Bridge Foot, Castleford, Yorkshire

The artist Thomas Wainwright lived and worked in Castleford and many of his paintings of local scenes survive today in public and private collections. The lamp in the centre of the painting, at the junction of Aire Street and Bridge Street, was a popular meeting place and focus for events and public debate; so much so that it became known as ‘The Castleford Forum’. The bridge remains today, but the lamp and many of the buildings were demolished in 1964 to make way for a new road layout.