The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Bradford, city, England
city (1991 pop. 293,336) and metropolitan district, N central England, on a small tributary of the Aire River. It is a center of the worsted industry, which dates from the Middle Ages. Bradford has an important wool exchange, along with the making of other fabrics (including synthetics). Electroplating, electrical engineering, and the manufacture of machinery and automobiles are also important. Stone quarries are nearby. The city of Bradford is home to a large number of Britain’s Pakistani population. District landmarks include the memorial hall, dedicated to Edmund Cartwright, inventor of the power loom; St. Peter’s Church (1458), now the cathedral of the diocese of Bradford; and the Conditioning House, a unique textile-testing establishment. The Univ. of Bradford, Bradford Technical College, Bradford Regional College of Art, and Margaret McMillan Memorial College of Education are there.
