Bath flytipped at historic Wakefield Castle site

Officers from West Yorkshire Police Wakefield City and North West team made the discovery at the site of Wakefield Castle in Thornes Park while doing their rounds.

The incident was reported to Wakefield Council to be cleaned up.

Much less is known about Wakefield Castle than the more famous Sandal Castle and its mysteries are yet to be uncovered.

It is believed to have been destroyed by the great gale of 1330.

English Heritage’s records list it as Lowe Hill motte and bailey castle.

Because there is little evidence about the castle, its early history is unclear.

But it is thought to have been what is known as an adulterine’ castle, one that was built without the permission of the king.

Express archives from when the castle was rediscovered in around 2013 suggest it was probably built by the third Earl Warenne during the 1138-1149 civil war, which was fought between King Stephen and Empress Matilda.

A small archaeological dig carried out in 1953, revealed a hearth, small quantities of metalwork and some 12th century pottery according to the excavation report.

In 2015 archaeologists from West Yorkshire Archaeology Service carried out geophysical surveys of the land, using specialist equipment, to determine whether anything is buried beneath the earth.

The exact relationship between Sandal Castle and Wakefield Castle is not yet known, but both are mentioned in a royal edict of 1324, which suggests they might have worked together to control movement along the river.