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Wakefield Museums and Castles
Tudor Wakefield resources
The centre of Wakefield once housed rows of impressive timber-framed buildings.
Explore what life was like in Tudor Wakefield through a range of museum objects, pictures and documents.
Browse a selection of highlights, and download our full resource packs for more:
These resources are for KS3 upwards.
A ‘Sovereign’ type penny (1530 - 1559)
What is it? A ‘Sovereign’ type penny. The obverse is decorated with an image of king on a throne and the reverse with a shield.
How old is it? Production date between 1530 and 1559
Why is this source important? This coin is a silver ‘sovereign’ type penny of Bishop Cuthbert, Tunstall, Durham.
Where was it found? It was discovered during excavations at St John’s Priory, Pontefract. Trench 7F 4a
What is it made of? Silver
Dimensions: 15mm diameter
Transcription of text:
obverse - H D G ROSA SIE SPIA
reverse - CIVITAS DURRAM. C D
Frieze of a wyvern (c.1590)
What is it? Decorative frieze of a wyvern.
How old is it? This dates from around 1590
Why is this source important? It demonstrates Tudor building skills and thoughts on mythology.
Where was it found? This was collected from 53 Northgate, Wakefield
What is it made of? Plaster
This object is on display at Wakefield Museum, Wakefield One, Burton Street, Wakefield.
Cistercian ware cup and lid (c.1500 – 1600)
What is it? Cistercian Ware cup and lid.
How old is it? Production date between 1500 and 1600
Why is this source important? It demonstrates that Sandal Castle was being lived in during the 1500s.
Where was it discovered? The pottery vessel and its lid were discovered at Sandal Castle during excavations carried out between 1964 and 1973.
What is it made of? Clay
Ceramic yellow ware chamber pot (c.1500 – 1600)
What is it? Ceramic yellow ware chamber pot.
How old is it? Production date between 1500 and 1600
Where was it found? The chamber pot was found at Sandal Castle.
Other information: The pot underwent conservation in 1985. Old repairs were removed and the pot washed, dried, repaired and gap-filled to preserve its condition for the future.
What is it made of? Clay
Who would have used this? Anybody
How would object work? Sandal Castle had a number of garderobes (medieval toilets) around the site, however a chamber pot would be required overnight. People wouldn’t want to walk out of their chamber and across the bailey to use the toilets in the dark or in inclement weather. Therefore, a pot would be placed in the private chambers (rooms) for use in these circumstances.
Ring (c.1485 – 1600)
What is it? A type of finger ring called a ‘posy ring’ with and inscription and stylised flowers decorating it.
How old is it? Production date between 1485 and 1600
Why is this source important? This ring, with its romantic wording in medieval French, comes from a time of very different attitudes towards love. The marriages of the wealthy were often hardnosed contracts negotiated to protect family fortunes and political alliances. Poor people were more likely to be able to choose their partners and marry for love. So, the wealthy person who received this expensive gold ring may have married for political strategy rather than love.
Where was it found? This ring was discovered in 1972 during excavations at Sandal Castle.
Other information: The ring was transferred from the Sandal Castle Excavations Committee to Wakefield Museums.
What is it made of? Gold with white enamel.
Transcription of text: ‘tout le vostre’ meaning ‘I’m all yours’
Thimble (c.1485 – 1600)
What is it? A thimble with tapering sides, a shallow conical top, dot patterning and a plain base band. The thimble has been squashed.
How old is it? Production date between 1485 and 1600
Where was it discovered? This was discovered in 1973 during excavations at Sandal Castle.
Other information: The thimble was transferred from the Sandal Castle Excavations Committee to Wakefield Museums. The thimble underwent conservation in 2002.
What is it made of? Metal - copper alloy.
Dimensions: height 20mm, diameter 21mm
How was it made? It was cast in a mould.
Who would have used this? This is a heavy-duty thimble, used by anyone who needed to stitch heavy cloth or leather.
How would object work? Thimbles protect the end of the finger when pushing needles through tough fabrics. The dents stop the needle from slipping
Stained glass window (c.1590s)
What is it? A leaded window with stained glass from Heath Old Hall.
How old is it? Production date around 1590s
Why is this source important? It shows the coat of arms of the Neville, Bosville and Warrene families and the Abbots of Jervaulx.
Where was it found? At Heath Old Hall, Heath, Wakefield, Yorkshire.
Other information: The window was purchased in September 1960 from Benstead Industries Ltd.
What is it made of? Metal - lead; Glass – stained / painted
How was it made? Some elaborate and sophisticated techniques were used to create these decorative windows. Panes were cut and flattened from blown cylinders of glass. This limited the size of individual pieces, and so glass windows were made up from small sections joined together with lead strips.
Medieval stained glass was only painted with a brown/black enamel to add features, or stained with silver (to create a yellow) stain.
Any colour in medieval glass windows were made up from pieces of coloured glass - the colour being added to the molten glass before it is blown rather than being painted on.
Door lintel (c. 1551)
This is from a Tudor house in Cross Square, built 1551, demolished in the 1900s.
The building was reused several times. It was a Victorian fishmonger’s and, in the early 1900s, opened as Webster’s café. A large stone clock face and weights were found inside. The door lintel from the Tudor building was used inside.
The door lintel from the house is carved with the text: THIS HOVSE WAS BVILDED ANNO MDLI and shows the house was built in 1551.