West Yorkshire Rifle Volunteers blue plaque

This blue commemorative plaque records: Gate house of the barracks of the Pontefract Corps of the West Yorkshire Rifle Volunteers built about 1851. These barracks were later used as schools. Larger barracks were built on Wakefield Road in 1878.

The West Yorkshire Rifle Volunteers were a local volunteer force established during the Volunteer Movement of the late 19th century to bolster Britain's defense; their barracks reflect the era’s military preparedness and community involvement in national security.