Our Venues
Our Museums and Galleries
There really is something for everyone at Cliffe Castle in Keighley. You can see sparkling Victorian rooms, overflowing with paintings, furniture and art of every style. But there are also rooms dedicated to nature, the district’s archaeology and a display of stained glass by Morris and Co.
It’s an absolute feast for the imagination.
Cliffe Castle was originally built in the 1880s as the home of Victorian millionaire and textile manufacturer, Henry Isaac Butterfield and was a showpiece of international art and French decoration. It was the scene of many glittering parties and society events.
In the 1950s the Castle was bought by Sir Bracewell Smith, who commissioned architect Sir Albert Richardson to turn Cliffe Castle’s gardens into a grand public park and remodelled the Castle to be a free museum for the people of the district. That continues to this day, winning (and retaining) a coveted Heritage Green Flag award – the first in the district!
In recent years Cliffe Castle has had a glow-up, inside and out, with Victorian features in the park reinstated, and the breathtaking stained glass Butterfield Window on the Grand Staircase restored. The Castle also hosts changing exhibitions from our collections and the community, as well as a fantastic café.
Bolling Hall Museum is a fascinating journey through the lives and times of the Bradford families who lived there for more than five hundred years. You can find it just a mile from Bradford city centre, sitting in a beautiful, quiet, leafy garden.
With parts of the building dating from Medieval times, Bolling Hall is a mix of styles and ideas with every nook and cranny packed with history. For many years the hall was home to two grand families, the Bollings and the Tempests, who were involved in some of the most important (and violent) moments in the history of England and our city.
During the Civil War the household supported the Royalist cause, and the house provided a stronghold during the ‘siege of Bradford’.
Rooms are furnished and decorated to give an accurate taste of life at different periods of the house’s history, and the fascinating furniture on display includes a superb bed made for Harewood House by Thomas Chippendale.
Bolling Hall Library is also now located in Bolling Hall Museum. More information on the library can be found here.
There isn’t a café onsite, but The Lodge Café, run by the Friends of Bowling Park, is just over the road.
Cartwright Hall can be found in stunning Lister Park, only a mile from Bradford City Centre.
Temporary closure of Cartwright Hall Art Gallery for facilities improvements
Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Bradford will temporarily close its doors to the public for four weeks to undergo significant facilities improvements in preparation for celebrations for the district’s year as UK City of Culture in 2025.
The Bradford Council-run venue will be closed between Tuesday 19 November and Friday 13 December 2024. Some of the exhibits are already being put into storage in advance of and in preparation for the temporary closure, which means the main ground floor galleries are already closed.
This project for essential refurbishment is funded by the Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and will enhance the visitor experience and ensure the venue meets the highest standards for the upcoming cultural programme.
The planned improvements include upgrading the exhibition lighting and gallery spaces, enhancing accessibility features, and modernising the gallery’s infrastructure.
These enhancements are part of Bradford Council’s commitment to continuing to provide a world-class cultural venue that reflects Bradford’s rich artistic heritage and will be part of Bradford 2025 celebrations, hosting major exhibitions, including the Turner Prize, an exhibition that for forty years has captured the vivid interest of the British media and public.
During the closure, the Cartwright Hall Gallery café will remain open, and the museums’ team will continue with engagement through various activities and learning programmes as well as digital initiatives, across the service’s three other venues, including Cliffe Castle Museum, Bolling Hall Museum and Bradford Industrial Museum.
Cartwright Hall Art Gallery is expected to reopen to the public on Saturday 14 December 2024, unveiling a refreshed and revitalized space that will continue to serve as a cornerstone of Bradford’s cultural heritage landscape.
Inside you can find incredible paintings, drawings and sculpture from the district’s own world-class art collections. Bradford was one of the first UK local authority museum services to start collecting works by South Asian and Black artists and Cartwright Hall showcases this amazing collection.
Cartwright Hall was built on the former site of Manningham Hall and opened as a gallery in 1904. The hall housed a display of loaned artworks before acquiring its own collection of Victorian and Edwardian works using funds from the 1904 Bradford Industrial Exhibition. Our collection now includes artworks by Lowry, Warhol, Lichtenstein and Anish Kapoor.
The Hockney Gallery, dedicated to Bradford born artist David Hockney gives a playful introduction to his life and art with a particular focus on Yorkshire and Bradford, and taking you right through to his colourful iPad experiments.
The Refreshment Room Café is at the bottom of the building.
Lister Park features a boating lake, adventure playground and features the Mughal Gardens. The park recently won another Green Flag award, reflecting its status as one of the best maintained parks in the country.
Bradford Industrial Museum is based in what used to be Moorside Mills in Eccleshill. It was originally built around 1875 as a small worsted spinning mill. The mill was bought and sold many times over the years as it grew and grew.
In 1974, Bradford Council created a unique museum, which now contains permanent displays of textile machinery, steam power, engineering innovations and motor vehicles.
Depending on when you visit, you can experience the sights, sounds and smells of whirring machinery, see the spinning machine at full speed, or even learn from the amazing volunteers who know all the skills and tricks of printing and weaving.
About Us
Bradford District is home to some of the most exciting museums and galleries in Yorkshire. Come and see for yourself
Donate
Could you support our work by sponsoring, donating or volunteering?
All opportunities have flexible commitment requirements and aim to provide a rewarding and enriching experience for all.
Friends of Bradford Art Galleries and Museums
The Friends have special links with Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bolling Hall and Bradford Industrial Museum.
Contact fobagam@gmail.com
(registered charity 1108562, company limited by guarantee 5373709).
