History of Bradford

Bradford was long a centre of the West Riding wool industry. The name is derived from the “Broad Ford” at Church Bank by the site of Bradford Cathedral, around which the a settlement had begun to appear before the time of the Norman Conquest. The stream, called Bradford Beck, now passes (partly underground) to the River Aire near Shipley.

Bradford was one of the many English towns which became prosperous during the Industrial Revolution. Bradford’s textile industry dates back as far as the thirteenth century, but it was not until the nineteenth century that it became world famous. Yorkshire boasted plentiful supplies of iron ore, coal and soft water which were used in cleaning raw wool, and a coal seam which stretched as far as Nottingham provided the power that the industry needed. Sandstone, Bradford’s local stone, provided an excellent resource for the building of the mills, and the large population of West Yorkshire meant there was a readily available workforce.

To support the textiles mills and machinery a large manufacturing base grew up in the city, leading to diversification with different industries thriving side by side. Today most of the older textile mills and some of the heavier industries have closed, but Bradford remains one of the north’s important cities, with modern engineering, chemicals and financial services replacing the “dark satanic mills” of the revolution.

One of the mills that remains — now in the form of a museum — is Salt’s Mill, in the heart of the industrial village and UNESCO designated world heritage site of Saltaire. The village was built by enlightened industrialist Sir Titus Salt for his many employees. Also still standing is Lister’s Mill (or Manningham Mills), once owned by Samuel Lister. It is believed that the chimney of Lister’s mill can be seen from just about anywhere in Bradford.

The Bradford district also contains the villages of Thornton and Haworth that were the birthplace and home of the Brontë family. Clayton was home to Albert Pierrepoint, Britain’s last hangman.

On May 11, 1985, 56 people were killed at a fire at Valley Parade. Centenary Square now contains a monument to the disaster.

Bradford has been praised for its cultural diversity. However, this leads to conflicts on occasion. In 1989 copies of Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses were publicly burnt in Bradford. A video-tape documenting this event triggered the world-wide campaign against this book. In July 2001 ethnic tensions led to widespread rioting . Fireworks, bottles and bricks were thrown at the police. A detailed report into the 2001 disturbances entitled, ‘Fair Justice’ was researched and authored by Chris Allen [2] for FAIR (the Forum Against Islamophobia & Racism) [3]. The local authority has been nationally criticised for being in collusion with the conflicts and tensions, indeed some commentators have noted that their actions, deals and ignorance have contributed to the drugs trade, disaffection, decay and immobile place that Bradford now occupies.

Bradford was one of the contenders for 2008 European Capital Of Culture, eventually losing to the city of Liverpool. In 2004, the Bradford Urban Regeneration Company commissioned flamboyant architect Will Alsop to create a vision for the City’s future and indeed the role of a “City Centre” in the 21st century. Alsop’s celebrated plans envisioned four regenerated quarters within the heart of the city — The Bowl, The Channel, The Market & The Valley — each creating new public spaces for commerce, education, leisure and showcasing Bradford’s setting within the Pennine mountains.

Political History

Bradford was enfranchised as an electoral borough by the Reform Act 1832 and given two MPs. It became a Municipal borough in 1847 and a County borough in the Local Government Act 1888. The County borough was granted city status by Royal Charter in 1897. The County borough was merged with borough of Keighley, the urban districts of Baildon, Bingley, Denholme,Cullingworth, Ilkley, Shipley and Silsden, along with part of Queensbury and Shelf urban district and part of Skipton Rural District by the Local Government Act 1972.