Once the "Woolopolis," Bradford is a proud, resilient city navigating its post-industrial future, recently showcased as 2025 City of Culture

Join SAVE and our guide, Mike Ashworth, on a walking tour of Bradford city centre to explore the legacy of Victorian munificence, the city’s Industrial Revolution heritage, post-war town planning and the more recent interventions connected with Bradford’s successful City of Culture celebrations in 2025.

Shaped by the Industrial Revolution, Bradford was once the epicentre of the world’s wool trade – to such an extent that it became known as “Woolopolis” – a global centre of industry, innovation and civic ambition. But, like many northern towns and cities, changing fortunes after the Second World War, extensive redevelopment in the 1960s, the decline of once-staple industries and the more recent hollowing out of retail centres have presented significant challenges.

We’ll explore how Bradford’s rich heritage is being leveraged as one of the planks of ambitious regeneration schemes, helping to breathe new life and vitality into this proud Yorkshire city. Along the way, we’ll consider challenges and opportunities that are unique to Bradford, as well as those shared by many post-industrial towns and cities across the UK.

The tour will begin at 11.00am and finish at approximately 3.30pm. The walk will take in Little Germany and Bradford city centre, with an independent lunch break of around 45–60 minutes. Both the meeting and finishing points are to be confirmed, but will be located in town, approximately a 10–15 minute walk from either Bradford Interchange or Bradford Forster Square stations.

Mike Ashworth is the former Head of Design and Heritage for London Underground and a regular SAVE tour guide. Since retiring, he has been revisiting the townscapes of his childhood, bringing his expertise in industrial architecture, archaeology, and design to his explorations.

Images:

1-Victorian commercial buildings in Little Germany (Credit: Stevie Campbell for Impact Hub Yorkshire)

2-Bradford Town Hall (Credit: Jon Farman)

3-4 Impressions of Little Germany (Credit: Stevie Campbell for Impact Hub Yorkshire)

Description supplied by the event organiser.