Experience life as a Victorian Mill Worker

Bradford, West Yorkshire

Be transported back to the 1800s and experience Bradford when it was the ‘Wool Capital of the World’.

During the 19th century Bradford became ‘Wool Capital of the World’, a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution led by Sir Titus Salt, a forward-thinking industrialist and philanthropist who founded Saltaire in 1853, a vast textile mill and model village that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

At Bradford Industrial Museum step back in time and see just what it was like to work in a textile mill, see 19th machinery at work and discover how wool was turned into fine yarn. Then step outside to experience where they lived, from the basic mill worker’s homes to the more lavish abodes of the mill manager’s. The mill owners and merchant’s lives were very different; pop by Cliffe Castle and East Riddlesden Hall in Keighley to compare the grandeur to the textile mill.

Finally, don’t forget to stop by Salts Mill housed in Saltaire which has been transformed into a gallery, shopping and restaurant complex.

A direct train from London to Bradford takes approximately 3 hours 20 minutes and there are over 200 Asian restaurants to discover throughout the city.

Content provided by Visit Bradford

Read more Close

Refine your search:

VisitEngland would like to invite you to take part in a short survey about our website, it should take no more than a couple of minutes.

Go to the survey

To add items to favourites …

… you need to be logged in.

If you already have an account, log in.

Or register a

Access your account

Enter your e-mail address or username.
Enter the password that accompanies your e-mail.
Forgot your password? Recover your account
Don't have an account? Register an account