Westgate HAZ day at West Yorkshire History Centre for Heritage Open Days on Thursday 15 Sept
WHS are holding this Open Day jointly with West Yorkshire Archive Service, aimed at showing what information our Research Group and others have found out and encouraging others to research the history of their own buildings. Draft of talks by our members is as follows:
10.30 am An introduction to development and change in Westgate, Wakefield
By Dr Phil Judkins
From the grand houses of the merchant princes of Wakefield, through the commercial dealings of the banks, to the night-time economy of the late 20th century, Wakefield Westgate has always been a street of turmoil and change.
11am Burgage plots and Westgate
By Lesley Taylor
How the layout of narrow strips of land distributed to Wakefield’s townspeople (or burgesses) when the medieval town was first laid out, restricted the development of Westgate right up to the 20th century.
11.30am Investigating the history of a building on Westgate
By Shirley Levon
How to set about researching the history of a building.
1.00pm Stories of buildings on Westgate
By tbc
How the story of buildings unfold over time, being domestic homes early on, perhaps changing later to businesses and banks, or later still moving on to places of entertainment.
1.30pm A public house on Westgate
By tbc
Exploring the many functions of the public house, ranging from musical entertainment, housing coroner’s inquests on sudden deaths nearby, providing cheap lodgings in the adjoining yard.