Pontefract Allsorts: How liquorice got its roots in Pontefract

Two male liquorice farmers stood in a deep trench in a field

Pontefract Allsorts: How liquorice got its roots in Pontefract

(Article originally published 3 July 2020)

Liquorice - whether you love or hate the taste, there's no denying the plant has long been linked to Pontefract.

But how did a Middle Eastern herb become a part of our town's history? Why is liquorice linked to Pontefract? Where did liquorice originally come from?

We've had a root through our liquorice collection and dug up some treasures.

Where did liquorice come from?

There are two main theories about how liquorice first came to Pontefract.

One is that it was brought by medieval knights returning to Pontefract Castle from the Crusades. Another theory is it was introduced by the Dominican monks who settled at the priory.

Pontefract proved to be fertile ground for liquorice. The plant's long roots thrive in our deep loamy local soil.

A group of people planting or picking liquorice in a large field

Liquorice fields in the Nevison area

Liquorice growing and harvesting in the Friarwood area

When were Pontefract Cakes invented?

Liquorice was prized at first for its medicinal properties. It began to be grown across the Pontefract area from the 1500s. The sap was extracted from the root and used to treat coughs and stomach complaints.

By the 1700s, there were liquorice garths springing up all around. Even the Pontefract Castle yard was being used. Local chemists, the Dunhill family, rented the land there. They used the castle cellars to store their harvested roots.

It is George Dunhill who is credited with first adding sugar to liquorice to transform the medicine into a sweet in the 1760s. He is believed to have pioneered the production and marketing of the now iconic Pontefract Cake as a commercial confectionery.

A wooden handled liquorice stamp with a design of the castle and Dunhill's on the stamp

Handstamp for marking Pontefract Cakes, Dunhills Ltd, early 1900s

And so Pontefract became linked with liquorice. By the 1900s, treats made in one of Pontefract's many factories were enjoyed by people all around the world.

At the industry's height there were 13 factories in the town. The rival companies all produced a wide array of different liquorice variations.

$A young woman in overcoat and hairnet stamping Pontefract Cakes by hand$

A worker stamping Pontefract Cakes at W. R. Wilkinson and Co. Ltd, 1950s. These workers were known as 'liquorice thumpers'.

Ewbanks

From 1887 Ewbanks' production was based at the Eagle Liquorice Works in Friarwood. The factory was surrounded by orchards.

During the Second World War, Eagle Works suffered bad bomb damage. Some production moved to other local companies.

A vintage Ewbanks' liquorice funny faces advert, with a quite sinister looking head of a man on a stick. Reads 'make them laugh or cry'

Ewbanks advert from 1927

Hillaby's

John Hillaby established his Lion Liquorice Works in 1850. It was a four storey steam-powered factory. The company grew its own crops. By 1893, Hillaby's had become the largest producer of liquorice in the world.

In 1925 they achieved a further claim to fame. They made the liquorice boot eaten by Charlie Chaplin in the film 'Goldrush'.

$A sepia photograph of a Hillabu's Pontefract Cakes van outside the large factory, being loaded with goods. In the background there is a horse-drawn cart being led away from the van. Has this just delivered the cakes fresh from the factory behind?$

Hillaby's delivery van outside the factory, 1930s. Spot the horse-drawn cart in the background too!

J. H. Addingley and Sons

The Addingley's Baghill Refinery was a three-storey building. It boased steam-powered machinery, offices, a warehouse and packing room. It also had mechanics and joinery shops.

Addingley's sweet tin from the early 1900s

W. R. Wilkinson and Co.

Wilkinson's originally started in 1884 at a malt kiln in Southgate. It later expanded several times. First, it moved to the Britannia Works on Skinner Lane.

In 1925 Wilkinson's moved to a 'garden factory' in Monkhill. Here, employees enjoyed workers' housing, tennis courts and allotments. They also went on company group outings to the seaside.

A group of young women packing sweets in a factory, each has a set of weighing scales in front of them. One worker is looking back and smiling at the camera over her shoulder.

Workers packing sweets at the Wilkinson's factory, mid 1900s

This 'Liquorice All-sorts' carton shows the Wilkinson's factory. In front of the large factory, two workers are playing tennis on the company courts. There are other workers sat around in the grounds on benches, reading or having a chat.

A rectangular carton with illustration of the Wilkinson's factory, and workers playing tennis and sat outside on a nice sunny day

Wilkinson's specimen carton, early 1900s

Robinson and Wordsworth's

Robinson and Wordsworth's was founded in 1871. The company was based at Victoria Works.

In 1893, the recently expanded factory welcomed the curator of Kew Museum. The curator visited to research liquorice cultivation. Robinson and Wordsworth also had a display at the Kew Botanic Gardens.

A Robinson and Wordsworth's sweet tin from the early 1900s

Why is liquorice known as 'Spanish'?

Eventually, Pontefract's prolific business began to exhaust the local crops. Supplies struggled to keep up with demand. The firms began to import liquorice from Turkey and Spain. Liquorice is still affectionately known as 'Spanish' by locals.

By the end of the 1800s, most of Pontefract's liquorice fields were gone. It did still continue to grow at Stump Cross until the mid-1900s.

A faded photograph of tall liquorice plants growing in a field

Liquorice growing near Stump Cross Lane in 1960s

A wooden spade used for harvesting liquorice root (or 'runners')

Is liquorice still made in Pontefract today?

Over time, Pontefract's confectioners began to close, merge with one another, or be acquired by their larger rivals.

Today, there are two producers remaining in the town. The German giant, Haribo, arrived in Pontefract in the 1970s. They acquired a stake in Dunhills Ltd, the original pioneer of the Pontefract Cake.

Tangerine Confectionery is the other. This company's roots in the town can be traced back to W. R. Wilkinson and Co.

$A vintage packet of Haribo Pontefract Cakes$

A Haribo Pontefract Cakes packet - 'celebrating 250 years'

Find out more at Pontefract Museum

This article is just a taste of the sweet treats on display at Pontefract Museum! See original liquorice scales and tons of vintage sweet tins at the museum. It is free entry and open all year round.

Visit Pontefract Museum