Historical Bradford

Bradford's proximity to a natural wealth of coal, iron ore and sheep put it at the heart of the Industrial Revolution, and the arrival of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal meant a rapid rise to become wool capital of the world.

The vestiges of this age of Victorian civic splendour are visible all around the city, and Bradford has an amazing 5,800 listed buildings.

History is still very much alive here in visitor attractions like Cartwright Hall with its stunning galleries and park, in Bradford Cathedral with its William Morris windows, and at Bolling Hall, Bradford's very own haunted 17th-century manor house.

External useful links

• Cartwright Hall
• Bolling Hall
• Bradford Cathedral

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Besides being a leading light in industry, Bradford was also pioneering in caring for its citizens.

Titus Salt, the city's great philanthropist, was one of the first Mill owners to value the health of his employees and built Europe's most progressive industrial community, Saltaire, which is now a World Heritage Site. It was a Bradford MP who pioneered free education for every child in Britain, and the Independent Labour Party was also born in the city to campaign for better working conditions for all employees. This heritage of breaking away from convention for the good of the common man continues today with the country's only Peace Museum to be found in the city.

External useful links

• Saltaire
• Salts Mill
• Peace Museum

Our students say . . .

"Bradford has grown and grown into something really worth taking a look at. It's a city of its own but also very close to everything else. The cost of living makes it easier to get by than other places and on the social scene there is something to suit everyone."

Richard Brooks - Archaeological Sciences