Mills and boom: Rise and fall of Manningham, Bradford

But at one time this Bradford suburb was extremely desirable, a byword for style and exclusivity. And today, despite its often run-down appearance, it has a rich architectural and cultural history which has now been brought vividly to life in a new book.

Manningham's rags to riches story, published by English Heritage is called Manningham: Character and Diversity in a Bradford Suburb.

For centuries Manningham was a sparsely populated backwater with only 19 people recorded there after the Black Death in the late 14th century.

But as Bradford became a world leading textile manufacturer, so the township was transformed, at first slowly, but then in a rapid burst of development.

The book details the extraordinary rise as the area became home to the villas of powerful merchants, cosseted by butlers, housemaids and cooks.

Relishing the chance to speak for themselves are Betty Hurd, 80, who remembers the day when her house was converted to electricity and Khadam Hussain who rates Bradford as the best city in the world and Manningham the best place in Bradford.

Ms Hurd, who contributed to the oral history project, recalls the bustle from her own youth: "I can remember the noise of hundreds of feet going over pavements to the mill.

"And when the hooter went for closing – you could hardly cross the road without being run over. The mill was such a part of

Manningham and it was very sad when production stopped."

Trevor Mitchell, Regional Director for English Heritage, said: "True enough it has had its share of ups and downs, but with the restoration of Cartwright Hall, Lister's Mill and Lister Park things are on the up.

"Look behind the occasional neglect and what you have is one of England's greatest Victorian suburbs.

"This book and oral history project is a celebration and also a call to cherish and protect this legacy for the future. Forget stereotypes, Bradford is one of England's greatest stone cities and Manningham perhaps its finest district.

"By the end of the 19th century Manningham was as multicultural as it is today, with German Jewish merchants arriving from the 1830s.

"JB Priestley said that although Bradford was determinedly

Yorkshire, its suburbs reached as far as Frankfurt and Leipzig.

"Remarkable buildings surviving from this period include the stunning Jewish synagogue on Bowland Street (1880) with its Arabic inspired architecture. It's a fabulous story."

Manningham's fortunes declined along with the rest of Bradford in the 20th century. But its mosaic of cultures persisted. Immigrants from Eastern Europe arrived after the Second World War, many fleeing oppression, followed by Caribbeans, Pakistanis, Indians and Bangladeshis.

Mosques have replaced redundant Nonconformist chapels, while the large 19th century villas make ideal homes for extended families.

Research carried out for the book has identified the oldest surviving building in Manningham: the Old Manor House on Rosebury Road, dating back to the 1620s. Tree ring dating of roof beams helped establish its age.

When the mills came to Manningham, so too did the middle and lower classes. Housing conditions for workers could be grim, leading to the banning of back-to-back houses in Bradford in the 1860s.

However, the rules were quickly relaxed and many more back-to-backs were built to higher standards, with the new buildings also proving popular with the middles classes and artisans.

Manningham: Character and Diversity in a Bradford Suburb, by Simon Taylor and Kathryn Gibson, priced 9.99, is available from the Bradford Waterstones and by mail order from English Heritage Publishing Sales www.english-heritageshop.co.uk, or telephone 0845 458 9910.