One of the last pupils to receive this prize before the school was closed and sold by the local council was a Pashley family member, Sharon Mulheir (now Smith).
[5] In 1765, the hall and estate was acquired by the Pilkingtons; in 1820, they built the boathouse on the lake on their private grounds.
The Pilkingtons built lodges around their 2,340 acres (9.5 km2) private estate to deter poachers; some of them survived.
As with many Wakefield collieries, the closure was agreed with the NUM on the basis that the workers could transfer to the new Selby Coalfield.
Seckar Woods nature reserve, located near the more affluent village of Woolley, is an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).