Bradford is a city in West Yorkshire, in northern England. Together with Leeds, it forms the thrid largest urban zone, with a population of 2.4 million people. The city of Bradford, although having a population of just around 300,000 people, is part of West Yorkshire, which has over 1.5 million inhabitants.
Bradford traces its history to an uprising against the Norman conquest in 1070. From then on, it grew at a slow pace to before a centre for the wool trade. Even by the 19th century, Bradford only had a population of 16,000 people. It was the Industrial Revolution the spurred the growth of Bradford, and the town become specialised in the field of processing wool and textiling. However, these industries were highly polluting, and the town soon become of of the most polluted in England, affecting life expentancy and increasing infant and child mortality. In 1897 Bradford was granted city status.
As the dominance of the textile industry faltered in the 20th century, Bradford sought new sources of income, from electronics to automotive. By the mid 20th century, the ethnic composition of Bradford began to shift as it experiences high levels of immigration, primarily from Pakistan. Today the city has the highest Muslim population outside of London.
The change it ethnic composition did not go without conflict, for in July 2001, rioting erupted in downtown Bradford, the root causes being poverty, ethnic polarization, social deprivation and unemployment exceeding 25% in some neighborhoods.
Bradford City Hall: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bradford_-_City_Hall.jpg Author: Betty Longbottom
Going to Bradford
By Plane:
Bradford shares an international airport with Leeds. The most budget way to leave the airport is to take the bus which runs every 30 minutes linking the airport to the Bradford bus interchange. The fare is just £1.80.
Going around Bradford
Bradford does not have an excellent tourist transportation infrastructure. As a budget traveler, you will need to use the public bus which are the transport of the local commuters. It is run by the West Yorkshire Metro.
Places of Interest in Bradford
National Media Museum: Museum chronicling the technology and art of media.
Colour Museum: Museum that documents the development of the dyeing and textile printing industry, going by to ancient Eyptian time to present day.
Bradford Industrial Museum: Museum housed in a former spinning mill.
Little Germany: Historic precinct with beautiful late 19th century architecture, related to the wool industry in Bradford.
Saltaire: Well-preserved mid-19th century industrial town within Bradford, now a World Heritage Site.
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