There definitely are tunnels in Hollywell woods which are located in between Airedale and Glasshoughton, Castleford, and local rumours had it that these ran to Pontefract Castle, whether they did or not I don't know but as kids a few of us would venture down them and as far as I remember they did run in the general direction towards the Castle, I would think that the access to these tunnels are now blocked off for safety reasons
absolutely correct Ian been down them myself also as a kid (over 70 now) there were 4 in all but blocked at either end all pointing in the same general direction towards Pontefract. there was/is also a tunnel under the cellars down Ropergate I've been down that one as well it was about 200 yards long (and wet) rockfall blocking both ends. it may also be of interest that during the 60's when the town centre was being redeveloped several mysterious voids were discovered underground one of them took 2 days of pouring concrete to fill it. (roughly where the new library is now.
@@yorkiecol7973 Hi Col we once got as far as what was a giant boulder, managed to get over it but daren't go any further, as we were hesitant of what lay ahead, think our young minds got the better of us, but these tunnels were purposely dug out obviously to serve some kind of reason, I did see a map recently of a labyrinth of tunnels but not sure if they are the same ones or what we called the "sand mines" these also may have been connected didn't know about Ropergate though just these up Airedale
I live in Featherstone and when I was a kid there was a big hole in the floor that we called the quarry behind St Wilfrids, at the bottom there was a small hole probably big enough to crawl through where you can see that it opens up so far through, we all got told it linked up with ponte castle and nostell priory as an old escape tunnel, no idea if there is any truth to it. I haven’t been up there in about 10 years but it’s probably still there
That was incredible. Those dungeons are better than I thought they would be. Love all the brick work and colours. The history lesson was great too, I love it. Thank you so much for taking me along. Please stay safe and take care
Great opening montage of old and new. It really helps to get a picture in the mind's eye. The times have changed a great deal but the surrounding geography is about the same. I only realised the significance of this particular castle recently. I didn't know for a long time how strategically crucial it was throughout the years. Great look around. Thanks Daz.
When I went on a tour many years ago we were shown a small room in the keep. It was only about 8ft by 4ft with a stone bench built in. Between us and the room was a gap of perhaps 6ft with a serious drop. This was on the outside wall of the keep. We were told that this was where Richard II had been kept and that a plank spanned the gap when food and water was taken to him. A plank that was of course removed to prevent escape. It was said by the guide that he was starved to death there.
Great 2 parter about Pontefract Castle!! I’ve been to the Castle many times over the years but have learned more in your videos than I previously knew. Thanks so much.
Very interesting to see real castle dungeons, exactly how I would imagine them. Subscribed and liked. Thanks for your informative and interesting videos 😊
Spent many days skiving school there at the Castle back in the 80’s often in the deep tunnel on this video. Back then there were no locked gates preventing access
I pass the arch in Kings tower regularly, I always wondered where it lead to, now I know. Thank you clarifying the real purpose of the arch. Great video too! 👍
It's a crying shame all the Tudor buildings torn down to build as new street at the back of the market in the 80s. The buildings are looking jaded and lame and nothing like the magnificent and listed buildings that were torn down. Criminal in my opinion. . how did Pontefract let that happen is beyond my ken
Brilliant. Thank You. I visited the dungeon yonks back and one name was Tolson. Tolson was mi Grandad's first name. Is there anywhere that a list of prisoners names can be obtained?
Liverpool castle has some amazing history, when builing the church on the land the old dungon was found with tunnels leading off and when they found the old dock a few years back a tunnel lead to that, its all still there today, Liverpool has fasinating underground history most dont know about.
Hi Darren. Flaming graffiti vandals 😏 even back in those days. I loved your exploration of this castle a lot. Even more impressed at how the local area looks as I remember as a little lad going over to relatives at Featherstone (?) And it was still mining country and was depressingly familiar of the times late 50's early 60's. I hope you have something good in the pipeline for your next exploration. Cheers DougT in Mancs
Hi I'm from Huddersfield have done a video on castle hill and what under castle hill always wonder that great video on Pontefract isn't mother shipton cave they
Very Interesting, although you should speak to Dave at the heritage society, he has much more information on the castle and is local .Also the tombs were removed in the 70,s which no one seems to remember, and the bone pit 😉
I remember the stone coffins which I think were moved to Pontefract Museum. Didn't one of them still have its stone lid but as kids we never managed to push it off.
If you was building a castle then why would you build tunnels leading to/from the inside of the castle from the outside? It makes no sense because then you have an extra point of entry for invaders. Pontefract castle probably would have survived the invasion from the parliamentarians if they hadn’t had run out of food. The castle walls were described as invincible. However if they did have a hidden tunnel out then most likely they wouldn’t have surrendered as they would have been able to sneak out for supplies
The other reason for tunnels is to sneak out behind the besieging force and attacking them from behind and ambush their foraging parties. The term is a sally port.
That historian like most is full of shite, I lived on Mill Hill and there's 2 tunnel entrances there that take you right under valley gardens through pontefract Town centre and towards the castle. When Cromwell had the castle at seige for over 2 years that's how they smuggled fresh food into the castle. And it's very rare they open the dungeon for the public even though they spent millions of our money supposedly restoring the castle. I did some unpaid work there for probation and they just slung labeled stone from the queen's chamber in a pile like rubble. The history of the castle is really interesting but vague as historians are full of shite and guess work. Definitely not worth visiting if you live out of pontefract there sod all to see.
At least their graffiti is better than what we have now! I do love watching your explores especially Castles, I try to visit at least 2 a year. Never been to this one, Its on my list now. Hope you do another castle soon!
Interesting to see there was a civil war prisoner called greathead from the garrison, there were also members of the garrison with the same surname at conisborough castle when it was seized in the 1300s
@@AdventureMe Yes i noticed that, was simply listing features you would expect; you found a sally port, so chances are it had an escape tunnel and a supply tunnel too.
I always say that those that cry of misinformation or rumors tend to be selling exactly that. Our history is never allowed to be interesting and the wrong dates are always carved on everything ancient
Darren, that is one big wine cellar with graffiti and all. I usually end with "thanks for your time and hard work." But I may need to change "hard work" to "fun work" Thanks
Roll on hundreds of years and graffiti is spray painted! It must be the kind of stone used with castles where it was easy enough to engrave into. I've seen engraving into the stone at Dover castle, just like this. Fascinating though, it was done so long ago, spray paint might not last that long!
If you should find yourself in a dungeon while being lead around by a man in a mask, would you be worried if they point out that no one can hear you scream down here? That visit to Legoland doesn't look so boring after all! Lol Thanks for the entertainment all the same.
400 year old “graffiti” Did they know that they were marking their time for history? The stones I tagged a tree in Moffat years ago DGHR237 It’s still there now
Glasses steamed up because of the mask which wasn't needed, and it was more difficult to understand what he was saying. Maskless Darren was crystal clear..
It’s not nonsense. The people who oppose masks are the ones talking nonsense. Infectious people wearing masks is highly effective at preventing the spread of respiratory diseases - and there are very comprehensive studies to prove it.
@@allangibson2408 No, there are not. There is no independent study that show smacks work. Further the studies DO show that particles become less dense and hang in the air longer with masks. They do not stop you catching anything (where do you think the air you are breathing in a mask comes from? Even the logic is ridiculous. Further still, if what you said was so, then countries where this disgusting and very submissive and hypochondriac habit is normal would have lower levels of basic illnesses like colds and flu... but they do not. Now if they do not have lower levels of basic infections that is part of everyday life, then they will not work for anything else either. Their pneumonia rates, cold and flu rates are no better. They have a fear due to coronaviruses with the SARS issue being prevalent in Southeast Asia where it is not here. The last [proper] pandemic was 1918 in the UK. This is not the case in Southeast Asia where the environment is very different. However, regardless of this, the masks don't make a damn bit of difference. Watching these people go around brainwashed into wearing a dog muzzle that then gets discarded and destroys the British countryside and wildlife is heart-breaking and not welcome at all. This is a Far Eastern culture, NOT ours. No-one wearing a mask will be welcome in a traditional and real British society. No-one wants to look at this rubbish.
Tolles Video. Es läuft mir gleich ein Schauer über den Rücken. Die armen Menschen.
Danke. Es kann nicht schön gewesen sein, unter diesen Bedingungen zu leben
There definitely are tunnels in Hollywell woods which are located in between Airedale and Glasshoughton, Castleford, and local rumours had it that these ran to Pontefract Castle, whether they did or not I don't know but as kids a few of us would venture down them and as far as I remember they did run in the general direction towards the Castle, I would think that the access to these tunnels are now blocked off for safety reasons
isnt there a bricked up entrace on spook hill???
@@yncrewe Hi Nathan haven't been in Holywell woods since the 70's so I imagine it will have changed a lot what was spook hill?
absolutely correct Ian been down them myself also as a kid (over 70 now) there were 4 in all but blocked at either end all pointing in the same general direction towards Pontefract.
there was/is also a tunnel under the cellars down Ropergate I've been down that one as well it was about 200 yards long (and wet) rockfall blocking both ends. it may also be of interest that during the 60's when the town centre was being redeveloped several mysterious voids were discovered underground one of them took 2 days of pouring concrete to fill it. (roughly where the new library is now.
@@yorkiecol7973 Hi Col we once got as far as what was a giant boulder, managed to get over it but daren't go any further, as we were hesitant of what lay ahead, think our young minds got the better of us, but these tunnels were purposely dug out obviously to serve some kind of reason, I did see a map recently of a labyrinth of tunnels but not sure if they are the same ones or what we called the "sand mines" these also may have been connected didn't know about Ropergate though just these up Airedale
I live in Featherstone and when I was a kid there was a big hole in the floor that we called the quarry behind St Wilfrids, at the bottom there was a small hole probably big enough to crawl through where you can see that it opens up so far through, we all got told it linked up with ponte castle and nostell priory as an old escape tunnel, no idea if there is any truth to it. I haven’t been up there in about 10 years but it’s probably still there
Pontefract cake. Well I never. We live and learn, what a fantastic documentary yet again. Superb. Thank you Darren.
A very interesting supplement to the first video Darren. Those dungeons went down quite a fair way. Thank you for this video presentation.
I used to live in Pontefract many years ago never knew the history of the the castle, thank you from NZ.
Awesome mate
Very interesting Darren. We live in Pontefract and appreciate your efforts.
Enjoyed this video very much. Thank you for making it. Meriden, Kansas
That was incredible. Those dungeons are better than I thought they would be. Love all the brick work and colours. The history lesson was great too, I love it. Thank you so much for taking me along. Please stay safe and take care
Thanks Linda
Great video. We visited Ruthin Castle in Wales in 1999. They have a drowning pool in their dungeon. I had never heard of that before.
Awesome Darren very interesting
Great opening montage of old and new. It really helps to get a picture in the mind's eye. The times have changed a great deal but the surrounding geography is about the same.
I only realised the significance of this particular castle recently. I didn't know for a long time how strategically crucial it was throughout the years. Great look around. Thanks Daz.
Thanks mate
So very very interesting. Many thanks indeed for showing us over the two episodes. Cheers
Interesting video and chat. Late coming to it. I thought it was a hour later. Cheers mate.
When I went on a tour many years ago we were shown a small room in the keep. It was only about 8ft by 4ft with a stone bench built in. Between us and the room was a gap of perhaps 6ft with a serious drop. This was on the outside wall of the keep. We were told that this was where Richard II had been kept and that a plank spanned the gap when food and water was taken to him. A plank that was of course removed to prevent escape. It was said by the guide that he was starved to death there.
Great 2 parter about Pontefract Castle!! I’ve been to the Castle many times over the years but have learned more in your videos than I previously knew. Thanks so much.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great series of Castle secret places
Glad I've seen this, I shall definitely make a day tri to Pontefract when the weather warms up!
Very nice video Darren, interesting history of pontefract.
Thanks Pete
Brilliant channel and video. Thanks for this.
Yet again, really enjoyed this, imagine being in those dungeons 😳, scary thought. Brilliant video 👍
Very interesting to see real castle dungeons, exactly how I would imagine them. Subscribed and liked. Thanks for your informative and interesting videos 😊
Awesome, thank you!
Spent many days skiving school there at the Castle back in the 80’s often in the deep tunnel on this video. Back then there were no locked gates preventing access
Enjoy the videos Darren , Thanks 👍🏻😀
Great stuff, loving this history following on from Pt 1.👍🏻👍🏻 Too busy putting cakes in my mouth to notice there's a castle on them!!!!
Been looking forward to this vlog.
I pass the arch in Kings tower regularly, I always wondered where it lead to, now I know. Thank you clarifying the real purpose of the arch.
Great video too! 👍
Very interesting images.
Wonderful video, Darren
Fascinating video so informative well done
Thanks Mark. More to come.
Some great history there 👍 great video
It's a crying shame all the Tudor buildings torn down to build as new street at the back of the market in the 80s. The buildings are looking jaded and lame and nothing like the magnificent and listed buildings that were torn down. Criminal in my opinion. . how did Pontefract let that happen is beyond my ken
Really interesting and enjoyable content again Darren.
The tunnels, priest holes perhaps?
We’ve an old pub in Leyland that has one through to a church nearby
Wow so much history in one place. Love the videos dude! Would love to see a video on Scarborough Castle as I live nearby in bridlington.
Thanks Rhys. I've done a lot of videos in Scarborough already, so check them out. But not the castle fully.
Another great video
Brilliant. Thank You.
I visited the dungeon yonks back and one name was Tolson. Tolson was mi Grandad's first name. Is there anywhere that a list of prisoners names can be obtained?
Great work.thanks lad
Brilliant 👍
Thanks Paul
Fascinating stuff
My home town.. 👍
Cheers Darren.⭐
What about where Richard II died? I was hoping that might be covered. Is it known where in Pontefract he might have died?
Not that I'm aware.
Liverpool castle has some amazing history, when builing the church on the land the old dungon was found with tunnels leading off and when they found the old dock a few years back a tunnel lead to that, its all still there today, Liverpool has fasinating underground history most dont know about.
Thanks mate. I'll be in Liverpool on Friday
@@AdventureMe Great! cant wait to see what videos you have planned!
Hi Darren. Flaming graffiti vandals 😏 even back in those days. I loved your exploration of this castle a lot. Even more impressed at how the local area looks as I remember as a little lad going over to relatives at Featherstone (?) And it was still mining country and was depressingly familiar of the times late 50's early 60's. I hope you have something good in the pipeline for your next exploration. Cheers DougT in Mancs
Thanks Doug. Plenty coming.
Ta for this interesting story ♥️
That is soo cool!
It's amazing what's under our feet
so interesting!
do they still open up the dungeon for visitors remember going down when a kid in the 60s
Yeah they do
Hi I'm from Huddersfield have done a video on castle hill and what under castle hill always wonder that great video on Pontefract isn't mother shipton cave they
Thanks David
Very Interesting, although you should speak to Dave at the heritage society, he has much more information on the castle and is local .Also the tombs were removed in the 70,s which no one seems to remember, and the bone pit 😉
Thanks Lynn
I remember the stone coffins which I think were moved to Pontefract Museum. Didn't one of them still have its stone lid but as kids we never managed to push it off.
Interesting video, thank you. It's a shame us hoi polloi are not allowed down there.
They do open days regularly
Very intresting
If you was building a castle then why would you build tunnels leading to/from the inside of the castle from the outside? It makes no sense because then you have an extra point of entry for invaders. Pontefract castle probably would have survived the invasion from the parliamentarians if they hadn’t had run out of food. The castle walls were described as invincible. However if they did have a hidden tunnel out then most likely they wouldn’t have surrendered as they would have been able to sneak out for supplies
Exactly my point. Nothing went boyond the boundary.
The other reason for tunnels is to sneak out behind the besieging force and attacking them from behind and ambush their foraging parties. The term is a sally port.
That historian like most is full of shite, I lived on Mill Hill and there's 2 tunnel entrances there that take you right under valley gardens through pontefract Town centre and towards the castle. When Cromwell had the castle at seige for over 2 years that's how they smuggled fresh food into the castle. And it's very rare they open the dungeon for the public even though they spent millions of our money supposedly restoring the castle. I did some unpaid work there for probation and they just slung labeled stone from the queen's chamber in a pile like rubble. The history of the castle is really interesting but vague as historians are full of shite and guess work. Definitely not worth visiting if you live out of pontefract there sod all to see.
At least their graffiti is better than what we have now! I do love watching your explores especially Castles, I try to visit at least 2 a year. Never been to this one, Its on my list now. Hope you do another castle soon!
Interesting to see there was a civil war prisoner called greathead from the garrison, there were also members of the garrison with the same surname at conisborough castle when it was seized in the 1300s
My family are in Pontefract. My family worked with liqorice. In Hillaby's
A castle that size would have had a sally port, a royal escape tunnel, and probably a supply tunnel.
It does have a Sally port. See part 1
@@AdventureMe Yes i noticed that, was simply listing features you would expect; you found a sally port, so chances are it had an escape tunnel and a supply tunnel too.
Are these tunnels open for the public?
Yes they are. Google Pontefract Castle
it's a wonder Most Haunted hasn't been down here.. I'd hate to have been a prisoner down there 😱
I always say that those that cry of misinformation or rumors tend to be selling exactly that. Our history is never allowed to be interesting and the wrong dates are always carved on everything ancient
Darren, that is one big wine cellar with graffiti and all. I usually end with "thanks for your time and hard work." But I may need to change "hard work" to "fun work" Thanks
Were the prisoners held in individual cells, or did they just mill around in the dungeon space?
I would imagine in cells, there's marks on the walls of bars or doors.
Roll on hundreds of years and graffiti is spray painted! It must be the kind of stone used with castles where it was easy enough to engrave into. I've seen engraving into the stone at Dover castle, just like this. Fascinating though, it was done so long ago, spray paint might not last that long!
No sign of anymore tunnels? Sounds like a cover up!
see what u did there 👏
would not have fancied being locked up there darren
Me neither
We used to pronounce it Pomfrit Cakes, but knowing it was Pontefract.
I know. My mum still does.
👍
If you should find yourself in a dungeon while being lead around by a man in a mask, would you be worried if they point out that no one can hear you scream down here? That visit to Legoland doesn't look so boring after all! Lol Thanks for the entertainment all the same.
Thanks mate. Nothing I haven't done before lol
400 year old “graffiti”
Did they know that they were marking their time for history? The stones
I tagged a tree in Moffat years ago
DGHR237
It’s still there now
"JOHN GRANT 1648" 👍 "DGHR237" 👎
@@RAFchurchlawford4469 I forgot the 1 at the start 😂
Another great video, shame about the face nappy.
To be fair this was filmed last year.
Glasses steamed up because of the mask which wasn't needed, and it was more difficult to understand what he was saying. Maskless Darren was crystal clear..
Why the damn mask. For goodness sake. When are people going to stop this nonsense.
To be fair. This was last year.
It’s not nonsense.
The people who oppose masks are the ones talking nonsense.
Infectious people wearing masks is highly effective at preventing the spread of respiratory diseases - and there are very comprehensive studies to prove it.
@@allangibson2408 No, there are not. There is no independent study that show smacks work. Further the studies DO show that particles become less dense and hang in the air longer with masks. They do not stop you catching anything (where do you think the air you are breathing in a mask comes from? Even the logic is ridiculous. Further still, if what you said was so, then countries where this disgusting and very submissive and hypochondriac habit is normal would have lower levels of basic illnesses like colds and flu... but they do not. Now if they do not have lower levels of basic infections that is part of everyday life, then they will not work for anything else either. Their pneumonia rates, cold and flu rates are no better. They have a fear due to coronaviruses with the SARS issue being prevalent in Southeast Asia where it is not here. The last [proper] pandemic was 1918 in the UK. This is not the case in Southeast Asia where the environment is very different. However, regardless of this, the masks don't make a damn bit of difference. Watching these people go around brainwashed into wearing a dog muzzle that then gets discarded and destroys the British countryside and wildlife is heart-breaking and not welcome at all. This is a Far Eastern culture, NOT ours. No-one wearing a mask will be welcome in a traditional and real British society. No-one wants to look at this rubbish.
Great video thanks for sharing