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Fig.1 Broomfields, Bradford in West Yorkshire

Fig 2 Flowering Broom gave its name to the district

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Fig.3 Broomfields 1831- within the new parliamentary borough

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Location, origins and early history

Broomfields is a historic district on the south eastern edge of Bradford City Centre, West Yorkshire, England.

Broomfields was never an administrative area but rather a geographical expression. The northernmost part, a small area once referred to as "The Broom Closes", was in the township of Bradford. Most of Broomfields was within the township of Bowling. The western boundary followed Wakefield Road. The eastern boundary was marked by Bowling Beck - which also formed part of the boundary of the township of Horton. The southern limit of the area was the small estate of "Broom Hall". To the east of Broomhall the southern boundary was not precisely defined but approximated to he northern limit of "Spring Fields".

Despite the difficulties of indeterminate boundaries the area had a certain unity of geography and a shared history of economic development. It is composed of reasonably gentle north and west facing slopes, draining to Bowling Beck. The thin clay soils were unsuitable for arable farming and anciently had formed part of the wastes. By the 17th century most of the land had been divided into "closes" for pastoral use. Flowering broom flourished on the poor soils and gave its name to the district. From an early date Broomfields provided the people of Bradford with country walks and the opportunity of fishing for trout in the becks. The water of the Lady Well was highly regarded for its curative properties and the spring was a place of resort on holidays. In the late 18th century this idyllic picture started to change, though very slowly, as the coal and iron deposits were worked on a commercial scale.

Fig 3 is based on a map of 1831 drawn up for the parliamentary committee tasked with deciding the boundaries of the new parliamentary boroughs proposed by the Reform Bill. The district of Broomfields has been overdrawn. The map shows that the area of Broomfields contained almost no buildings except a thin scattering along its Wakefield Road boundary. To the south east was the Bowling Ironworks with its growing network of mineral tramways. The ironworks had a major influence on the economic history of Broomfields. To the south is shown Bolling Hall with its access road "Bolling Hall Lane" running through Broomfields with the only other lane in Broomfields - "Mill Lane" running at right angles to it. The "mill" referred to was not a textile mill but the very ancient water powered manorial "Bowling corn mills". The only steam powered textile mill in Broomfields in 1831 was the "Prospect Mill" in Wakefield Road built in 1819 by the Bowling Iron Works company for letting out on a "room and power" basis.

Amongst the first lessees was Mr G.W Addison who in Hall Lane "built for his residence a fine house .... which he surrounded with gardens, green houses etc" (Cudworth bowling p 253). Mr Addison set (or possibly confirmed - as his house was next to the older but even finer Hall Place) a fashion for building fine houses in Hall Lane. By 1849 Woodsley House, Springfield Lodge, the unnamed house known only as No 223 and the 8 rather grand town houses of Broomfield Terrace had been built. No 237 Hall Lane (fig 9.1) followed in 1851. The final house in the series, Windrush House, No 2 Hall Lane, was built as late as 1868. It was built for Dr Samuel Lodge on part of the garden of Mr Addison's house - which in 1864 had become the vicarage of St. Luke's church. All these houses, except Springfield Lodge, were in the classical style. Springfield Lodge had gothic elements. (sheeran Victorian houses of Bradford) (lodge p 3310

In the last decade of the 18th century Sir Francis Lindley Wood, owner of Bolling Hall and Lord of the manor, sunk coal mines in Broomfields - much of which was part of the extensive estates owned by Sir Francis. He delegated management of the mines to his very energetic land agent, Isaac Wright. Isaac Wright did not operate the mines directly but sub let them to "pit takers". There is evidence that by about 1800 he had opened a coal staithe in Bridge Street, Bradford which was supplied from the Broomfield mines. Broomfield Colliery was at the junction of Hall Lane and Wakefield road, close to the ancient "Wheatsheaf" public house. Most of the mineral rights of sir Francis's estates was let to the Bowling Iron Works. In 1801 Sir Francis moved from Bolling Hall to another of his great houses at Hemsworth. In 1814 he sold all his landholdings and mineral rights in Boling and Bradford to the Bowling Iron works.

Despite the mine-workings in 1840 Broomfields still had a largely rural aspect. To the west Caledonia, Waterloo and Britannia Mills had been built alongside Bowling Beck on the boundary of Broomfields. A few collieries were still in production and in the early 1840s the Bowling Ironworks tramway was built through Broomfields to transport coal from outlying mines to a new staithe "The Bradford Coal Depot" next to Britannia Mill. In 1845 Mr G.W Addison built Broomfield's second textile mill "Hall Lane Mills". Prospect Mill had by that time ceased to produce textiles. It was purchased in about 1840 from Bowling Ironworks by the Cole, Marchant and Morley partnership, who obtained additional land for "Prospect Foundry". Mr Marchant had formally been head of finance at the Bowling Iron Works.

Prospect Foundry established a flourishing business in domestic ironware: its black iron kitchen ranges were installed in many Bradford houses of the Victorian period. It also developed an engineering business: its steam engines powered many Bradford mills and could be still found at work during the 1960s. Other foundries and engineering works soon followed. Ladywell foundry was in production from just after 1850. It was joined by "St Dunstan's Machine Tool Manufactury" and the Mill Lane Foundry.

Industrialisation and urbanisation after 1850

Fig 4 Broomfields 1854 showing township and ward boundaries

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In 1847 The Borough of Bradford received its charter. The new borough incorporated the former townships of Bradford, Bowling, Horton and Manningham. The borough was divided into 8 wards: Manningham, North, South, East, West, Little Horton, Great Horton and Bowling. Wherever possible the new ward boundaries followed the old township boundaries. A small area of Broomfields adjacent to Croft Street was included in South Ward. The remainder became part of Bowling Ward. In 1882 Bowling Ward was split into the wards of East and West Bowling. The Broomfields district became a part of East Bowling. Throughout all these and subsequent boundary changes the name "Broomfields" has remained in use. Successive cartographers have differed as to where "Broomfields" should be centered on the map.

In 1846 construction of the West Riding Junction (later the Lancashire and Yorkshire) railway started. It was opened in 1850 with a terminus at Drake Street station (approached via Broomfields tunnel) in the centre of Bradford. Thereafter urban development in Broomfields was very rapid - as was further expansion of the railway network. The railways changed what were the perceived boundaries of Broomfields. The Lancashire and Yorkshire line became accepted as the western boundary. In 1854 the GNR opened its line from Leeds to a terminus station at Adolphus street . At the same time the GNR opened its "Bradford Avoiding Line" through the southern part of Broomfields to a junction with the L&Y line just to the south of Bowling Dyeworks. This line was soon recognised as the southern boundary. of Broomfields. These features are shown on Fig. 4 a 6" to the mile Ordnance Survey Map first published 1852 but updated to show new railways to 1854.

In 1866 the L&YR built the Palma street coal yards to the east of the main Line. In 1867 the GNR opened the "Bowling Curves Railway from a junction near Hammerton Street to a junction with the L&Y at Mill Lane. The GNR then ran its passenger trains into Drake Street, now renamed Exchange. To deal with the increased traffic the Broomfield tunnel was opened out into a wide cutting, occupying most of the area of the former Broom Closes. The area south of Croft Street became entirely given over to sidings and goods sheds. The GNR converted Adolphus Street station into a goods shed and added further coal yards and sidings. Subsequently Bradford Corporation built a new cattle market and wholesale green fish and meat markets, all served by GNR lines. In the mid 1870s work started on the Thornton Railway, with connections to the GNR and L&YR lines near Mill Lane. . The line was opened in 1878 with a new station "St Dunstan's Junction" in Broomfields. By 1883 the Thornton railway had been extended through to Halifax and Keighley. By this time Broomfields was almost totally surrounded by railways, sidings and goods yards and with a railway through the middle

Census returns show that the railways and their associated works provided much employment for the people of Broomfields. . They provided another unexpected employment bonus. In 1850 a small brickworks was established next to the L&Y line to use material excavated from the Bowling-Low Moor tunnel - which had been dumped by the line side. In the early 1860s G.Pearson re-established the "Broomfield Brickworks" on a much larger scale at the same location . Successive railway works provided brick making material for the next 30 years. Other sources of supply were drawn on. The Prospect Methodists decided to build a new chapel a grand scale. The Old Seven Stars Schoolroom dated from the very early 19th century. Its name was changed to the Prospect Schoolroom about 20 years later when it was felt inappropriate that a Methodist establishment should be named after a public house. Prospect House, a rather grand establishment had been built in the interim. The Methodists bought a large site adjoining the schoolroom. It had formally been the site of Prospect Colliery and was covered by a big spoil tip. Several members of the men's class worked for the Bowling Ironworks. They borrowed rails and equipment and built a tramway from the site to the Broomfields Brickworks. Over the space of a year or so they cleared the spoil heap, saving the building fund £350 and in addition receiving from Mr Peason an undisclosed sum in exchange for the excellent brick making materials. The chapel was opened in 1871, having cost £7,000. The schoolroom became the Bowling Liberal Club.

Prospect was the second Methodist chapel to be built in Broomfields. The first, a much smaller affair though in a handsome classical style was built on the corner of Croft Street and Bridge street in 1840. Until then the nearest place of worship to Broomfields was St James' CofE Church in Manchester Road - actually in the Township of Horton - built in 1834. It had a school attached to the church which for many years was the only school available to Broomfield children. The first vicar "Parson Bull" was a leader of the "Ten hours movement" and an enthusiast for factory reform. He was very popular with the working classes and hated by the mill owners - who eventually forced him to leave Bradford. The second CofE Church to open in Broomfields was St Lukes in Bolling Street. It was consecrated in 1862. It had a sunday school but no day school. However the Broom Fields Ragged School had opened on the opposite side of Bolling Street a few years before.

In 1868 the Ripley Ville school was opened. Financed by Henry Ripley as part of his Model village of Ripley Ville, it was run by the non denominational British Society. the CofE Church of St Bartholomew's in Ripley Ville opened in 1872.

In 1880 the Bradford School Board commenced building a large group of schools in Usher Street. They are still in use. In 1891 the RC church of St Anns opened in a site between Guy Street and Edwards street. The site included a presbytery and a school. It proved to be the last example of church and school building in Broomfields.

Many commercial premises were built in Broomfields in the second half of the 19th century but only the major ones can be mentioned. In 1855 Globe Mills were built next to Hall Lane Mills and in 1861 the huge Ladywell Mills was built on the opposite side of Hall Lane. All these mills were built for renting out on a room and power basis. Ladywell usually had three main tenants, each renting one of the three mill buildings. The 1912 Street directory lists the tenants as J&C Crabtree, Ltd commission wool comber, Ladywell Slubbing & Combing Co, and J.W Firth Ltd commission wool combers. Firths are still (2014) still in occupation. At the same date Globe Mills had as tenants J & W Lister & Sons, worsted yarn spinners and the Bradford Steel Pin Manufacturing Co Ltd. Layer in the 20th century Globe mills was occupied by metal manufacturing and engineering companies - but no textile companies. The same directory states that Hall Lane Mills was solely occupied by W.H Wilkinson and Son, cabinet makers, who had occupied the premises since about 1880. Another "Prospect Mill" (in Usher Street) had also abandoned textiles and was occupied by Jas Burroughs and Sons, wood-turners. Worsted industries seemed not to flourish in Broom Fields, unlike the furniture and timber trades. One of the biggest industrial sites in Broomfields in 1912 (founded 1850) was the Prospect Saw Mills - next to Prospect Foundry.

File:Broomfields Map 1893.jpg

Fig. 5 Broomfields 1893, detail from 1:2500 OS map

De-population and industrial transformation after 1930

Fig. 6 Bolling Road built 1931

Bradford Borough Council initiated its first slum clearance and urban regeneration schemes (although on a small scale) in the first decade of the 20th century. .After the first world war it was presented with an unexpected opportunity in Broomfields. the Midland Railway Company had acquire Ladywell fields and a strip of houses along Bolling Street for its planned Bradford Through Line. It had already started on demolition when it decided (1918) to abandon the scheme. Land the company had acquired was bought by the Bradford Corporation. In 1926 the corporation declared Ladywell Fields a public park, and built a children's paddling pool fed from the Ladywell spring. The corporation continued the demolition program initiated by MRC and built not a railway but an up to date duel carriageway road. Completed in 1931 and named "Bolling Road" it was intended as a focus for urban regeneration. It is shown in fig. 6.

On completion of the road a major "slum clearance" program followed. Many of the houses demolished predated the 1854 building bylaw and had wholly inadequate space and sanitary provision. By 1939 virtually all the houses between the railway and Rouse Fold and north of Mill Lane had been demolished. Only pubs, churches., commercial premises and a few of the grander houses were spared demolition 52 new local authority houses were built between Rouse Fold and Hall Lane. The majority of the Broomfields residents were re-housed on the borough's new "out of town" estates at Bierley and Canterbury Avenue.

In 1939 war interrupted the program. In 1945, in the face of a the desperate housing shortage, the corporation was glad to accept a central government offer of 350 prefabricated houses. About 80 of these were erected on the recently cleared land in Broomfields. (See fig 9.3).

In 1951 (as required by the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act) Bradford Corporation formally adopted the "Bradford Development Plan". This plan envisaged the demolition of virtually 19th century housing in Broomfields and its replacement by "light industrial and distribution". The regeneration program started with construction of a new police headquarters in Bolling Road about 1956. After removal of the "prefabs" new industrial units appeared rapidly. In the late 1950s house demolition recommenced. By 1960 all virtually all houses in and adjoining Hall Lane had been demolished. In 1970 the "model village" of Ripley Ville was demolished.

Broomfields In the 21st century

Fig.7 Broomfields from Hall Lane, July 2014

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The view of Broomfields shown in Fig 6 suggests a very Victorian townscape. However the three mills are actually amongst the few survivors from that period. A satellite view of the area today is dominated by the anonymous grey sheds of modern warehousing and distribution and a number of smaller office buildings.

The area has been transformed almost beyond recognition from the landscape of half a century back. The "Bradford Development Plan" of 1951 was implemented with extreme thoroughness. The photo galleries record the few remnants of Victorian Broomfields. Only 4 mills remain intact - and only Ladywell Mills remains in use for textile production.

Of the thousands of houses built by the end of the 19th century only 10 still exist: Only 6 are still occupied the others being in commercial use. The only other occupied houses are the 52 local authority houses built between Rouse Fold and Hall Lane in the 1930s. Since its peek around the time of First World War the resident population has declined from many thousands to a couple of hundred

Of the numerous public houses which once categorized the area the buildings of only three still remain. Of these only the former Exchange Inn, now renamed the "Mill Lane Pub", is still in use as a licensed premises.

Of the many churches and chapels which once stood in Broomfields evidence of only 3 remain. The old (1871) and new (1906) chapels of Prospect Methodists still exist. The old chapel has been en engineering warehouse since 1960. The new chapel has been a Sikh temple since the mid 1970s. Of the Anglican church of St Lukes only the Sunday school building still remains; it has been in use as an engineering workshop since 1942. The imposing buildings of St Ann's RC church, with its presbytery and school are well cared for and in use as a company HQ

The site of the Ladywell and its sylvan pool, the historic centre of Broomfields, can still be identified. It is shown in Fig 8.2. It has been concreted over for use as a car park.

Photo gallery - Mills - Fig 8

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  8.1. (left) Ladywell (right) Hall Lane & Globe mills
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  8.2 Site of the Ladywell and Ladywell mills
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  8.3 Ivy Mills and coal drops on the site of Bowling corn mills.

Photo gallery - Houses - Fig 9

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  9.1 Middle Class villa 237 Hall Lane, built c 1851
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  9.2 Working class houses in Broom Street built c 1851
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  9.3 Prefabs in Broomfields c 1951

Photo gallery - Public Houses - Fig 10

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  10.1 Bedford Arms
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  10.2 Exchange Inn
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  10.3 Bowling Hotel

Photo gallery - Places of Worship - Fig 11

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  11.1 Prospect Methodist Chapels.
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  11.2 St Luke's (CoE) Sunday School.
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  11.3 St Anns (RC) church, presbytery and school.

Bibliography

• Cudworth, William (1882) Historical Notes on the Bradford Corporation. Republished Old Bradfordian Press
• Cudworth,William (1888) Worstedopolis .Republished Old General Books Memphis
• Cudworth,William (1891) Histories of Bolton and Bowling. Thomas Brear & Co Bradford
• Cudworth, William (1891) Condition of the Industrial Classes. Collected articles from the Bradford
• James, John, (1841) The History and Topography of Bradford. Longman,Brown,Green and Longmans, London. Republished Mountain Press, 1967.
• Pickles,Derek (1966) The Bowling Tramways. Unpublished dissertation available at http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/3499098/bowling-tramways-doc-january-30-2012
• Rhodes, J F. (1890) Bradford Past and Present. J.F.Rhodes and Sons, Bradford
• Richardson C. (1976) A Geography of Bradford. University of Bradford ISBN 0 901945 19 6
• Walker, R. L. (2008) When was Ripleyville Built? SEQUALS, ISBN 0 9532139 2 7

External links

• Rediscovering Ripley Ville. http://www.rediscoveringripleyville.wordpress.com/
• My West Bowling in the 50's and 60's, sites.google.com

Category:Areas of Bradford Category:Geography of Bradford Category:Model villages Model villages Category:Industrial Revolution Category:Companies based in Bradford Category:Buildings and structures in Bradford Category:Populated places established in 1853