YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
The Sandal Community Association has represented the interests of the people of Sandal since 2004
Sandal people pulling together
Sandal is a suburb of Wakefield. It was an ancient settlement, which was mentioned in the Domesday Book. It is 2 miles south of Wakefield and 8 miles north of Barnsley. It is still a vibrant community.
SANDAL CASTLE
Sandal Castle, a motte and bailey was built in the 12th century by th De Warenne family, during the reign of King Henry 1. From the 14th century it passed into royal ownership and is today best known for its involvement in the Battle of Wakefield of 1460 when Richard, Duke of York was mortally mounded.
The castle was left mainly unoccupied and continued to decay until it was used as a stronghold during the Civil War. A royal garrison occupied the castle in 1645, but surrendered after a few months. The following year, on the orders of Parliament, the castle was stripped of its defences and quickly became overgrown.
Between 1964 and 1973 the castle was excavated extensively. A visitor centre was built on the site in 2001. It closed in 2016 and has now become a popular family-run cafe.
THE FRIENDS OF SANDAL CASTLE
The Friends group was founded in 2010 to support Wakefield Council in promoting the castle as an important historic site. Their main aim is to increase awareness of the castle’s heritage by encouraging activities that benefit and preserve the site.
YOU NAME IT AND WE’LL TRY AND DO IT….
The SCA committee stive to put on events that matter and which teh community want to attend and support.
THE WAKEFIELD TIME CAPSULE
Our message to the future
A year ago it was suggested that we should lay down a time capsule at Sandal Castle in the Platinum Jubilee year. Accordingly, the SCA and the Friends of Sandal Castle have worked with Wakefield Council and have obtained Historic England Consent to lower a time capsule into the well at the castle, where it will remain for the next fifty years.
Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee seems a very apt time to leave a time capsule for posterity. It has been an historic period on many levels. Brexit, the pandemic and now the Ukraine War have all been major events in our lives. It has been a time of stress, anxiety and deep sorrow for many people.
Our two organisations want to give people in Wakefield, half a century in the future, a snapshot of what life has been like at this time. This will be living history. We therefore invite people throughout Wakefield - individuals, schools, organisations and societies to send us by email or mail, messages or short descriptions of their experiences over this time. We will scan pictures, paintings, letters, documents and messages and place them on discs and memory sticks, along with actual paper messages and even suitably small artefacts that symbolise this time. Face masks, vaccination leaflets, fliers, perhaps even small flags. We will endeavour to include as much as possible in the capsule.
It is our intention to hold an event at Sandal Castle when the capsule will be lowered into the well. The exact date of this will be decided later, but we are aiming for around the Platinum Jubilee weekend.
Les Goddard,
Chairman
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