Home > Yorkshire > Pontefract > Woodman Inn Woodman Inn

Picture source: Pontefract Heritage Group

The Woodman Inn was situated on Horsefair and is now used as a pizza outlet. This pub dated back to 1821, replacing a carpenters shop on the site.

My father was the Landlord of the Woodman Inn Pontefract in the early 60s (Mr Jim Laverick). I can clearly remember that it had a music room with a juke box and they had live acts on ( i believe the first in Pontefract). My older brother has the pictures to support this. It also had a Snug and a regular bar where Dominoes and darts were played I can remember sitting downstairs as a small child listening to acka Billk , screaming Lord Sutch and many more bands the Troggs played there I suspect that the pub was put on part of a circuit for up and coming bands. I have many Happy times and was learning to play the drums and sometimes went on stage with the resident band The Pub had a number of people that regularly brought toys in for me and my brother from over seas and my mother told the stories of how the people that were working abroad would put money behind the bar until they had drunk it all away We all lived up above the pub 3 bedrooms a bathroom living room and kitchen and felt as if we were very lucky I shared a bedroom with my younger brother and the walls were covers with flags and pendants from all over the world from the regulars , my dad had a car and there was a telephone in the pub( people would ring and ask my parents to contact there relatives). It was for me a very happy time however there is a slightly darker side the pressure from running the business was a hard for my parents in the end they sold the tenancy for the pub .

John Laverick (August 2026)

Do you have any anecdotes, historical information, updates or photos of this pub? Become a contributor by submitting them here. Want to make contact with other customers and publicans of this pub? Add your details here.