| The town is an ancient one. In Roman Times, there was an important settlement on the River Aire – the name Castleford cames from the Latin Castrum – a camp or fort. A long verse chronicle, written in Northern English and recounting the traditional history of Britain is known as "Castleford's Chronicle". Its author may well have been a resident of the area.
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| The Castleford we know today grew up as a mining town and was once an important centre for the manufacture of glass and pottery . There had been mining in the area since at least the early 16th Century but deep mining only commenced in 1868 with the establishment of the Wheldale pit.
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By the late 1970s, eight collieries operated in the town employing over 6000 people. By 1997, with the restructuring of the mining industry, the number fell to just under 600. Many remaining jobs will be lost next year with the closure of the Selby Coalfield. |
