Bradford's Rivers

Bradford, a city built at the junction of three valleys in the middle of the Pennines - one of the wettest parts of England. So, where does all the water go??? There's no sign of it in the centre of Bradford, yet this is a city which grew round the woollen industry and the industrial revolution, of which sources of flowing water were always a major player.

The fact is that Bradford does have water, although today the vast majority of it flows through culverts under the city. Bradford itself is not on the course of a major waterway, that job goes to Shipley to the North, which sits on the banks of the River Aire, and is itself home to many mills from the 18th and 19th century - including Sir Titus Salt's model village Saltaire.

In addition to numerous streams, there are three main water courses - the largest of these is Bradford Beck itself, which runs from Thornton to the East on its way passing through the centre of Bradford and turning sharp left north to join the River Aire in Shipley. The second is East Brook running from the Leeds side of Bradford, and the third - West Brook, which passes through the Shearbridge area and under the campus of the University of Bradford.

On a modern map it is very difficult to follow the watercourses, however in many cases their route is still marked out as the parish boundaries which they separated.

In a fast growing city like Bradford space is at a premium and for this reason, and the smell of the water that much of the route is now covered. Along all of the three waterways mills were built to take the water, and in many places mill ponds can still be seen. By the time the water reached the edge of the city, it was a disgusting mix of pollutants from the woollen industry and sewerage. To then make matters worse, Bradford Canal drew its water from the beck, and over time gained the name "The River Stink".

When the canal was closed and drained in 1867 the canal was refilled with water from the Leeds and Liverpool, reopening in 1873. Pumping stations were placed on the route to fill the canal above each of the five locks.