Leeds Bradford Information

Manufacturing has played a big role in the history of Leeds, and is still an important industry there today. The city is particularly famous for its clothing – Michael Marks opened his first Penny Bazaar here in 1884, and Montague Burton chose the city as the location for his factory, the largest clothing factory in Europe. Other famous names associated with Leeds are Thomas Chippendale, who began creating furniture here, and Waddingtons, the company who make the famous board game, ‘Monopoly', was founded here.

Today the city prospers, and there are various attractions for the city. Abbey House Museum has a large collection of artefacts detailing life in 19th century Victorian Leeds. Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills is a museum of development and industry in the field of technology, from the development during the industrial revolution of textiles and locomotives, to the first silent movies. Leeds City Gallery has a collection of artwork including sculptures, contemporary art and watercolours. The Henry Moore Institute shows temporary exhibitions of sculpture. Kirkstall Abbey dates from medieval times. And the Royal Armouries Museum is home to the national collection of arms and armour, where you can have a go at shooting a crossbow – under supervision, of course. Thackray Medical Museum celebrates surgery through the ages, and the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television is fascinating. You can also visit the home of the famous sisters at the 18th century Bronte Parsonage Museum.
Leeds Town Hall is an important building. It was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick, opened in 1858 by Queen Victoria, and has been recently restored to its original Victorian splendour. Brodrick also designed the Corn Exchange, which is now home to various cafes and shops. Visit the Victorian Quarter of the city, with its restored original shop fronts all enclosed under a modern stained glass roof, and the Edwardian Kirkgate Market.

There are lots of leisure opportunities, with lots of restaurants, including the original ‘Harry Ramsden's' fish and chip shop nearby. There are ballet and theatre performances at the Grand Theatre, the home of Opera North, and the Civic Theatre, The City Varieties Theatre, and the West Yorkshire Playhouse.
Bradford is famous for wool and industry. Visit Bradford Industrial Museum to learn about machinery, steam engines and horses. Moorside Mills is an original spinning mill, which converted raw wool into the high quality worsted cloth. Ride on a Shire Horse at the Mill Yard, and visit the house of John Moore, the original mill-owner, and the back-to-back cottages of the mill workers, decorated in the style of the late 19th century through to the 1950s.

The Salt's Mill is home to Europe's largest collection of works by local and international artist, David Hockney. And there is a variety of unusual and eye-catching sculpture and art throughout Bradford, including the carved stone armchair, mirror and grandfather clock in the merchant's quarter of Little Germany.
Bradford is the centre of attraction with its unique range of things to see and do.

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