Pontefract Castle to receive more than £80,000 to improve visitor offer

The 11th century castle is set to receive £82,807 as part of the government’s Museum Renewal Fund.

It is hoped the extra income and capacity enabled through the funding will also allow Wakefield Museums to “showcase local treasures stemming from the area’s Tudor era wool trade, its role in the Civil War, and its cherished Rugby League heritage,” the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said.

In total, £20 million will be shared among 75 civic museums in England as part of the Museum Renewal Fund, with £3.53 million of that sum being shared across nine museums in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Museums Minister, Baroness Twycross said: "Museums offer a place where people from all backgrounds can learn, be inspired and delve into our rich history, helping to understand the stories that led us to where we are today.

“The Museum Renewal Fund is contributing to the delivery of our Plan for Change. It ensures much-loved civic museums across Yorkshire and the Humber can remain open and continue to provide opportunities for future generations to learn about our shared heritage and how their local community has played its part in our national story.”

Rebecca Ball, North Area Director at Arts Council England said: “I’m so glad that we have been able to support so many museums in the North through the government’s Museum Renewal Fund. Museums play a vital role in bringing our communities together.

“A trip to a museum is often one of our first experiences of culture, especially those run with the support of local authority funding.

“Museums offer us the opportunity to connect with the past, with the people who came before us and the heritage of places we live, work and visit – they help us to understand who we are.

“This fund will help to ensure that our museums across the north can continue to be accessed by the communities they serve.”

The Museum Renewal Fund is part of the £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund, announced by the Culture Secretary in February 2025.

The Arts Everywhere Fund is part of the government’s Plan for Change, which aims to support economic growth and increase opportunities across the country.