Featherstone

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Featherstone is a town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, England. It sits in the City of Wakefield, about two miles south-west of Pontefract. In 2011 the population was 15,244. The town has a railway station on the Pontefract Line and is served by bus services; the M62 is nearby.

Origins and growth
The name Featherstone comes from Old English and means “place at the four stones.” The area has ancient roots and is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The original village was North Featherstone, centered around All Saints’ Church, while the main Featherstone grew near the railway and Purston Jaglin.

Featherstone’s growth came from coal mining. Coal has been mined here since the 13th century, and the opening of the Wakefield, Pontefract and Goole railway line in 1848 helped mining expand. Featherstone Main Colliery opened in 1866 and Ackton Hall Colliery in 1873. The town became well known for mining, until the industry declined in the late 20th century. A miners’ strike in 1893 ended with soldiers firing on demonstrators, killing two men. A sculpture in the town centre commemorates this event, and a large mural marks Featherstone’s heritage.

Community and landmarks
Purston Park opened in the 1950s and features a lake and a play area. The former country estate that acted as the town hall was converted into luxury flats in 2007. In 2018, a sculpture called War Horse – A Place of Peace to be Together was installed to remember local soldiers who died in World War I.

Today, Featherstone is changing with new housing and local projects. A new £2.5 million community centre has been built in Station Lane, and former council housing has been replaced as part of development plans.

Education and religion
Featherstone has two secondary schools: Featherstone Academy and St Wilfrid’s Catholic High School. Primary schools include St Thomas’ Junior, Girnhill Infants’, Purston Infants’, North Featherstone Junior and Infants’, and All Saints Junior and Infants’. Churches include St Thomas’s Church (Anglican) and All Saints’ Church (Anglican), a Methodist church, and the South Featherstone Gospel Hall. St Gerard Majella’s Roman Catholic Church closed in 2008.

Sport
The town is famous for Featherstone Rovers, a rugby league club with a long history. They have won the Challenge Cup three times (most recently in 1983) and the League Championship in 1976–77. The club’s women’s team started in 2011 and won the Women’s Challenge Cup in 2012. The local community team, Featherstone Lions, also plays in the area.

Politics and administration
Featherstone is part of the Normanton and Hemsworth parliamentary constituency and has been a Labour stronghold. The MP is Jon Trickett. On Wakefield Council, Featherstone is represented by Labour councillors, and the Featherstone Town Council is led by a Labour mayor.