The escaping bear who’d had enough of being a Victorian showpiece; tragedy narrowly averted over the skies of Wakefield when an aeronaut lost control of his balloon in 1827; secret passages and hidden relics; and dark tales of determined apparitions and boggarts are among many enchanting stories told within the pages of Wakefield Then & Now: Extraordinary Tales from the Merrie City.
In this fascinating book about his home city, Michael J. Rochford has gathered dozens of intriguing accounts from the annals of Wakefield folklore, presenting a quirky and insightful historical tour. Captivating images from times long forgotten in the form of early photographs, topographical drawings and romanticized paintings bring the stories to life before your eyes, as modern photographs contrast how things were with how the proud city appears today.

So, take a step into the past and journey through Wakefield, learning about Robert Hood and his wife Matilda; the town’s beloved Cliff Tree; prison breaks; medieval houses; a burning school; Westgate’s long-lost burial ground; shocking floods and tumultuous riots; Victorian winter fairs and Christmas traditions; the butcher’s doorstop that turned out to be a Saxon cross, and much more …