landmark
Haworth
The steep-cobbled Pennine village where the Brontë sisters lived and wrote, with the Parsonage Museum and moorland walks to Top Withens.
14 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Bradford
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Bradford
Bradford works well as a base: 10 minutes from Shipley, 25km from The Strid, Bolton Abbey.
Bradford is in England, United Kingdom, with about 370,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Shipley, about 4 km away.
Bradford is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the 1974 reform, the city status has belonged to the larger City of Bradford metropolitan borough. In the 2021 census, the city itself had a population of 352,317, making it theRead more
second-largest subdivision of the West Yorkshire Built-up Area after Leeds, which is approximately 9 mi (14 km) to the east. The wider metropolitan borough had a population of 546,976 at the same census, making it one of the most populous districts in England.
Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Bradford grew in the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture, particularly wool. It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution, and amongst the earliest industrialised settlements, rapidly becoming the "wool capital of the world". This gave rise to the nicknames "Woolopolis" and "Wool City". Lying in the eastern foothills of the Pennines, the area's access to supplies of coal, iron ore and soft water facilitated the growth of a manufacturing base, which, as textile manufacture grew, led to an explosion in population and was a stimulus to civic investment. There is a large amount of listed Victorian architecture in Bradford including the grand Italianate city hall.
From the mid-20th century, deindustrialisation caused Bradford's textile sector and industrial base to decline and, since then, it has faced similar economic and social challenges to the rest of post-industrial Northern England, including poverty, unemployment and social unrest. It is the third-largest economy within the Yorkshire and the Humber region at around £10 billion, which is mostly provided by financial and manufacturing industries. It is also a tourist destination, and the first UNESCO City of Film. Attractions include the National Science and Media Museum, a city park, the Alhambra theatre and Cartwright Hall. Bradford was the UK City of Culture for 2025, having won the designation in May 2022.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Bradford?
Within an hour or so of Bradford: Haworth (14 km), Harewood Speed Hillclimb (21 km), Bolton Abbey (23 km), Yorkshire Sculpture Park (23 km).
Are there any good drives near Bradford?
The nearest famous roads are Holme Moss, Woodhead Pass and Snake Pass.
Where is Bradford?
Bradford is in England, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Shipley.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 366,187
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 53.7939, -1.7521
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Bradford
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
racetrack
Harewood Speed Hillclimb
The longest hillclimb course in England at 1,598 yards, climbing Yorkshire moorland on the Harewood estate with sweeping open views over Wharfedale from the spectator banks.
21 km · about 25 min drive
ancient ruins
Bolton Abbey
Romantic 12th-century Augustinian priory ruins on the banks of the River Wharfe, surrounded by 30,000 acres of moorland and woodland.
23 km · about 25 min drive
museum
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
500 acres of 18th-century parkland near Wakefield displaying open-air work by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and changing international artists.
23 km · about 25 min drive
natural wonder
The Strid, Bolton Abbey
A narrow chasm where the whole River Wharfe squeezes into a few feet of rock - beautiful and genuinely lethal.
25 km · about 30 min drive
cafe
Bettys Café Tea Rooms, Harrogate
Yorkshire tea-room institution founded by Swiss confectioner Frederick Belmont in 1919, still family-owned and famous for Fat Rascals and its art-deco interior inspired by the Queen Mary liner.
26 km · about 30 min drive
cafe
Squires Cafe Bar
One of Yorkshire's most famous biker cafes near Sherburn-in-Elmet, hosting regular bike nights and rallies.
30 km · about 35 min drive
mountain pass
Holme Moss
A 524 m Pennine pass on the A6024 topped by a landmark transmitter mast, a celebrated cycling climb used in the 2014 Tour de France.
30 km · about 35 min drive
Driving roads near Bradford
- 30 kmHolme MossA 524 m Pennine pass on the A6024 topped by a landmark transmitter mast, a celebrated cycling climb used in the 2014 Tour de France.
- 34 kmWoodhead PassThe A628 trans-Pennine route over bleak moorland past the Woodhead reservoirs, frequently closed by snow and high winds.
- 40 kmSnake Pass (A57)The Woodhead-era Telford road over the Pennines between Glossop and the Ladybower reservoirs, with fast curves and frequent winter closures.
- 41 kmSnake PassA twisting road through the Peak District connecting Sheffield and Manchester, beloved by motorcyclists and driving enthusiasts.
- 41 kmSnake Pass SummitThe highest point on the A57 crossing the Pennines, with moorland views stretching across the Dark Peak landscape.
- 46 kmKinder ScoutThe Peak District's highest ground at 636m, site of the 1932 Mass Trespass that led to Britain's national parks and right to roam.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
Nearby Destinations
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