Bradford City Hall: Blue plaque to mark 150th anniversary

A blue plaque is to be installed at Bradford's City Hall as part of a series of events to commemorate its 150th anniversary.

Opened on 9 September 1873 the Grade I listed building was designed by architects Lockwood & Mawson.

It features a 217ft (66m) clock tower and statues of 35 British monarchs along its façade.

Lord Mayor of Bradford Gerry Baker said City Hall was an "important building for our city and district".

Originally built as a Town Hall in a mainly Medieval-Gothic style it was not officially renamed until 1965, despite Bradford attaining city status in 1897.

The clock tower, which has 13 bells, was inspired by the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, while among the 35 statues of kings and queens is that of Oliver Cromwell who, while not a king, was Lord Protector from 1653-1658.

The plaque was presented to Mr Baker on Wednesday and will be installed at a later date.

An extension to the building, designed by Norman Shaw and local architect FEP Edwards, was opened in 1909.

Si Cunningham, the council's assistant executive member for UK City of Culture, said: "Blue plaques are an internationally-recognised way of celebrating places of significant interest, and I'm delighted that Bradford City Hall will now have its own heritage-marker alongside our other architectural gems the Alhambra Theatre, St George's Hall, and the Wool Exchange.

"Celebrating and showcasing our proud heritage is a really important part of our preparations for being the UK City of Culture in 2025, and I hope people will enjoy discovering a bit more about the fascinating history of Bradford's landmark City Hall during the anniversary celebrations in September."

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].