Wakefield Museums and Castles

Sandal Castle offers views across the Calder Valley, looking out over the Wakefield district and beyond.

Here you can find information about visiting Sandal Castle for families. This will help you to plan your visit.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Contact us

You can contact us in advance of your visit with any questions. You can email us at castles@wakefield.gov.uk and we will get back to you during office hours. These are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

You can also call us at the Pontefract Castle Visitor Centre on 01977 723440. We will usually pick up the phone during our normal opening hours.

If we cannot pick up the phone, please leave a message with your name and contact number as we will ring you back.

How to get to Sandal Castle

Sandal Castle is free entry and open all day, every day. This includes bank holidays. You do not need to book a ticket.

Find out how to get to Sandal Castle by car or public transport on our Plan your visit page.

Sandal Castle is on Manygates Lane, Sandal, Wakefield, WF2 7DS. Use What3Words code first.tricky.airstrip

We have a free car park. The car park is open: 

• 9am to 5:30am (1 October to 31 March)

• 9am to 7:45pm (1 April to 30 September)

There are no dedicated accessible spaces, and anyone can park here. There is a slight slope from the front to back. The car park is a solid, smooth surface (not gravel).

Toilets and baby changing

Toilets are available to customers of the Castle Café, when it is open. Please note that this café is independently run and is not open every day. Please contact 01924 256751 for opening times. You can also find the Castle Café on Facebook.

We do not have changing places facilities. The nearest changing place facility is in The Hepworth Wakefield, WF1 5AW, which is 1.4 miles away.

Assistance

Sandal Castle is an unstaffed site. Our team undertake weekly site checks around the site.

There are information panels around the site at wheelchair height. You can learn about Sandal Castle's history from these.

Family activities

There’s lots to do at Sandal Castle. Discover Sandal’s past and present. Read about history where it happened. Take in the views and come fly a kite!

You can see for miles from Sandal Castle's strategic position.

Climb to the top of the keep and pretend to be the King or Queen of the castle – or a dirty rascal!

Cast your eyes over the River Calder and Pugney's Country Park in the distance.

Whilst walking around the site there are often many birds to spot. Will you see any nesting gulls or sparrowhawks?

On breezy days the wide, open space makes it an ideal place to fly your kite, up to the highest height.

Explore the 'dry' moat. Though if you visit us in winter, you will see a 'dry' moat isn’t always dry!

Look carefully at the remains of ‘Richard’s’ tower. Can you make out damaged stone which is potentially from a cannonball hitting it in the English Civil Wars?

Access information

Browse our full access information for Sandal Castle

50 things to do

Have you heard of 50 things to do before you're 5 and 50 things ages five to eleven? They're collections of no-cost or low-cost activities for families in the Wakefield district. 

The 50 Things app explains each of the recommended activities. It provides a guide to events and opportunities available locally. It is available to download for free on the Play Store and Apple Store.