CITY

Introduction:

Located in West Yorkshire, the city is the third largest in Yorkshire, after Leeds and Sheffield, with a metropolitan area population of 523,000.

With the demise of major manufacturing in the area the city has diversified its economy over the past decades.

Brief History:

The first settlement appeared in Saxon times and its first known name was Broad Ford. After an uprising against the Norman conquest the then small village was lain waste. By the middle ages it had developed into a small town centred on three “Gates”, called Ive, Kirk and West, with wool already becoming an important industry.

The Civil War again caused havoc and decline but when William and Mary sat on the throne the town began to prosper again. The town developed further in the early 18th century, helped by the development of turnpike roads and canals. Wool spinning and cloth weaving was being carried out in local farms and cottages.

By 1841 two thirds of all wool production in the country was based on the borough of Bradford, which contained 70 worsted mills. By 1851 Bradford became the wool capital of the world and with a then population of 100,000 general manufacturing and engineering developed alongside a thriving financial centre.

The rapid expansion of the town, together with construction of grand Victorian public buildings, saw the borough granted city status in 1897.

The wool trade, whose centre was the Wool Exchange, declined during the 20th century, just as most of the original Industrial Revolution trades declined through the country.

The city’s economy is now centred on engineering, printing, chemicals, financial and banking institutions. Higher education is based at the University of Bradford, which became the 40th university when Royal Charter was granted in 1966.

Things to Do:

With a population exceeding half a million the city provides a variety of activities and places to visit. Those to be considered are:-

City Park:

A new attraction, based in Centenary Square, City Park is a high tech water feature that contains 100 fountains, laser lighting, mirror pool and mist effects.

National Media Museum:

Is a hands-on experience museum, including a TV Programme Making area where you can try out News Reading, Camera use, or Star in Your Own Show. A whole family place to visit.

You can also watch 60 years of classic TV programmes in TV Heaven. Nine hundred programmes are in the library.

Another gallery is the “Life on Line” gallery which explores the role of the internet.

Little Germany:

An area where impressive Victorian buildings exist, built by German merchants to house their wares. Some of these buildings are listed.

Bradford Cathedral:

A beautiful building which contains 12 stained windows designed by William Morris. The cathedral is the oldest place of worship in the city. The construction of the cathedral began in the 14th century.

Heritage Trail:

Copies of the trail can be picked up at Bradford Tourist Information Centre. This will give you a further insight into the history and architecture of Bradford.

Cartwright Hall Art Gallery:

exhibits contemporary and historical collections and has a changing programme. The gallery is located on Lister Park, in the district of Manningham, one mile from the city centre.

Salts Mill:

David Hockney, the world renowned painter, is a son of Bradford and they proudly display 400 of his paintings at Salts Mill.

Further Afield

On the outskirts of the city and in the surrounding area much is worth visiting.

The following describe the best of these:-

Bronte Parsonage Museum. This interesting museum, the home of the writing Bronte sisters is located at Haworth, Keighley.

Bingley Five Locks Rise.  Situated on the Leeds to Liverpool canal, the locks at Bingley (between Bradford and Keighley) transport barges and boats a distance of 320 feet over a height of 59 feet. It is the steepest flight of locks in the UK.

Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. This steam railway which runs from Keighley to Oxenhope via Haworth was used in the making of The Railway Children. They run special events such as a Beer and Music Festival, Santa specials and cream teas etc. can be purchased on the trains.

Nightlife:

As the only UNESCO city of film then a visit to the National Media Centre is highly recommended. There you will find the only Imax cinema in Yorkshire plus other screens.

There are also both Odeon and Cineworld cinemas.

The Alhambra puts on musicals, pantomimes, classic drama, opera and ballet.

There is also 1914 a luxurious dining experience, located in the Alhambra.

Theatre, film, comedy and dance are also produced at the New Bradford Playhouse.

Again, comedy and music are performed at St. George’s Hall.

There are half a dozen night clubs and major bars within the city centre.

As with all cities there is a plethora of pubs spread throughout the city centre and suburbs. Recommendation is probably the best way of selecting the one to use. Real ales and beer festivals can be sought out.

Eating Out:

Having been named Curry Capital of England in recent past years it is inevitable that food from the Indian sub-continent would be a major player in eating out in the city. Such restaurants for same are scattered throughout the city centre and wider area.

However, there are also some well respected other eateries producing traditional English food. You will also find Italian, Russian and far eastern cuisine.

Pubs are also a good choice for good quality food.

Shopping:

A major city Bradford may be but its shopping is one of the most original. In 2015 the Broadway Shopping Mall opened in the centre of Bradford, which has as its anchor a major national department store. Also, within the city is the the largest Asian department store in the UK, named Bombay Stores. Very many ethnic shops are spread throughout the city.

There are two further inner city shopping centres, namely the Kirkgate and Forster Square Retail Park which are the places to go for high street chain stores.

Derby Street and North Parade are useful for inner city shops.

Interesting purchases can be found at Saltaire and Salts Mill.

Various markets are located within the city boundaries.

Sports:

As well as football the city is also famous for its Bradford Bulls Rugby team.

Historically, Bradford Park Avenue were a football league team and are currently playing in the Northern Premier League.

Accommodation:

As with all major metropolitan areas the variety of hotels, both national and international, guest houses etc. is expected and Bradford does not fail. For those who prefer to be outside city boundaries good accommodation can be found in the villages situated in the nearby moors.

Transport:

Rail:

There are two main terminus railway stations in Bradford. Interchange is to the south of the city centre and serves the major cities and areas of the UK, with regular services. Forster Square is for more local routes to the north of the city and serves Skipton,  Ilkley and Leeds.  

Road:- The city has good road access from the south where it is served by the M1, M62 and M606. From Lancashire in the west the M60/62 also provides a reasonable route to the city as does the A1M from the north.

Taxis:

Throughout the city seven taxi firms operate.

Buses:

First Buses run the main routes throughout the city and suburbs and Metro Bus based at the Interchange Station is a useful service.

Air:

A good alternative for travelling to Bradford is via Leeds/Bradford Airport, which is accessible to the city centre by coach and local buses. The airport has routes to and from many cities in Europe.