HISTORIC England has created a new heritage trail of Bradford, which gives young people the opportunity to explore some of the city’s most important historic buildings.

The trail has been developed as part of Historic England’s Heritage Schools Programme in celebration of Bradford being awarded the status of UK City of Culture 2025.

The heritage trail, which includes an interactive digital tour and a trail map, explores 10 historic buildings including City Hall, the Alhambra Theatre and the Wool Exchange. These resources allow teachers and pupils to both experience the trail virtually and go on a self-guided walking tour around the city centre.

Julie Edwards, Local Heritage Education Manager from Historic England, explained: “Bradford has many fine heritage related trails, but none specifically designed for schools and young people. The aim was to create a trail which is visually stimulating and informative and would encourage and support teachers in exploring learning in the city centre. The trail will help young people to notice and understand more about places they may otherwise pass by.”

Although I am retired, I still deliver a weekly Art Club in Peel Park Primary School. A few months ago Julie visited the school to inform the children about the heritage trail, and that is how I became involved.

We decided to create artwork focusing on Bradford’s heritage buildings. I had to come up with different exciting ways to proceed with this project. I began thinking of other links to Bradford heritage and immediately thought of David Hockney. After all he is a world famous Bradford-born artist.

Some of the children were choosing to paint the Alhambra. Children plus the Alhambra equals - of course - pantomime.

As the project gained momentum, I knew I had to celebrate all the wonderful artwork with a huge finale in the form of an exhibition.

The Trapezium Art Gallery on Kirkgate in the centre of Bradford is a fantastic space run by dedicated volunteers. This seemed the ideal venue, as the gallery is located on the site of the old Kirkgate Market. Historic England offered to fund the gallery for a week. This was very exciting for me and all the young artists involved.

In the run up to the exhibition I was invited into three Bradford schools to deliver art workshops focusing on the heritage buildings mentioned on the trail. Each school interpreted the buildings in a different artistic way.

Farnham Primary Year5 pupils used a paint wash and pen on paper. Home Farm Primary Year3 classes using pastels and markers.

Year4 pupils from St Paul’s CE primary used canvases and painted in bright colours in the style of David Hockney.

I think you will agree, they all did the Bradford buildings proud.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: A proud pupil from St Paul's CofE Primary School with her paintings A proud pupil from St Paul's CofE Primary School with her paintings (Image: Lynne Dobson)

Peel Park Primary submitted some excellent drawings and coloured pencil artwork which they had completed during lesson time, as a result of Historic England’s visit to their school.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Zeina Khan with her painting of the Wool Exchange building Zeina Khan with her painting of the Wool Exchange building (Image: Lynne Dobson)

The art club at Peel Park Primary approached the buildings in a few different ways, one of which was an embroidered banner. They created pastel crayon pieces and some David Hockney style canvases.

I thought it would be even more fun to introduce pantomime art. After all, the Alhambra Theatre is well known for its pantomimes, and Billy Pearce is the panto legend who loves Bradford and returns every year.

Carlton Bolling Secondary School sent some fun panto posters. A group of students visited the exhibition to sketch buildings and look at other artwork on show.

I teach art privately in my studio to three pupils every week. A selection of their paintings was displayed on a wall in the exhibition. To complete the exhibition children from the Bradford district sent their paintings and collages.

The artwork was installed, and crowds gathered outside the Trapezium Art Gallery on Monday, July 24 ready for the launch. The children and their families were excitedly waiting for the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Cllr Gerry Barker, to arrive and to see him cut the ribbon to declare the exhibition open.

The whole exhibition was amazing, with an eclectic mix of different mediums from all these talented young artists aged four to 15-years-old. Well done children!