Castleford Forum Museum
The new £1.4m Castleford Forum Library and Museum was opened on 9th December 2013, and the top floor Main Museum invites visitors to follow the history of Castleford from the Bronze Age to the modern day. It has been extended and fully refurbished and is equipped to deliver an excellent modern and relevant service to the people of Castleford. Elements of the old Carnegie Library, which first opened in 1905, have been retained and the building is now open plan with a lift to all three floors.
The grand opening ends more than a decade of fighting by Friends of Castleford Library (FOCAL) and Castleford Heritage Trust for a combined library, museum and arts service.
The scheme was blighted by funding problems in the early stages, including three failed National Lottery bids.
Dave Wilders, chairman of FOCAL, said: “It’s fantastic news. It’s been a long and hard road, we formed in 1998 and one of our main aims was to work towards a new library and museum.
It’s a great new place and we’ve got to be very proud of what we’ve got. It’s a testament to the people of Castleford and the council that we can provide a new facility for the next generation.”
Discover why the Castleford area was a great and important meeting place for Bronze Age people and view a unique and special Iron Age chariot. See objects from Roman Castleford when it was an important Roman town. And of course we must not forget marbles, rugby, mining, pottery and glass. This new museum space also features four very special changing displays with content created in partnership with local groups and people.
The Early Life of Henry Moore display in the local studies area highlights one of Castleford’s most famous sons and is illustrated with objects from the beginning of his career as a world famous artist, including his sculpture Working Model for Draped Reclining Figure. It also includes the Castleford Sketchbook by his school friend Albert Wainwright which records many of the places that Moore would have been familiar with when living in the town in the 1920s.
Pictures taken with kind permission of Wakefield Council.
For details of opening times call 01997 722740 or email: museums@wakefield.gov.uk