Description and History of Site:-
A large area to the North of Leeds Road stretching to Barkerend Road by the Cathedral and to what is now the Shipley Airedale Road to the North East. It housed many of the premises of the German Textile merchants in Bradford which were often designed by celebrated Bradford architects. It may have been given the name of Little Germany by the naming of a Police Beat.

Information panel:

Containing one of the largest grouping of listed buildings in the UK, Little Germany is a unique area - not only in Bradford, but nationally - and well worth exploring.

This compact area of 85 buildings, 55 of which are listed, was largely constructed between 1855 and 1890. During the 19th century Bradford had become one of the world's leading industrial cities, with rapid growth driven by the booming wool industry. This attracted immigrants from across the world, and Little Germany is so named because of its particular links at that time with German wool merchants attracted by the city's prosperity.

Keen to impress their clients, these merchants built imposing Italianate and Gothic-style offices, showrooms and warehouses using high quality Yorkshire stone with ornate architectural features and decorative masonry. The grand warehouses were designed for exporting woollen textiles and they chose this area in large part due to its close proximity to the two railway stations. By the end of the 19th century, these merchants had created a streetscape of fine industrial buildings which have since become recognised as a major architectural and heritage centre.

Particularly notable amongst these buildings are Behrens Warehouse (qv), Law Russell (qv) and Devere Houses (qv) (Grade II* listed) and the former Methodist chapel, Eastbrook Hall (Grade II listed). Little Germany is also home of the Bradford Playhouse and its mural commemorating the founding of the Independent Labour Party in 1893.

However, Little Germany is far more than a celebration of the past. The vision is to increase its attractiveness as somewhere to live, work and visit, with a growing concentration on the creative and digital industries.

Further Reading and References:-
YAS - Hatcher Card Index. Research funded by the Yorkshire Arts Association 1972. see also The Industrial Architecture of Yorkshire Jane Hatcher 1985
Roberts, John S. 'Little Germany'. Bradford Art Galleries & Museums Trail No 3, 1977
Thompson W J [Ed]. 'A Brief Guide to the Industrial Heritage of West Yorkshire'. AIA, 1989
'Little Germany: Conservation Area Assessment'. City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, 2005
Duxbury-Neumann, Susan. 'Little Germany: A History of Bradford's Germans'. Amberley Publishing, 2015


https://www.littlegermany.uk/

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Key Words :- cloth merchants warehouses offices showrooms

Address :- Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD1 4
Grid Ref :- SE 16711 33075
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.793722 , Long -1.747804
Local Authority :- City of Bradford
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Site in alternative industrial use
Contributor :- Daniel Balmforth - 19 May 2015

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Daniel Balmforth