Pontefract Castle and Abbey

Pontefract Castle, before.

Pontefract Castle, now. Because it had such a bloody history, and because the peasants were tired of having invading armies pillage their villages just to get to the castle, when the castle fell as the last Royalist stronghold in the Civil War it was torn down very thoroughly. Mostly, all that's left are some chunks of wall and the outlines of where the buildings used to stand.

What makes Pontefract interesting is the old magazine, where gunpowder, prisoners, and licorice have been stored at various times in the past. During the Civil War, hundreds of people were kept down there, many of whom inscribed their names in stone. The Fosters were drawn to this one, of course (no relation).

Near Pontefract is the former castle abbey, now a spectacular set of ruins with weathered Victorian-era tombstones and bright red roses growing along the walls.

The abbey itself is still a functional church: the ruins, dating from c. 1200, encircle a Victorian tower and a 1970's modern addition. Possibly the oddest building I have ever seen.

It did make a nice backdrop for photos, though.

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