Bradford Cathedral facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bradford Cathedral
Cathedral Church of St Peter
Bradford Cathedral from the Cathedral Close
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OS grid reference	SE 16715 33264
Location	Bradford, West Yorkshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Previous denomination	Roman Catholic
Tradition	Broad church, Open evangelical
Architecture
Style	Gothic
Years built	c. 1400–1965
Administration
Diocese	Leeds (since 2014)
Province	York

Bradford Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral Church of St Peter, is an important Anglican church in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It is one of three main cathedrals in the Diocese of Leeds. People have worshipped on this site since the 7th century. For many centuries, it was a local parish church called St Peter's. It became a cathedral in 1919. The building is a Grade I listed building, which means it is very old and historically important.

History of Bradford Cathedral

Early Churches on the Site

The first church here was likely built during Anglo-Saxon times. It fell apart after the Norman Conquest in 1066. A second church was built around the year 1200. Records from 1281 show that Bradford was a separate church area from Dewsbury. Around 1327, Scottish raiders burned down most of this stone church.

Rebuilding and Growth

During the 14th century, the church was rebuilt. Some parts of the older stone church might have been used again. The third church was finished in 1458. A tall tower was added to the west end and completed in 1508. By the end of the 15th century, a clerestory was added. This is a row of windows high up in the church walls.

In 1854, a new reredos was carved for the church. A reredos is a decorated screen behind the altar. This one was made of Caen stone. Sadly, this beautiful carving was lost during changes made in the 1950s.

Becoming a Cathedral

The church was first part of the Diocese of York, then the Diocese of Ripon. In 1919, it became a cathedral when the Diocese of Bradford was created. On April 20, 2014, it became one of three main cathedrals in the new Diocese of Leeds.

Modern Changes and Updates

The building was made larger in the 1950s and 1960s by an architect named Edward Maufe. He designed the east end of the cathedral and two west wings. These wings now hold the Song Room and cathedral offices. Maufe reused beautiful Morris & Co. stained glass from the old east window. There is also Victorian stained glass throughout the building. This includes a window showing women from the Bible and a memorial window from 1921 for the First World War.

In 1987, the main part of the church, called the nave, was changed to welcome more visitors. The roof was cleaned, and new lights were put in. The old wooden pews were replaced with chairs. This made the space more flexible for different events. The large pipe organ in the nave was moved. A computer organ was installed, but it is no longer used.

At the start of the 21st century, there was a plan to create a museum of religion in a nearby building. However, not enough visitors came, and the project faced problems. The cathedral was able to clear its debts by 2007. The building that was meant to be the museum is now used by an arts group.

The cathedral is in a small protected area. This area includes modern homes for the dean and other church leaders. The bishop's home is in Heaton, about three miles from the city centre.

The cathedral was built on higher ground near Bradford Beck. The town grew up on lower ground, so the church was always just outside the town centre. In the 19th and 20th centuries, other buildings partly hid the cathedral. These buildings were later taken down in 2006. This made the cathedral much more visible until the Broadway Centre was finished in 2015.

Cathedral Leadership

As of August 8, 2025, the main leaders at Bradford Cathedral are:

• Dean – Andy Bowerman (since June 19, 2022)
• Canon for Intercultural Mission and the Arts – Ned Lunn (since January 31, 2023)

Music at the Cathedral

Bradford Cathedral has a long history of music. The cathedral has different choirs, including boys, girls, and adult singers. They sing during church services throughout the school year.

• Sundays: Choral Eucharist (10:30 am) and Choral Evensong (3:30 pm)
• Mondays: Girls' choir sings Choral Evensong (5:30 pm)
• Tuesdays: Boys' choir sings Choral Evensong (5:30 pm)

The young singers come from many local schools. They get training in singing and music. Older choristers can also get free lessons in singing, music theory, or piano. The adult singers are volunteers, many of whom have other jobs. The Cathedral Consort is a high-quality chamber choir that also performs.

The choirs perform concerts and services both inside and outside the local area. They have also gone on tours within the UK. The girls and boys choirs each go on a tour every year.

The choirs have recorded music and performed for BBC Radio. They have also sung with the European Union Chamber Orchestra.

The cathedral has a large William Hill pipe organ from 1904. It has been updated several times. Many famous organ players give concerts there on Wednesday lunchtimes. Work has been done to keep the organ in good condition and improve its sound.

Organists and Music Directors

• John Simpson (around 1820 – 1860)
• Absalom Rawnsley Swaine (around 1861 – 1893)
• Henry Coates (1893–1939)
• Charles Hooper (1939–1963)
• Keith Vernon Rhodes (1963–1981)
• Geoffrey John Weaver (1982–1986)
• Alan Graham Horsey (1986–2002)
• Andrew Teague (2003–2011)
• Alexander Woodrow (2012–2016)
• Alexander Berry (2017–2023)
• Graham Thorpe (2023-present)

Assistant Organists

• Martin D. Baker (1982–2004)
• Jonathan Kingston (1997–2000)
• Paul Bowen (2004–2011)
• David Condry (2009–2012)
• Jonathan Eyre (2012–2016)
• Jon Payne (2016–2018)
• Ed Jones (2018–2019)
• Graham Thorpe (2019–2023)
• Anthony Gray (2023-2024)
• William Campbell (starting 2025)

Important Monuments

The cathedral has several interesting monuments and memorials:

• A memorial to Abraham Balme, who helped create the Bradford Canal. This was sculpted by John Flaxman.
• A monument to Abraham Sharp (died 1742) by Peter Scheemakers.
• A monument to Robert Lowry Turner and George Whyte Watson.
• The Bradford City Football Ground Fire Disaster Memorial.
• A plaque about the Battle of the Steeple / Market Charter.
• A memorial to Joseph Priestley.

Images for kids

• 

  Exterior of the cathedral

• 

  Pre-Reformation font cover at left, and the clerestory windows above

• 

  The nave inside the cathedral