Things to do in Bradford, West Yorkshire
Bradford is mentioned as Bradeford in the Domesday Book. It began to develop as a small town based on its woollen trade and by the late 17th century it was a prosperous town.
With the developing of manufacturing, the building of the canal and the turnpike it became the wool capital of the world. It had plentiful supplies of sheep, rivers of soft water for cleaning and dyeing the wool and local coal mines to power the mills.
Mill owners made a fortune, which attracted other industries to the area such as the Jowett Motor Company. Fine mansions were built in the area until the decline of the textile industry due to overseas competition in the early 20th century.
In 1893 the Independent Labour Party (ILP) was founded in Bradford and it was a huge influence on the Labour Party until 1947 when its main leaders defected. The ILP finally disbanded in 1975.
The city's Muslim community took a public stand in 1989, burning the controversial book The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie in the street. With massive unemployment and widespread social deprivation serious rioting erupted again in 2001.
Present Day Bradford
Bradford is a sprawling city with a population of around 300,000. It continues to have a high proportion of Asian residents and a large Muslim community.
Bradford was made a UNESCO City of Film in 2009, recognizing the city's historic links with the Film Industry. Each year it hosts various film festivals which are an important event on the UK's film calendar.
Things to Do Around Bradford
The National Media Museum is highly regarded in this city of drama and cinematography and is the most visited museum outside London with three cinemas.
The Little Germany district is worth visiting to see the many listed buildings. St Georges Hall is a grand concert hall built in 1853 and is the oldest in Britain, and the historic railway hotels in the city show the opulent buildings from the Victorian era.
An interesting outing to Bradford Industrial Museum and Horses at Work brings alive Bradford's industrial past.
Lister Park has a boating lake and Mughal Water Gardens and Chellow Dene is a local beauty sport with two reservoirs surrounded by woods.
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Days Out in Bradford
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Bolling Hall (1 Mile)*
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Bradford Industrial Museum & Horses At Work (2 Miles)*
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Oakwell Hall (5 Miles)*
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Shibden Hall (5 Miles)*
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Bagshaw Museum (6 Miles)*
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Bankfield Museum (6 Miles)*
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Eureka! The National Children's Museum (6 Miles)*
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Abbey House Museum (6 Miles)*
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Kirkstall Abbey (6 Miles)*
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Armley Mills (7 Miles)*
Places to Visit near Bradford
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Gomersal (3 Miles)*
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Clayton (3 Miles)*
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Saltaire (4 Miles)*
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Esholt (5 Miles)*
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Bingley (5 Miles)*
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Halifax (6 Miles)*
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Batley (6 Miles)*
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Guiseley (6 Miles)*
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Menston (7 Miles)*
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Dewsbury (8 Miles)*
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