IF I WAS GOING TO WAKEFIELD, I WOULDN'T GO THAT WAY!

Time to leave Pontefract, following the West Riding tram route towards Castleford.

 

Soon, we come to Prince of Wales Colliery. Steam was still in action in 1971.

There was a diesel loco too.

A Hunslet 'Austerity' was dumped, out of use.

To see where we're going next, one can look at the map here (it opens in a new window). Two views of Pontefract Road, Purston, near Featherstone.

Now, here's Featherstone Lane in Featherstone itself.

Station Lane.

Featherstone railway station, L&YR.

Nearby Featherstone Main Colliery had a considerable rail network.

A Bullock & Sons bus photographed outside the Jubilee Hotel in Featherstone.

A firm called Gra' Cars had a yard in Featherstone. This old West Riding Leyland Tiger was to be found there.

There were some more contemporary coaches too.

Another colliery not far away, at Ackton Hall. Here's an 'Austerity' in steam there.

Time for a pint now in the Cross Keys at Old Snydale.

We now follow the L&YR route through Streethouse station, which has since reopened.

Next is Sharlston station.

Here's Crofton L&YR station, which didn't reopen.

Nearby was Hare Park & Crofton station on the WR&G Joint Doncaster to Leeds line.

To the northwest is Thornes Park. A vintage vehicle rally is taking place.

The intention is to approach the city of Wakefield along Westgate. This is the bottom end, with a West Riding tram.

This particular area is prone to flooding.

Alomg this section of Westgate is the White Hart, formerly the Tap & Spile. Whatpub reports that it has no real these days.

Henry Boons was just up the road, the tap for Clark's Brewery. The brewery has since closed, as has the pub - it's now an Indian restaurant.

In 1990, Crookham Travel paid a visit to Clark's Brewery.

That's where I'll leave it for now. Next time, we'll visit Wakefield Westgate station and a few nearby pubs.