Wakefield MP Shows Support for Regeneration of Historic High Street
Historic England and Wakefield Council have been showing Simon Lightwood MP how they are working in partnership to restore the historic character of Upper Westgate.
Representatives from Historic England and the Council accompanied the Wakefield MP on a visit to the Upper Westgate High Street Heritage Action Zone where the two organisations have invested nearly £4million to breathe new life into the historic area.
Established in April 2020, Wakefield Upper Westgate High Street Heritage Action Zone is a four-year programme, which is focused on reinvigorating neglected historic buildings and bringing them back into full use for the local community.
We were delighted to show Simon Lightwood MP how Historic England’s investment in Westgate is working to restore the historic character of one of Wakefield’s oldest streets.
During his visit Mr Lightwood was shown several completed and in-progress projects, including the restored Woolpacks former pub and yard, and the reinstatement of traditional stone setts to Cheapside, Carter Street and Thompsons Yard.
He also visited 6-8 Silver Street, The Black Swan, to see the exposed timber frame of the significant Grade II-listed Tudor building. Historic England’s Architectural investigators discovered the astonishingly well-preserved façade, which has been dated to around 1600, making it one of the oldest timber-framed buildings in Wakefield.
Wakefield’s streets have a distinct, historical style. It was great to see the work that Wakefield Council and Historic England have done to conserve, preserve and restore heritage buildings in the Upper Westgate area. It’s wonderful to see the work that has been done to bring the past back to life, and to improve the appearance of some of our streets.
