Britains Detroit.

The modern towns and cities of Britain were built on industry. And some became famous the world over for their role in one industry in particular: Sheffield for steel, Manchester for cotton.

Yet another northern city’s pivotal role in a global trade hasn’t entered the public consciousness in the same way. And as it battles to leave behind the worst side-effects of deindustrialisation, it’s a city with an image problem.

This is the story of Bradford.

The foundations

Wool is one of the bedrocks of Britain's wealth. Once so important to our economy, in fact, the speaker of the House of Lords sits on a wool-stuffed seat known as 'the Woolsack'. This seat was previously occupied by the Lord Chancellor, the highest-ranking office of state.

The wool industry’s legacy persists to this day; the UK has more sheep breeds than any other country in the world – over 60 – in a flock of 22 million, tended to by more than 40,000 farmers.

Historically, when wool cloth-making was a cottage industry, it was concentrated in East Anglia. But with industrialisation, processing was concentrated in Yorkshire – courtesy of abundant cheap coal, soft water, and fast-flowing rivers. The perfect conditions for mills.

Of the 224,514 jobs the wool industry provided, 187,204 were in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Leeds became known for woollen – the bouncy, light, full-of-air sort of wool used to make knitwear. And Bradford became known for worsted – the high-quality processed wool cloth used to make tailored suits and jackets.

By 1841 there were 38 worsted mills in Bradford town and 70 in the borough. It was estimated that two-thirds of the country's wool production was processed in Bradford.

Worsted is made from the longest wool fibres from across the stomach of the sheep. These long fibres are twisted, making the wool not only fine but very durable.

In order to make worsted, raw wool is washed and combed, to remove short fibres. The resulting, semi-processed material is called top. Creating top by hand produces about 20lbs a week – but the introduction of combing machines increased production to about 200lb in a single, 10-hour working day.

Processed wool tops are then spun to create yarn, and woven into cloth. But before they can be spun, tops must have oil and water added as lubricant. And with the growing market for wool top – sold by weight – there was a need to set standards for moisture and oil content, because unscrupulous traders would add excess water to make them appear heavier.

If you’re going to set standards, you have to test for them. And Bradford’s Conditioning House is where that testing would take place.

Deterioration

The fierce fighting of the war led to technological advancements that had applications far beyond the front line. New technologies meant it was easier and more efficient to test samples from wool bales on farmers’ premises, rather than transporting them to Bradford for testing.

Conditioning House’s role began a long, slow decline.

Simultaneously, the spinning mills also deteriorated. A more efficient combing technology was developed on the continent, making the system used in Britain uncompetitive.

Mill owners hoping to use this new technology struggled to modernise many of Bradford’s multi-storey mills to accommodate the modern machinery; floors would’ve needed strengthening to cope with the additional weight and vibration. Plus, with this machinery much more productive, only a fraction of the space and workforce would be required.

Fashions evolved. Changing consumer preferences led to growing demand for casualwear. Traditional cardigans, suits and heavy coats came to be seen as stuffy, old-fashioned and excessively formal.

Retailers demanded new (and, importantly, affordable) styles; British manufacturers struggled to compete against cheap labour from Asia, which used new fabrics like rayon (a heavily-processed material made from tree pulp) for suits, and ever-more sophisticated acrylics for sweaters. It was the perfect storm. One Bradford could not weather.

Conservation

With its poor reputation, you might not expect the centre of Bradford to be so grand. But the rapid rise of the textile industry in the 19th century packed Bradford with gorgeous gothic revival architecture. Its equally rapid decline in the 20th century meant that the local council lacked the money for ‘utopian’ redevelopment schemes that flattened many similar cities it in the name of ‘progress’.

So, in the noughties Bradford was one of the best-preserved Victorian cities in Britain. That said, many buildings were unloved and unused, presenting unique opportunities for ambitious investors.

Conditioning House itself was abandoned and sold by the council; the original buyer had plans to turn it into a hotel and conference centre. A subsequent plan would have seen it become a commercial office. It’s changed hands multiple times since, with no owner being able to execute their plans.

Grand ambitions in the mid-2000s would have seen the reinstatement of the canal, seeing Conditioning House developed as waterside apartments. That scheme was cancelled after the last global financial crisis.

That ambition speaks of the efforts being made by local leaders to change Bradford’s public image. In 2008, the city bid to become the European Capital of Culture – it's been demonstrated that winning can serve as a catalyst for the transformation of a city. It lost to Liverpool.

Nevertheless, there's been over £1bn in investment in the city centre since 2010.

Investment in the city centre at this time was in stark contrast to post-war public policy, which indirectly encouraged car ownership. Leafy, spread-out suburbs were built to replace sooty, smoke-filled terraced streets, while motorways were invested rather than railways. Those grimy inner cities were abandoned by any who could afford to leave, and car ownership became a status symbol.

In the 1990s, 80% of people were driving by age 30. But now that 80% milestone is reached only by age 45. Men under 30 are driving half the miles their fathers did, and there’s been a 20% reduction in commuter trips per week since the mid-90s.

Fighting back

Bradford has some catching up to do. The once-prosperous Motor City is similarly down-at-heel as a result of deindustrialisation and globalisation. But much like Detroit, Bradford is being celebrated as a city of expression, pride and diversity. Now Whole Foods is setting up shop in Detroit, and Google and and Microsoft are opening offices.

Bradford was named ‘most improved’ city to live and work in by PwC in 2019, highlighting jobs and work-life balance in particular.

Today, Bradford is competing against Luton, Chelmsford, Southampton and others to become the UK’s City of Culture for 2025.

Campaigners are hoping Bradford’s bid holds an ace up its sleeve: 2025 will mark 200 years since the last Blaise Wool Festival in the city; the little-known St. Blaise is the patron saint of Bradford, and was martyred with a woolcomb.

Perhaps Bradford’s most famous creatives are artist David Hockney, and the playwright/novelist J.B. Priestley, who penned An Inspector Calls. Today, the Priestley name remains prominent in the city, having also been the name of two former Bradford mayors. Priestley Street is about 200 metres from Conditioning House, while Priestley Homes is helping propel Bradford’s renaissance.

By 2019, Bradford was being named most improved city to live and work in by PwC, with jobs and work-life balance highlighted.

Priestley Homes recognised the huge potential in both Bradford and Conditioning House, acquiring the building in 2017. The business has invested millions in regenerating it, including £8.5m of development finance from Together. Nathan Priestley, the man behind the scheme, remembers Conditioning House in more prosperous times: his grandfather worked there as a driver.

"It's a unique building that had a great deal of potential after standing neglected for 30 years."

"Working with listed buildings can be a challenge, but the result of the restoration of this historic site is a great achievement. We believe Conditioning House sets the standard for other residential developments in Bradford, showcasing the scale of transformation that can be achieved when breathing new life into our heritage buildings."

Nathan Priestley, CEO of Priestley Homes

Conditioning House’s rebirth is emblematic of Bradford’s fight back against deindustrialisation. As we embark on a new path as 'Global Britain', it’s a city with all the ingredients to succeed.

The population is growing twice as fast as the national average, and it’s the youngest city in the country (23.7% of residents are under 16). Ethnic minorities make up 36% of the population, and over 150 languages are spoken by children in Bradford schools.

As the country forges a new role for itself, we should perhaps consider if Britain will become a bit like Savile Row: a relatively minor manufacturer in terms of volume, but known around the globe for the quality of our product.

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