“People only have bad words for Bradford,’’ said our Uber driver with palpable frustration. ‘‘But it’s a really great place – lots of history, lovely buildings, amazing scenery.’’
After spending time in the West Yorkshire city on a short break, I couldn’t agree more.
Bradford made its name during the Industrial Revolution when its easy access to coal, iron ore and soft water helped make it the global centre for wool in the 19th century. By 1850, two thirds of all England’s wool was made there and its population had ballooned from 13,000 to more than 100,000 in just 40 years.
But when textile production declined in the last century, so too did Bradford’s fortunes.
Today, however, it’s turning a corner. Impressive Victorian buildings built on wool’s success have been reimagined, the city centre reinvented and a thriving arts scene nurtured. Spend some time there and it doesn’t take long to see why it was named this year’s UK City Of Culture. Bradford 2025 offers a whole series of events and showcases right through to the end of December and even into early 2026. Many are free.
It’s also easier than ever to get there because LNER has just tripled its services between London and Bradford with seven direct trains each way a day. You can also change at Leeds. I took a short break there with my friend Catherine and as Bradford is so compact and walkable we started with a city centre stroll to take in the sights.
The stunning Venetian-inspired City Hall, built during the wool boom and now Grade I listed, features Bradford’s very own Big Ben – a 220ft tall clock tower inspired by the Palazzo Vecchio in Italy’s Florence.
Alongside, the modern Centenary Square is a symbol of the city’s regeneration, featuring more than 100 fountains, laser lights, mist and music for daily shows. Quirky cafe The Cake’ole is the ideal haunt from which to view it – and perhaps try the Yorkshire Pud dessert, served with ice cream and chocolate gravy. ( facebook.com/CakeoleBradford )
Nearby, the huge glass-fronted National Science & Media Museum, fresh from a £6million refurb, houses Europe’s first ever IMAX cinema, Yorkshire’s biggest independent cinema and galleries. And next door lies the Alhambra Theatre with Arabic-style domed roofs, columns and arches – and Bradford Live, which has just opened a 3,800-seat music venue.
I loved the way the old and new blended effortlessly together. Bradford is also often referred to as the UK’s curry capital thanks to its raft of South Asian restaurants, inspired by the wool trade workers who came to the UK in the 1950s and 60s.
Keen to try some, we strolled to Sweet Centre, one of the first to open in Yorkshire and a real gem for authentic nosh.
Started in 1964 by brothers Abdul Rehman and Mohammed Bashir to provide mill workers with a taste of home, it sold Asian sweets before expanding into savoury meals too. Today it’s run by the family’s third generation, headed up by chef Waqar Ali Mughal who still cooks original family recipes.
Waqar and his father Dr Zulficar Ali welcomed us with warm smiles – and delicious mango lassi – before serving us some of their favourite dishes, like fish marinated in their own special masala, homemade chicken pakora and a chickpea curry dubbed Bradford’s best.
The food was incredible – and together with the laid-back atmosphere we felt like we were dining in a friend’s home ( sweetcentrebradford.co.uk ). Bradford Metropolitan District takes in a huge swathe of gorgeous West Yorkshire countryside and picturesque villages.
A 10-minute train away is Saltaire, a village built in the mid-1800s by wool baron Sir Titus Salt. Designed to house workers from his Salts Mill factory, it’s now a Unesco World Heritage site and the mill itself has been beautifully repurposed into galleries – including works by Bradford-born artist David Hockney – small businesses and a couple of cafes.
A short stroll down the River Aire later led us to Saltaire Brewery, set up 20 years ago in an old electric sub-station for trams by two mates who had met on a brewing course. Nowadays they’re producing five million pints of craft ale a year. Cath and I toured the site before tasting some of their finest, including their Triple Choc stout (yes, it really does smack of chocolate).
My favourite was the crisp South Island Pale Ale, made with New Zealand hops famed for their fruitiness. As an added perk, Saltaire’s taproom has a glorious beer garden where you can sip pints and enjoy food vans and live music – perfect for a sunny afternoon like we had. (Tours £15, saltairebrewery.com )
Also on Bradford’s doorstep is the Bronte Parsonage Museum, the family home in Haworth where Charlotte, Emily and Anne wrote novels such as Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. The house, a short Uber ride or bus from Keighley train station, is furnished as it was back in the 1800s and is full of mementoes from the precious writing desks where the sisters slogged away to dresses and bonnets they wore. (£13, bronte.org.uk )
Afterwards we hiked up the hills behind to a new Bradford 2025 sculpture trail called Wild Uplands, which winds you through the atmospheric moors and past a string of sculptures and installations. The views were breathtaking.
We were staying at the Midland Hotel, built during the wool boom and handy for Bradford Forster Square train station and city centre landmarks including MyLahore ( mylahore.co.uk ), a restaurant with a reputation for fantastic South Asian food plus chicken pie, lasagne and gooey desserts like cheesecake and jam roly poly. The aim was to create “a very British Asian story” and it works beautifully. The packed restaurant seemed to appeal to a mixed bunch from large families to groups of teens to older couples. Cath and I shared delicious house speciality lamb nihari – The downside? We couldn’t even squeeze in a jam roly poly to finish.
Selection of Bradford 2025 highlights
- YOU: MATTER – an immersive experience exploring how everything on our planet descended from stars, with sculpture, projection, sound and hands-on activities. National Science & Media Museum until February 2026,
£2 or more. - We Will Sing – a huge installation using music, the printed word and fabric to evoke Bradford’s textile heritage. Salts Mill until November 2. Free entry.
- Ice Age Art Now – an exhibition of artworks from up to 24,000 years ago. Cliffe Castle, Keighley until September 14. Free entry.
- Make Yourself At Home – a photographic exhibition curated by young people that tells the story of Bradford past and present. Impressions Gallery, September 13 to December 20. Free entry.
GET THERE
LNER runs direct services from London King’s Cross to Bradford Forster Square, calling at Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate and Leeds from £31 single. Single family tickets for up to two adults and four children from £61.50. lner.co.uk
BOOKIT
Rooms at the Midland Hotel in Bradford start at £59 a night. britanniahotels.com
MORE INFO
bradford2025.co.uk