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WallFest 26

Attendee feedback based on:

221 feedback forms (online and paper)

37 attendance sheets

Events held by partner organisations eg Walton Community (Wine Evening), Methodist Church (Quiz) did not complete attendance returns, we have estimated attendances where possible for these

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Who came?

From the attendance sheets we know:

There were 747 attendances at these events
Where recorded, 96% of attendances were adults, 4% were children
Where recorded, 54% of people had attended more than one WallFest event
We don’t know exactly how many people attended because not everyone filled in whether they had been to another WallFest event or not)

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Who else can we count?

Film launch = 38 attendees
WallFest launch = 35 attendees
Party in the Park = estimated 1000+ attendees
Schools = estimated 330 attendees
Unveiling of blue plaque and postbox topper = 50 attendees
WCL quiz = estimated 40 attendees
Chapel quiz = estimated 30 attendees
Choir in village hall = estimated 85 attendees
WCL wine evening = 40 attendees
A Stitch in Time 12-31 May = 7930 attendees
ArtWalk = 163 attendees
Guiding Group = 59
u3a = 50
Workshops = 21

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Where did they come from?

From the attendance sheets we know:

Most people were from Wakefield postcodes - 87% of party attendances were from WF1-WF12 postcodes
Other postcodes included: Leeds (3%) Sheffield (3%) and York (1%)
The furthest visitors travelled from was Australia and Switzerland!

Most common postcodes:

Postcode	Percentage of party attendances
WF2	53.6%
WF4	12.2%
WF1	11.6%
WF8	2.2%
WF6	1.6%

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How did they find out about WallFest 2026?

From the attendance sheets we know:

The most common way of finding about about WallFest events was from the printed programme (32%)
Word of mouth (including from family and friends) was the next most common answer (17%)
Other ways attendees found about WallFest were: by email, on social media and from members of FOWW (all 7%)
Organisations that ran events helped promote them in their own communications (e.g. St. Austin’s Church, St. Helen’s Church and the Civic Society and this was a common way attendees found out about that particular event

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Knowledge about Charles Waterton and his Wall (1)

From the feedback forms:

85% of respondents knew who Charles Waterton was, 83% had heard of Waterton’s Wall and 72% had seen/visited the wall

Changes in knowledge before/after attending a WallFest 2026 event:

Attendees were asked to rate their knowledge before and after the event. Knowledge increased in all areas, as seen in the three following tables:

Charles Waterton knowledge	Very poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
Before attending this WallFest 26 event, how would you describe your knowledge of: Charles Waterton and his legacy?	13%	11%	37%	31%	8%
After attending this WallFest 26 event, how would you describe your knowledge of: Charles Waterton and his local legacy?	0%	3%	12%	61%	24%
% change before/after event	-12%	-9%	-26%	+30%	+17%

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Knowledge about Charles Waterton and his Wall (2)

Natural and social history knowledge	Very poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
Before attending this WallFest 26 event, how would you describe your knowledge of: The natural and social history of the local area?	10%	16%	37%	29%	8%
After attending this WallFest 26 event, how would you describe your knowledge of: The natural and social history of the local area?	0%	2%	16%	58%	24%
% change before/after event	-10%	-14%	-21%	+29%	+16%

Waterton’s Wall knowledge	Very poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
Before attending this WallFest 26 event, how would you describe your knowledge of: Waterton's Wall and its significance?	14%	13%	31%	31%	11%
After attending this WallFest 26 event, how would you describe your knowledge of: Waterton's Wall and its significance?	0%	3%	11%	58%	28%
% change before/after event	-13%	-10%	-20%	+27%	+17%

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Event feedback

Attendees were invited to give feedback about the specific event they attended
The majority of feedback was incredibly positive. Common things attendees mentioned (and appreciated) were:

Suggestions for improvement included: better signage for some venues e.g. Wakefield Mental Health Museum and warning about specific venue conditions e.g. about mosquitos being present at lime mortar workshop
Feedback for each event can be found here in the ‘other feedback’ tab on the Google Drive - do give it a read for a smile :)

Theme/topic	Examples
Well organised	“It was superbly well organised. Helen put a lot of work into the event and was terrific & inspiring tutor. Such a privilege - and such fun!” (Helen Thomas Art Workshop) “Really lovely event. Well organised.” (Working with Lime Mortar)
Interesting and informative	“Very interesting! I could see parts of the wall I hadn't before. I especially liked Barbara's knowledge and anecdotes she added in - it helps me feel like I was walking in Waterton's footsteps.” (Barbara Phipps Walk) “It was very interesting, informative, educational and engaging presentation. I felt very welcome and was impressed with the venue, its facilities and the staff.” (Wakefield Archives)
Excellent speakers and guides	“It was an amazing walk with a very, very knowledgeable and interesting person” (RSPB Bird Watching Walk) “Kevin Trickett is an excellent speaker, well researched and well presented!” (Kevin Trickett Talk)
Friendliness of others	“Warm and welcoming” (WallArt at Walton Village Hall) “Very good, all volunteers sociable.” (Working with Lime Mortar) “Lovely crowd.” (Wakefield’s Mental Health Museum)
Inspired to learn more	“Encouraged to read further into Charles Waterton life reports.” (Barbara Phipps Walk) “Very interesting. Inspired to dig further into Charles Waterton's history.” (David W-A talk)

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Selection of additional quotes

“A fantastic event! We had the most wonderful time walking the estate listening to Barbara’s incredible tales of Charles Waterton and his wall. Barbara is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the topic which really came through during the tour. The event was well organised and easy to book onto. Great to have the volunteer waiting at the golf club to direct and reassure you were on the right tracks. Thank you to everyone involved for bringing WallFest to life!”
“Excellent workshop. Helen was enthusiastic, patient, informative and professional. She gave everyone time, was well prepared. The resources were to die for. The activity was perfect. Thank you so much.”
“It was excellent. Pam is so knowledgeable about "all things Badger". I thought I know a lot about Badger's but I have learnt so much more!!”
“Along with all the events I have attended I was impressed by the quality, depth and spirit of engagement with each speaker. Well done Wallfest 26 team.”
“The treasure hunt was brilliant, clearly marked and the fairy doors made it interesting for the children. The stops were well spaced to maintain children’s interest and the colouring treat at the end was fantastic. Thank you FOWW for all the effort and hard work you’ve put into making such fantastic community events. We are so lucky to have you in our village.”
“Our daughter is home schooled. We attended the tour of the mental health museum and now her favourite person is Charles Waterton.”
“Excellent - have a disabled leg for a year - hopefully not permanent. The monthly photos & paintings so lovely to see places you can't get to!”

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Interest in future events

80% of respondents said yes, they would be interested in attending events about Charles Waterton and Waterton's Wall in the future
18% answered maybe and just 2% stated no, they wouldn’t be interested

Themes/topics for future events (listed from most to least common) were:

Theme/topic	Examples
Walks	A tour of the wall, nature walks/exploration, historical walks, walks with people who can explain the surroundings, something like a walk during heritage week in September
History	Historical talks, industrial heritage, the house, look at letters and artefacts, his time in South America, travels, socialism, people related stories, relationship between the park/wall and social history, more information about his life here, buildings,archive events, old photos, exhibitions
Natural History	Wildlife, birds, conservation, nature, environment, plants/flowers really interest us, native and ones Charles encountered on his travels, biodiversity, more information about his natural history records/taxidermy, more on the natural history of the park, nature and local community
Talks (general)	More in depth talk on Charles Waterton’s life, how to the wall is being preserved and the challenges it faces, expert chats, curator talks, more stories, nature talks, talks in detail about Charles Waterton and his use and development of Walton Hall & grounds, presentations
Arts/crafts	Painting, crafts, games, making workshops, art and photography events outside learning how to capture our own renditions of the wall
Restoration	Lime pointing, lime mortar workshops, helping rebuild parts of the wall
Mindfulness	Yoga, meditation

“Maybe WallFest could be a yearly weekend!”