Bradford Cathedral

Bradford Walking Tour 1
I noticed a guided walking tour of Bradford city centre advertised and although I know the city quite well, having lived in this area for many years, I decided it might be an interesting way to spend an afternoon - and it was. It was a really dull and cold day, with little light and not ideal for photos (glad I wore my thermals!) but the walk proved interesting and I did try a few shots, which I've processed with a bit of HDR to lift them.

The walk started by the statue of William Forster, which I have shown before on my blog. Nearby is the Cathedral Church of St Peter, formerly a parish church that gained cathedral status in 1919 when the Diocese of Bradford was created. (It's now part of the Diocese of Leeds.) It is really tucked away behind the Victorian Post Office building, now an Asian arts centre.

A church has existed here since the 8th century and the present building has parts dating back to the 14th century, though it has been altered and extended. See also my post here for another view. This area is one of the oldest in Bradford. The church was an important stronghold in the defence of Bradford against Royalist troops in the English Civil War. It was hung around with woolsacks to provide some protection from gunfire. There were two sieges of the town, in 1642 and 1643. Later, at the time of the Industrial Revolution, the area around the church was known as Wapping and was notorious for its overcrowded, slum conditions.