Castleford and glass-making once went hand in hand. During the 19th century, glassworks (the industry recalled in the name of this Wetherspoon pub) sprang up all over Castleford – the first glasshouse opening in 1829. Glass production became the staple trade of the town, turning out bottles by the million, for both export and home use. At first, bottles were handmade, but, in due course, automation was introduced and, inevitably, many small firms closed. The last of Castleford’s bottle manufacturers closed its doors in the early 1980s.