About the City of Bradford

Located in the heart of Yorkshire, close to the M62 and M1 motorway junction, Leeds and historic Yorkshire Dales with its associations with modern art, literature and industry, the City of Bradford is an evolving montage of cultural, traditional and contemporary lifestyles.

Vibrant, diverse and full of surprises, Bradford is a district rich in history, yet with all the facilities and attractions of a thriving modern city. Bradford's most striking feature is its diverse economic, environmental, ethnic and social make up. This is what makes education in Bradford so exciting and rewarding. At the moment we have nearly 90,000 pupils in the Bradford district. This means that your skills will be in increasing demand and that Bradford will be able to offer career prospects that would be hard to match elsewhere.

Bradford has always been a place of change. The electronics industry may have replaced the textile output from the mills, but Bradford has embraced that too, and has created jobs and training within the newer technologies. In the last century, philanthropists worked at the heart of Bradford to change laws. From those changes, came education for children, health standards and a minimum working day. It's also the birthplace of the modern day Labour party!

The Bradford District covers an area of 143 square miles, 60% of which is made up of green open spaces. Scattered within the area you can find the rolling landscapes of the Airedale and Wharfedale valleys, the rugged Pennine moors, and wonder in amazement at the 4,400 listed buildings!

Bradford City Centre

There's a lot to see and do in Bradford City Centre, whatever the time of year.
If your passion is history and heritage, take your pick from a series of free City Centre Trails which offer a revealing insight into Bradford's rich past—from its stunning buildings to impressive public art. Right in the heart of the city you will find the magnificent civic building City Hall, home to the Tourist Information Centre, overlooking Centenary Square; the public square used as a prestigious venue for outdoor events and entertainment.

One of the city's highlights is a visit to the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television with its five floors of interactive displays and three popular cinemas; Pictureville, the Cubby Broccoli and the eye-popping 3D IMAX. Each year, the museum hosts three national film festivals. The Priestley Centre for the Arts in Little Germany regularly stage seasons of art house movies, plays, and has a regular jazz night.

There's plenty of attractions for shoppers with a host of high street stores and independent shops combining to offer choice and quality. For a lively night out anytime, join the crowds heading for Bradford's West End with its lively mix of late bars and places to eat. Bradford is widely acknowledged as the nation's "curry capital" and boasts over 200 restaurants throughout the area.

The Bradford District

There are many towns and villages surrounding Bradford, each with their unique identities and communities, all combining to create the diversity that attracts over eight million visitors each year. In addition to the rugged moorland countryside, rolling valleys and sleepy villages, the district's most famous destinations are Saltaire and Howarth.

Saltaire

One of the most popular attractions is the Victorian model industrial village of Saltaire, which stands alongside the Pyramids of Egypt and the Taj Mahal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site following its designation in December 2001. The village was conceived and built by wool baron Sir Titus Salt in the nineteeth century and is situated 4.5 miles from Bradford. Salt's Mill now houses the world's largest collection of work by Bradford born artist David Hockney, and other attractions.

Haworth

On the edge of the Pennine Moors is the village of Haworth. Its steep Main Street, paved with stone setts and lined with historic inns, shops, galleries and cafes, leads down to one of Britain's best preserved steam railways. More than a century ago, when the Reverend Patrick Brontë came to be a minister at Haworth Parish Church, the village was little more than a collection of stone-built weavers' cottages huddled together for protection from the harsh cold winds. Yet within a few decades, a series of books written by three of Patrick's daughters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, caused this obscure Yorkshire village to become a major centre for literary pilgrimage.

Need any more reasons?

Come and experience the real Yorkshire Hospitality, international cuisine, modern and traditional British culture in a great northern district.