. Queen’s Mill on Aire Street. The building by the river is an excellent example of finding new uses for a well-loved old building. It was a working flour mill and has a water wheel, which (sadly) isn’t working just yet. When the mill itself ceased working, it could easily have become vacant, deteriorated, then demolished. Luckily for the town, that didn’t happen. Thanks to the Castleford Heritage Trust, it has found a new life as a community and heritage hub. It has events, organisations and businesses, such as the popular tea room, while still milling some flour. 2. Castleford Library and Museum, Carlton Street. The old Carnegie Library frontage, dating from 1905, is still there on Carlton Street. But behind it is a new library and museum building. A compromise o...