WF8 1QB Wakefield
Postcode no longer in use, introduced January 1980. Ward: Pontefract North. Region: Yorkshire and The Humber.
Streets
- Horse Fair, Pontefract: 15 addresses
House prices and rents in Wakefield
A typical home in Wakefield cost £199,283 in August 2026, 2.9% more than a year before. That is 19% more than five years earlier and 54% more than ten years earlier.
| Home | Typical price, Aug 2026 |
|---|---|
| Detached | £314,988 |
| Semi-detached | £200,459 |
| Terraced | £159,794 |
| Flat or maisonette | £100,645 |
| Bought by a first-time buyer | £178,078 |
Private renters in Wakefield paid £810 a month on average in September 2026, 5.9% more than a year before. That is 31% more than five years earlier.
| Home | Average rent a month, Sep 2026 |
|---|---|
| One bedroom | £579 |
| Two bedrooms | £730 |
| Three bedrooms | £874 |
| Four or more bedrooms | £1,224 |
Council tax
What each band costs in Wakefield in 2026-27: Band D £2,297 a year on average, including the police, fire and any county and parish charges.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £1,531 | £1,786 | £2,042 | £2,297 | £2,807 | £3,318 | £3,828 | £4,594 |
Homes by band in the neighbourhood around this postcode: most are in band A (64% of about 1,150 homes).
Planning and heritage
- Conservation area: no postcode centre in this postcode is in one.
- Listed buildings within 100 m of this postcode: none.
- Article 4 direction (removing permitted development rights): none recorded, though not every council has published theirs.
- Tree preservation orders: none recorded, though not every council has published theirs.
- Green belt: no.
Brownfield land registered for housing within 1 km (0.6 miles)
- Land between Horsefair and Northgate, Pontefract: up to 61 homes, not permissioned (60 m)
- 52A Northgate, Pontefract: up to 5 homes, not permissioned (100 m)
- The Maltings, Pontefract: up to 1 home, not permissioned (150 m)
- Stringer's Garage, Slutwell Lane / Friarwood Lane, Pontefract: up to 18 homes, not permissioned (180 m)
- 55A Northgate/Back Northgate (Land At), Pontefract: up to 28 homes, not permissioned (180 m)
- Scrapyard, Midland Road, Pontefract: up to 57 homes, not permissioned (330 m)
- King Charles II House, Pontefract, permissioned (400 m (0.2 miles))
- Former Pontefract General Infirmary, Pontefract: up to 66 homes, not permissioned (430 m (0.3 miles))
Energy projects nearby
2 energy projects near the postcode.
| Project | Kind | Size | Stage | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferrybridge Multifuel 1 (FM1) Wakefield 09/02103/OHL | Energy from waste (incinerator) | 68 MW | Operational Aug 2015 | 3.1 km (1.9 miles) |
| Ferrybridge Multifuel 2 (FM2) The Planning Inspectorate - National Infrastructure EN010061 | Energy from waste (incinerator) | 70 MW | Operational Dec 2019 | 3.1 km (1.9 miles) |
Planned projects can change or not go ahead; search the planning authority's applications by the reference shown for the plans, conditions and any objections. Construction brings traffic for some months; once built, solar farms and batteries are usually quiet, while turbines and waste plants can be seen or heard further away.
Flood risk
Rivers, the sea or surface water: in this postcode, 0 addresses are in areas at high risk, 0 at medium risk and 14 at low risk. Each address counts once, at the higher of its rivers-and-sea and surface-water risk.
Rivers and the sea alone: no home is in an area at risk.
High: 3.3% (1 in 30) or more chance of flooding a year. Medium: 1% to 3.3%. Low: 0.1% to 1%. Very low: under 0.1%. The rivers and sea figures allow for flood defences. Counts cover whole postcodes, which can include other streets.
Flood zone for planning: no postcode centre is in flood zone 2 or 3.
Recorded floods
No recorded flood covers the centre of this postcode.
Recorded floods are where floodwater was seen or surveyed after a flood. Many floods were never mapped, an outline over a postcode's centre does not mean every home in it flooded, and homes outside one may have. Ask the seller whether the home itself has flooded.
Coastal erosion
No projected coastal erosion zone is within 1 km (0.6 miles) of the postcode.
Storm overflows
No storm overflow outlet is within 1 km (0.6 miles) of the postcode.
Coal mining
This postcode is in a coalfield, in a low risk area: coal was mined in the area, but no workings shallow enough to matter for building are recorded.
Conveyancers usually still order a coal mining search (CON29M) for a home in a coalfield.
Radon
The postcode is in a 1 km square with radon potential up to 3 to 5%: up to that share of homes there is estimated to be at or above the Action Level of 200 becquerels per cubic metre. At least part of the square is a radon Affected Area, where 1% or more of homes are.
Radon is a natural radioactive gas from the ground that can build up indoors; long exposure raises the risk of lung cancer. A three-month test with two small detectors is the only way to know a home's level, and a high level can usually be brought down with a sump or better ventilation. Homes built here in recent decades should have radon protection under the building regulations (basic protection from 3%, full protection from 10%). UKHSA sells a radon report for a single address from its detailed map at ukradon.org.
Gas and electricity use
No gas meters are recorded on the postcode, against 5 electricity meters: it looks to be off the mains gas grid, or almost, with heating from electricity, oil, LPG or solid fuel.
These are all the homes on the postcode, whatever their size and however many live in them, so they show the kind of homes and heating here rather than what any one home uses. The typical figure is the median: half the homes used less. The district is WF8.
Historic landfill
No historic landfill site is within 500 m (0.3 miles) of the postcode.
Height above sea level
The postcode's addresses are about 50 m above sea level.
Broadband
Superfast 100%, ultrafast 0%, gigabit 0% of premises; 0% cannot get 10 Mbit/s. Ofcom Connected Nations, data as at January 2026.
Getting around
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Railway stations | Pontefract Baghill 18,000 journeys in 2024–25 | 280 m |
| Pontefract Monkhill 229,000 journeys in 2024–25 | 680 m (0.4 miles) | |
| Pontefract Tanshelf 99,000 journeys in 2024–25 | 790 m (0.5 miles) | |
| Bus stops | 17 stops within 400 m (0.2 miles), 53 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Horsefair Pontefract | 10 m |
| Bus or coach station | Pontefract Bus Station | 120 m |
| Car parks | 1 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Market Place Upper Car Park | 260 m |
| EV charging points | 3 within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Stuart Road Car Park GeniePoint | 470 m (0.3 miles) |
| Airport with scheduled flights | Leeds Bradford Airport LBA | 30.2 km (19 miles) |
Local services
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| GP surgeries | 3 practices within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Northgate Surgery Good Oct 2016 | 180 m |
| Pharmacies | 5 pharmacies within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Cohens Chemist | 160 m |
| NHS dentists | 7 practices within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Pontefract Dental Clinic | 110 m |
| Hospital | Pontefract General Infirmary Requires improvement Nov 2022 | 310 m |
| Care homes | 9 homes within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Aegis Residential Care Good Dec 2023 | 230 m |
| Police station | West Yorkshire Police | 230 m |
| Cash machines | 2 machines within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Cash machine 17 Salter Row Halifax | 300 m |
Nurseries and childcare
8 nurseries, pre-schools and clubs within 1.5 km (0.9 miles), the nearest 90 m from the postcode's centre.
| Provider | Kind | Places | Latest inspection | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rainbow Nursery WF8 1JL | Sessional day care | 44 | Good (Dec 2024, overall grade under the previous framework) | 90 m |
| Kip McGrath Pontefract WF8 1SL | Out-of-school day care (over fives) | Not inspected yet | 220 m | |
| Sunshine Kids WF8 1NB | Full day care | 26 | Outstanding (Mar 2022, overall grade under the previous framework) | 670 m (0.4 miles) |
| Engineering & Sports Alternative Provision WF8 4FU | Sessional day care (over fives) | Not inspected yet | 710 m (0.4 miles) | |
| Stepping Stones Day Nursery WF8 4DA | Full day care | 88 | Outstanding (Dec 2022, overall grade under the previous framework) | 820 m (0.5 miles) |
| Cherry Blossom Pre-School WF8 2HN | Full day care | 40 | Good (Oct 2023, overall grade under the previous framework) | 1.1 km (0.7 miles) |
| Young Minds Matter WF8 4AY | Full day care (over fives) | Not inspected yet | 1.2 km (0.7 miles) | |
| Pomfret Woodland Community Nursery WF8 2DD | Full day care | 55 | Good (May 2023, overall grade under the previous framework) | 1.2 km (0.8 miles) |
Ofsted also registers 190 childminders and 13 home childcarers (nannies) in Wakefield. It does not publish their addresses, so they cannot be shown here; the council's family information service lists those taking children.
Parks and green space
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Park or garden | 3 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Barbican Garden 3.5 ha | 260 m |
| Largest park within 800 m (0.5 miles) | Friarwood Valley Gardens 3.6 ha | 520 m (0.3 miles) |
| Play area | 2 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Unnamed 230 m² | 520 m (0.3 miles) |
| Playing field | 2 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Unnamed 2.6 ha | 580 m (0.4 miles) |
| Allotments | 3 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Unnamed 8,340 m² | 400 m (0.2 miles) |
Within 800 m (0.5 miles): 3 parks and gardens, 7.3 hectares in all.
Landmarks
The nearest historic landmark is Old Town Hall, a listed building (Grade II*), 230 m south-west. 59 listed buildings are within 1 km (0.6 miles), 1 of them Grade I and 8 of them Grade II*.
| Name | What it is | From the postcode's centre |
|---|---|---|
| Old Town Hall | Listed building, Grade II* | 230 m south-west |
| Barclays Bank and attached railings | Listed building, Grade II* | 260 m south-west |
| Red Lion Hotel | Listed building, Grade II* | 290 m south-west |
| Pontefract Castle: part of late Saxon cemetery and town ditch, Norman motte and bailey castle and later medieval enclosure castle | Scheduled monument | 320 m north-east |
| The Hermitage | Listed building, Grade I | 350 m south-west |
| Friarwood Valley Gardens | Registered park or garden, Grade II | 580 m (0.4 miles) south-west |
| St John's Priory | Scheduled monument | 690 m (0.4 miles) north-east |
| Boundary cross on the corner of Ferrybridge Road and Stumpcross Lane | Scheduled monument | 1.7 km (1.1 miles) north-east |
| Name | What it is | From the postcode's centre |
|---|---|---|
| Stony Hill | Hill | 310 m north-east |
| Friar Wood Hill | Hill | 780 m (0.5 miles) south-west |
| Priory Wood | Wood | 840 m (0.5 miles) south-west |
| Dunhill's Hill | Hill | 1.2 km (0.7 miles) east |
| Willow Island | Island | 4.2 km (2.6 miles) north-east |
| Ash and Dust Settling Ponds | Lake or reservoir | 4.9 km (3.1 miles) north |
Air quality
| Pollutant | Here | UK limit | WHO guideline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) | 10.0 | 40 | 10 |
| Fine particles (PM2.5) | 7.1 | 20 | 5 |
| Particles (PM10) | 12.0 | 40 | 15 |
All three are within the UK legal limits; PM2.5 is above the WHO guideline, as in most towns and cities.
Road and rail noise
| Level | Road traffic | Railways |
|---|---|---|
| 55 to 59 | 15 | 0 |
| Under 55 | 0 | 15 |
15 of the postcode's 15 addresses are modelled at 55 dB or more from road traffic, above the WHO guidelines.
Road safety
35 collisions in which someone was hurt were reported around the postcode in 2021 to 2025: 0 fatal, 10 serious and 25 slight, in which 11 people were seriously hurt. 11 involved a pedestrian; 5 involved a cyclist; 4 involved a motorcyclist; 6 involved a child under 16. 31% happened in the dark, and 23% on a wet or icy road. Most were on roads with a 30 mph limit.
| Year | Collisions | Fatal or serious |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5 | 3 |
| 2022 | 10 | 1 |
| 2023 | 7 | 3 |
| 2024 | 7 | 2 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 |
| Date | Severity | Who was hurt | Road | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Oct 2025 11:00 | Slight | 1 person | Minor road, 30 mph | Daylight |
| 7 Jun 2025 15:52 | Slight | 1 person: 1 motorcyclist | Minor road, 30 mph | Wet road |
| 23 May 2025 18:25 | Slight | 1 person: 1 cyclist, 1 child | Minor road, 30 mph | Daylight |
| 15 May 2025 16:30 | Slight | 1 person: 1 pedestrian | Minor road, 30 mph | Daylight |
| 6 May 2025 20:36 | Slight | 1 person: 1 pedestrian, 1 child | Minor road, 30 mph | Dark, street lights on |
| 11 Apr 2025 17:25 | Serious | 1 person: 1 motorcyclist | Minor road, 30 mph | Daylight |
| 13 Nov 2024 15:53 | Serious | 1 person: 1 cyclist | Minor road, 30 mph | Daylight |
| 6 Nov 2024 13:08 | Slight | 1 person: 1 cyclist | A645, 30 mph | Daylight |
| 8 Oct 2024 09:45 | Slight | 1 person: 1 pedestrian | A645, 30 mph | Daylight |
| 28 Aug 2024 15:45 | Serious | 1 person | A645, 30 mph | Daylight |
Only collisions in which someone was hurt and which the police were told about are here: damage-only collisions and near misses are not, and some injuries are never reported. Positions are recorded by the police, usually to within a few metres. Each year's figures are published the following September.
Traffic on nearby roads
No traffic count point is within 500 m (0.3 miles) of the postcode. The Department for Transport counts every motorway and A road and only a sample of minor roads, so a quiet residential street usually has none.
Climate, daylight and earthquakes
Monthly temperatures and rainfall, sunrise and sunset through the year, and earthquakes recorded nearby since 1970 are much the same across the area, so they are worked out once for Wakefield: see them on the Wakefield page.
People and work
Who lives here
| Around this postcode | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37 | 40 |
| Children under 15 | 2% | 17% |
| Aged 65 and over | 6% | 18% |
Homes
| Around this postcode | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Owned (outright or with a mortgage) | 4% | 61% |
| Owned outright | 0% | 33% |
| Shared ownership | 1% | 1% |
| Social rented | 87% | 17% |
| Private rented | 9% | 21% |
Work and commuting
| Around this postcode | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults (16 and over) in work | 44% | 57% |
| Unemployment (of those working or looking for work) | 24% | 6% |
| Retired (of adults) | 6% | 22% |
| Long-term sick or disabled (of adults) | 22% | 4% |
| Work mainly from home (of those in work) | 8% | 32% |
| Travel to work by car or van | 33% | 48% |
| By train, Underground, metro or tram | 2% | 4% |
| By any public transport, including bus | 17% | 8% |
| On foot or by bicycle | 38% | 10% |
| Work within 10 km (6 miles) of home (of those who travel to work) | 69% | 65% |
| Work 30 km (19 miles) or more away | 0% | 8% |
Education and languages
| Around this postcode | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Degree or other higher qualification, Level 4+ (of adults) | 14% | 34% |
| No qualifications | 37% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship as highest qualification | 7% | 5% |
| Main language English (aged 3 and over) | 94% | 91% |
| Cannot speak English well or at all | 2% | 2% |
Deprivation
The neighbourhood around this postcode is in decile 1 of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 1 is the most deprived tenth of England's 33,755 neighbourhoods and 10 the least.
The full dossier for this postcode's main street is on Horse Fair.