WAKEFIELD, a town of England, in the West. Riding of Yorkshire, is situated on the side of an eminence, sloping gently to the Calder. The town, which is neat, clean, and well built, consists of nine streets, three of which are wide and commodious, and many of the houses are lofty and handsome. In the market, which is small, there is a neat building called the market cross, formed of an open Doric colonnade, supporting a dome, and containing a large room, in which the business of the town is transacted. The parish church of St. Peter's is a lofty Gothic building, but of a poor style of architecture. Its spire, which is octagonal, rising from a lofty square tower with double battle ments at each angle, is reckoned the highest in Yorkshire. The church of St. John, which is finely situated at the end of St. John's place, a little out of the town on the road to Leeds, is an elegant building with a lofty steeple. The other public buildings are the town-hall, the cloth-hall, seventy yards long and ten broad, the free grammar school, a noble and spacious building, the prison, which is a large and fine stone building, containing one hun dred and fifty cells, the house of correction for the whole Riding, the new banks, the auction mart, and an elegant building appropriated to assembly rooms, news-room, library, and dispensary. There
is a handsome bridge over the Calder at the south east entrance to Wakefield, and built in the reign of Edward III. This bridge is remarkable by a highly ornamented Gothic chapel, twenty feet long and twenty-four feet wide, which is built in the centre of it, projecting from the eastern side, and resting partly on the hustings. The west part facing the passage over the bridge, is particularly admired for the richness of its ornaments. This chapel was dedicated to the memory of the Duke of York, who was slain near this town in 1459.* It has been lately used as a warehouse.
Wakefield has been long celebrated for its manu facture of woollen cloths, and for being the chief wool market in the kingdom. Wakefield has also one of the greatest corn markets in England, and contains immense corn warehouses, which have been erected on the banks of the Calder. principally since 100. The trade has been much benefited by the Calder navigation. Fairs well attended are held here on Wednesday every fortnight.
In 1821 the township of Wakefield contained 2223 houses, 2251 inhabitants, 2069 families en gaged in trade, and 10.764 inhabitants. See the Beauties of England and !rates, vol. xvi. p. 302.