Editing Wakefield (section)

===20th century===
On 2 June 1906, [[Andrew Carnegie]] opened a new Wakefield Library on Drury Lane which had been built with a grant of £8,000 from the Carnegie Trust.<ref>{{cite web |title=Free Public Carnegie Library – Drury Lane, Wakefield |url=http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/CultureAndLeisure/HistoricWakefield/Buildings/CarnegieLibraries/DruryLaneLibrary/default.htm |publisher=Wakefield Council |access-date=18 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611065832/http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/CultureAndLeisure/HistoricWakefield/Buildings/CarnegieLibraries/DruryLaneLibrary/default.htm |archive-date=11 June 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

There are seven [[Council house|ex-council estates]] in Wakefield which the council started to build after the [[First World War]], the oldest is Portobello, the largest is Lupset and the rest are [[Flanshaw]], Plumpton, Peacock, Eastmoor and [[Kettlethorpe, West Yorkshire|Kettlethorpe]]. Homes not bought by occupants under the [[Right to Buy]] scheme were transferred to a registered social landlord, Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) in 2005.<ref name="WDH">{{cite web |title=WDH |url=http://www.wdh.co.uk/QUICKLINKS/AboutUs/Pages/Default.aspx |publisher=wdh.co.uk |access-date=21 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091218163826/http://www.wdh.co.uk/QuickLinks/AboutUs/Pages/Default.aspx |archive-date=18 December 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The outlying villages of [[Sandal Magna]], [[Belle Vue (Wakefield)|Belle Vue]] and [[Agbrigg]] have become suburbs of Wakefield.

The glass and textile industries closed in the 1970s and 1980s, and coal faced competition from alternative sources and demand decreased. The coal mines around Wakefield were amongst the first in Yorkshire to close under the government of [[Margaret Thatcher]], which altered the national energy policy from a reliance on British coal and opposed the political power of the [[National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain)|NUM]]. Between 1979 and 1983, the pits at Lofthouse, Manor, Newmarket, Newmillerdam, Parkhill and Walton all closed.<ref>Colin Jackson, ''The Complete A-Z of Colliery Names, Pre-1947 Owners, Areas & Dates, Volume 2'', published by the National Coal Mining Museum for England, 2002</ref> As the Wakefield pits closed, the [[Selby Coalfield]] was being opened, many colliers in Wakefield accepted offers to transfer to the new pits which were built to facilitate commuting.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Adeney |first1=Martin |last2=Lloyd |first2=John |date=1988 |title=The Miners' Strike 1984-5: Loss Without Limit |location=London |publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul |page=26 |isbn=0-7102-1371-9}}</ref>

An April 2021 article in ''[[The Guardian]]'' discussed nearby Heath (or Heath Common), the "village of the [200 year old] mansions", located "around the edge of the green". These housed the wealthy merchants and business owners.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/apr/08/10-of-britains-most-eccentric-villages-chosen-by-readers |title=10 of Britain's most eccentric villages: chosen by readers |date=8 April 2021 |work=The Guardian |access-date=9 April 2021 |archive-date=8 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210408220902/https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/apr/08/10-of-britains-most-eccentric-villages-chosen-by-readers |url-status=live }}</ref> The local newspaper published specifics about one of the mansions in March 2021: Dower House was built {{circa|1740}}; it was constructed for John Smyth by [[John Carr (architect)|John Carr]], of Yorkshire stone, and "retains many original features". It was intended to house widows.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/lifestyle/homes-and-gardens/this-historic-home-is-for-sale-in-heath-the-village-of-mansions-3178608 |title=This historic home is for sale in Heath, the 'village of mansions' |work=The Wakefield Express |access-date=9 April 2021 |archive-date=25 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210325203027/https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/lifestyle/homes-and-gardens/this-historic-home-is-for-sale-in-heath-the-village-of-mansions-3178608 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://govisit-yorkshire.com/2019/03/20/heath/ |title=Heath |date=20 March 2019 |access-date=9 April 2021 |archive-date=23 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423080010/https://govisit-yorkshire.com/2019/03/20/heath/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Dower House is a Grade II*listed property; it was modified in the early 1800s.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1135585|desc=THE DOWER HOUSE, Warmfield cum Heath |access-date=9 April 2021}}</ref>

The nearby [[Heath Hall, Heath, West Yorkshire|Heath Hall, Heath]], West Yorkshire, formerly known as Eshald House, was also built {{circa|1709}} for the wealthy wool trader, John Smyth. The Hall was modified by John Carr between 1754 and 1780 for the original owner's nephew (also known as John Smyth). The Hall is a Grade I listed building.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1200238|desc=HEATH HALL, Warmfield cum Heath |access-date=9 April 2021}}</ref>