Bradford
The consistent curry capital of Britain, Bradford is known for a lot of different things. It was once the ‘wool capital of the world’, it was the site of the invention of the Cieroscope in 1896, it is the world’s first UNESCO City of Film. Bradford has a lot going on and all of it is pretty varied, who knew woolly curry films made sense?
Details
Before visiting any town or city make sure you know the basics. General details and important information.
- Emergency Services: 999
- Language: English
- Currency: British Pound
- Country Code: GB
- Travel Visa: None required
- Population: 539,800
Risk Level
Researching various official sources, we perceive the risk to holiday makers and travellers are as follows;
Travellers Tips
Top travel advice and interesting tip bits of information from experienced travellers.
Emergencies
For the Emergency services just dial 999 from any phone, for not so serious situations please dial 101.
Hospitals in Bradford
Bradford Royal Infirmary: 01274 542200
St Luke’s Hospital: 01274 734744
Westbourne Green Community Hospital: 01274 202485
Tourist Offices
Travelling Around
Braford is a very connected city, just seven miles away from the Leeds Bradford airport. It has its own Metro for popping around West Yorkshire and two different train stations for popping just about anywhere else. It also has The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, a steam hauled passenger service that provides a vintage experience of travel through West Yorkshire.
Airports
Train Stations
Bradford Interchange: Bradford Interchange
Bradford Forster Square Station: Bradford Forster Square Station
Bradford Safety
What are some safety top tips?
Bradford is the third most dangerous city in Yorkshire and The Humber with its most common crime in the last year (37% of all crime) being violent crime.
When visiting, stay in well lit, populated areas. Remain in a group and do not get split up or lost. Plan your routes ahead of time and use trustworthy public transport.
What are some of a safer areas to stay in?
The top 3 safest neighbourhoods in Bradford are Gorton South, Sedgley and St. Peter’s with relatively low crime rates compared to the rest of the area.
Where should I go to for news?
To keep up to date with the news, go to the BBC News website or download the app.
For local news follow sites like The Telegraph and Argus
Annual Events
Annual events allow a city come together for some amazing experiences. If visiting at this time, make sure you have your accommodation booked and are always aware of your surroundings when travelling around.
Bradford Events
Bradford International Festival, also known as the Bradford Mela, is a celebration of the arts, cultural diversity and general light-heartedness. As with any festival, there is a range of musical events with bands, musicians and singers showcasing their talents. There is weird and wonderful street theatre that is interactive with the audience (if you’re just there to watch maybe stand back a bit). There are dance demonstrations, ranging from traditional dances from different cultures to contemporary. There are even creative workshops for different age ranges to build community and creativity together. To top this all off, there is a huge parade so don’t be surprised if you’re getting the bus to the city centre and you see some robots, some superheroes and a steampunk lady scientist on their way too!
Taking place in the National Science and Media Museum, Bradford animation festival is the UK’s longest running animation festival. This festival is a huge and internationally recognised celebration of animation, taking pride in highlighting animation innovation and excellence from all parts of the world. This is done via a competition, different workshops, showcases and screen talks. You can go there to learn or simply just watch. Over the years key speakers have included people who have worked on everything from Bob the Builder to the Harry Potter films. The range of genre is clear and the consistency of experience is obvious- seeing these experts is worth the trip itself.
Bradford sets aside a few weeks every year to celebrate their best loved dish: curry! The beautiful City Park is filled with the mixture of aromas that you can usually only get from travelling very far from England. There are curry stalls that feature dishes from all over the world: be it the subcontinent or the Far East. You can go a step further from delighting in the tastes to learning how to create them yourself as Bradford College puts on highly rated cookery courses to help those visiting to take the experience home with them. From just along the road to Mumbai, Chefs come from all over to demonstrate their expertise and to provide excellent food for all.
Film festivals
As a ‘City of Film’ Bradford partly maintains that title by having a large range of film festivals that run on and off all year round. In each, you may watch, listen to experts talk and, if you’re brave enough, submit your own work. There really is something for everyone here:
- The Drunken Film Festival
- The Bradford Family Film Festival
- The Wide Screen Weekend
- Small World’s Film Festival
The BLF is one of the most diverse literature festivals in the UK, in both content and attendees. The festival is dedicated to an ethical ticketing practice, enabling as many people to attend as possible to get involved by providing many free and discounted tickets. This festival is a celebration of sharing cultures, education and history. Bradford isn’t Bradford without the inclusion of some video media so there are also sections of this festival dedicated to the exploration of story-telling through poetry films and shorts, surprise surprise. There are sections of the festival dedicated to the education of different school groups so there will be events tailored to help kids understand and enjoy the diverse literature landscape.
Bradford Highlights
What museums should I visit?
National Science and Media Museum
The National Science and Media Museum is located in the heart of Bradford city centre and houses a collection of over 3 million pieces spread across seven floors, there are also three cinemas to enjoy current movie releases. This museum has events and exhibitions that cover STEM and humanities subjects in conjunction to each other in a ground-breaking and impressive way. Admission is free to the public and it’s well worth a visit to see not only the permanent exhibitions but also the various temporary exhibitions which the venue hosts each year.
Bradford Industrial Museum is situated 3 miles out of the city centre on a main bus route and is open every day apart from Monday. It is located in a former textile mill which was built in 1875 and the museum was opened in 1974. Some of the key events are the regular demonstrations on textile and printing work as done when the mill was operational. It boasts a wide range of industrial exhibits covering engineering steam power and the evolution of motor cars. Admission is free to the public.
What is a ‘must see’ attraction?
Built in 1913 to replicate the stunning architecture of the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain, the Alhambra Theatre is situated in the heart of Bradford’s city centre. The theatre hosts a variety of pantomimes, comedies, musicals, dramas, ballets and operas. It is regularly visited by major touring companies, such as the West End and the Royal Shakespeare Company. It’s unique atmosphere and beautiful architecture makes it a ‘must see’ for any theatre goer. There’s also a restaurant located at the top of the theatre boasting spectacular scenes over Bradford City Park.
Where can I explore and relax?
Cartwright Hall is an exciting civic art gallery located in Lister Park a mile out of the City Centre and is a “must see” for any art lover. It boasts a beautiful collection of a variety of 19th and 20th century British and South Asian art. There is a wide selection of amazing exhibitions throughout the year to enjoy. The gallery owns a large collection of prints that they have been cultivating for a long time. These prints include works from famous artists, such as William Blake and Andy Warhol. Admission is free to the public.
Saltaire Village is located just out of the city centre and is a world away from the bustling life of Bradford. It was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001 and is located by the Leeds and Liverpool canal. It was built by Sir Titus Salt in 1851 to house his textile mill and employees. Today the main building of the mill houses a range of art galleries, shops and cafes. The village is full of history and has lots of ways to share it with you. Whether you want an indoor or outdoor day out this is an ideal location to relax.
