St Giles

St Giles is the church in the heart of the town.

It's the dominant feature of the town’s Market Place and it's unique octagonal tower, visible for miles around. There has been a church building in Pontefract Market Place since at least the 12th century. The present church is a Grade II* listed building with a bell tower housing a peal of ten bells. There is no churchyard attached to the church.

Although mainly Georgian in aspect, foundations of a Norman chapel have been discovered and the north arcade is believed to be of 14th/15th century origin. The church was the winner of the Building Conservation category of the RICS Pro-Yorkshire Awards in 2014, following the full reordering of the interior which included the establishment of the St Giles Centre a thriving community facility including modern facilities, a cafe and meeting rooms utilised by all sectors of the community. Extensive fabric repairs to the stonework and north and south aisle roofs were carried out during the period 2011-2021.