Wakefield, the capital of the West Riding of Yorkshire, stands on the Calder at a convergence of railways, 9 miles SSE. of Leeds, 27 SSW. of York, and 19 NW. of Doncaster. In 1888 it was constituted the seat of a bishopric - its cathedral the fine Perpendicular parish church, which, enlarged and reconsecrated in 1329, and again enlarged about 1470, was restored in 1857-86 from designs by Sir G. G. Scott at a cost of £30,000, and has a tower and spire 247 feet high. On the nine-arch bridge over the Calder is a beautiful Decorated chapel (1357); it also was restored in 1847. At the grammar-school, chartered in 1591, and removed to new buildings in 1855, were educated Dr Radcliffe, Archbishop Potter, the Benedictine Cressy, and Bentley, the first two natives. The town-hall, French Renaissance in style, was erected in 1880 at a cost of £72,000; and other buildings are the corn exchange, fine art institute, Clayton hospital, and lunatic asylum. Though not the great ' clothing town' it was formerly, Wakefield still manufactures woollens, worsteds, and hosiery, as also agricultural implements, machinery, etc. It was incorporated in 1848, and made a parliamentary borough in 1832. Pop. (1851) 22,065; (1881) 33,240; (1901) 41,544. Here the Yorkists were defeated in 1460.

Wakefield

Wakefield, a manufacturing town of Massachusetts, 10 miles N. of Boston. Pop. 9970.