Bradford City Centre Heritage Trail
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Bradford City Centre Heritage Trail F R££ I Welcome to the great II Bradford is a city that’s City of Bradford always changing. During your walk, you may notice This self-guided walk takes you around that some areas are under Bradford’s historic and fascinating city centre, highlighting some of its remarkable construction or being architecture and other features of interest. redeveloped. The city has a Your walk will take in landmarks of all ages and styles — from medieval to modern proud architectural heritage, — to show how Bradford has developed over but an equally bright the ages. We recommend beginning the walk future too. at City Hall, but it can be picked up and followed at any point on the route. The first Enjoy your visit. part of the walk should take approximately two hours, although may be a little longer if you choose to include the Little Germany and Cathedral parts of the route. We have endeavoured to make the route as accessible and inclusive as possible, but please be aware that central Bradford can be quite hilly in places. Bradford Visitor Information Centre — located on Broadway, close to City Hall — can provide additional information and advice during opening hours. A mobile friendly version of this guide is available to download from www.visitbradford.com www.visitbradford.com III of Bradford 07 Bradford quickly 10 Bradford was The Making became known soon known as Worstedopolis. around the world. To quote one report Not just as a major from 1841, “Its hundred manufacturing capital, 01 Bradford gets 04 The English streets, stretching their but as a global city of its name from a large Civil War wasn’t wide arms for miles; filled great pioneers, reformers, stream, probably good for Bradford. with tens of thousands and world-firsts. Among where it was once of busy merchants the district’s famous and artisans; and the daughters and sons crossed by an Although the town had enjoyed early prosperity immense products of include the Brontë ancient Roman road. from the woollen its stupendous mills sisters, Frederick Delius, industry, its support — where hundreds of J B Priestley and David This “Broad ford” of water for the Parliamentarian clacking power-looms Hockney. was probably located near cause would prove costly. din the ear — exported to the site of the current Royalists took control to almost every country 11 The 20th century Cathedral. of Bradford in 1643, of the globe”. was an era of great reducing it to a third rate change for Bradford. 02 By the Middle Ages, town for the next 08 Industrial growth 50 years. Bradford had grown led to the rapid The decline of the city’s into a small town. expansion of the city. traditional woollen 05 Bradford’s worsted industry and large post- It was centred on the trade would rise again. Between 1800 and 1850 war redevelopment streets of Kirkgate, Bradford changed from projects began to change Westgate and Ivegate, and The area’s natural a rural town amongst the face of the old the “Manor of Bradford” resources of water, iron woods and fields to a Victorian city forever. was first held by the de and coal meant that it sprawling metropolis Lacy family until 1311. wasn’t long before the filling the valley sides. 12 Modern Bradford manufacture of worsted The population of 6,400 remains an important goods would once again 03 Bradford’s in 1801 had increased centre of technology begin to flourish. And to 104,000 by 1851. watercourses then the Industrial and innovation. are mainly hidden Revolution happened… 09 Public health from view today. Bradford also boasts issues called for the one of the youngest and 06 By 1831, it was large-scale provision most ethnically diverse The ancient Bradford estimated that two Beck now runs in a of civic amenities populations in Europe, thirds of the UK’s culvert under the city and pioneering and is also renowned for centre, but place names wool production its world-class cultural reforms. like Jacobs Well are was processed attractions. reminders of what lies in Bradford. The town (to have gained underneath our streets. city status by 1897) By 1841 there were expanded and its old 38 worsted mills in buildings were largely Bradford town and 70 replaced to meet new in the borough. Essential commercial needs. transport was provided The best architects and by new roads, the craftsmen were engaged Bradford Canal, and the to build Bradford, and Bradford-Leeds railway those landmarks which (opened in 1846). survive show the highest qualities of Victorian design and stone masonry. www.visitbradford.com IV Find your way around with the map below. www.visitbradford.com Manor Row North Parade FORSTER SQUARE Manor Row TRAIN STATION Northgate Upper Piccadilly Rawson Sq. Darley St. Stott Hill Rawson Place Bolton Rd. John St. Cheapside Rd. Canal Westgate Duke St. Piccadilly James St. Dale St. Lower Kirkgate Cathedral Cl. Darley St. Ducker Ln. New John St. Goodwin St. Market St. Church Bank Church Church Bank Kirkgate Bank St. Westgate Queensgate Kirkgate Hustlergate Vicar Ln. Charles St. Well St. Field St. Goodwin St. Goodwin Bank St. Sunbridge Rd. Ivegate Kirkgate Market St. Hustlergate Tyrell St. Bank St. Upper Millergate Ivegate Sunbridge Rd. Aked St. Vicar Ln. Bank St. Leeds Rd. Market St. Goodwin St. Goodwin Broadway Bridge St. Thornton Road CITY PARK CENTENARY Hall Ings VicarLn. SQUARE Goodwin St. Norfolk Gardens Bridge St. Prince’s Way Hall Ings Little Horton Lane INTERCHANGE TRAIN STATION National Science and Media Museum 02 → Opened in 1983, the museum is part of the Science Museum Group and is home to an Your walk begins in the flagship internationally significant collection of film, photography, television and modern media City Park — a vast civic space, items, as well as the Wonderlab gallery. The completed in 2012. museum also contains an independent cinema and a large IMAX screen. Outside the museum stands the statue of the playwright and novelist… City Park J. B. Priestley 00 → The park is renowned for its impressive 03 → (1894 — 1984) with his trademark hat, pipe water feature, which gradually fills throughout and flowing coat. Priestley was born in Bradford the day to create a striking mirror pool which and learned his craft as a columnist for the local contains over 100 fountains. City Park is noted newspaper. for containing the highest water fountain of any Further to the right stands the… UK city, which is capable of shooting water up to 100ft into the air. Although Bradford is renowned for its Victoria Memorial Victorian architecture, it’s worth noting the 04 → Sculptured by Alfred Drury and unveiled interesting 20th century buildings close to City by the future George V in 1904. This impressive Park, including the adjacent pavilion building and bronze statue, which is twelve feet high and the neighbouring Impressions Gallery weighs three tons, shows the queen dressed as of contemporary photography. she appeared at the jubilee of 1887. This tranquil garden space is also home to a number of other important memorials, including Bradford’s Bradford Magistrates’ Courts Cenotaph. 01 → Built in 1972 and designed by Clifford Brown, the City Architect, using local “Bolton Woods” stone. Although quite different in character from the ornate buildings of the 19th century, it has quality and formality which suits its position next to City Hall and a main civic space. A vantage point near the subway next to the court building provides a good view of the modern Margaret McMillan Tower (home to the Bradford City Hall city’s archive) and the… Alhambra Theatre Sunbridge Wells 05 → Built in 1914 as a variety theatre for the 06a → A unique subterranean complex Edwardian “King of Pantomime” Francis Laidler. of independent bars, eateries and shops, opened The architects were Chadwick and Watson of in 2017. The tunnels were originally part of a 13th Leeds. The sloping and tapering site has resulted century quarry and were later saw a variety of in quite a unique building with a richly plastered uses including a dungeon; an air raid shelter; and interior, which is now regarded as one of the a 1960s music venue. finest receiving venues in the North of England. They were largely closed off and hidden from public view for many years before the most recent redevelopment. Bradford Live 06 → The former Odeon Cinema was built in 1930 as a combined cinema and theatre, with a spectacular cinema organ, and designed by the architect William Illingworth, it was one of the largest cinemas outside London and went on to Retrace your steps back to be a renowned concert venue, hosting the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendix among others. City Park, where it becomes After reverting back to being a cinema (and Centenary Square. bingo hall) in the late 1960s, it permanently closed in 2000. It is now known as Bradford Live, a new live music and entertainment venue to be operated by the NEC group after its redevelopment. Cross the road in front of Bradford Live to enter City Park again, and make your way towards the modern crescent-shaped building opposite City Hall. There is a large open gateway in the middle of the building, to the Alhambra Theatre right of Starbucks. Through here you will see the arched entrance to Sunbridge Wells… Bradford City Hall Prudential Assurance Building 07 → One of Bradford’s most distinctive buildings. 08 → Unmistakable in Bradford as the only major The original building, with its ‘Italianate’ building to be built of red brick and terracotta. clocktower, was opened in 1873 and was designed It was built in 1895 and designed by the famous by Bradford architects Lockwood and Mawson.