Bradford
Name
Bradford
Province/County/State
England
Nations
United Kingdom (nation)
Descriptive Note Text
Located west of Leeds. Its wealth started with wool-sorting and weaving in the Middle Ages; it was first recorded as a mill town in 1311; later the cotton and silk industries flourished and the wool trade increased in the 17th century. Expanded during 19th century with coal, sandstone, and iron industries; more recently, with engineering. Wool-sorting continues to employ a large work force. The church here is mainly 15th-century with Saxon sculpture; it was designated a cathedral in 1919. Victorian buildings here include the Town Hall and Wool Exchange (Getty TGN).