Bradford City Hall has been many things over the years: the House of Commons, the Old Bailey, the courtroom where Corrie’s Tracy Barlow had her infamous trial.
A popular filming location for TV and film production crews alike, it’s seen many famous faces pass through its doors, including Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody and A-listers Kiera Knightley, John Malkovich and Rupert Grint.
Its history as a film location dates back decades according to professor David Wilson, a director at Bradford UNESCO City of Film.
Room at the Top, which dates all the way back to 1959, was one of the very first films to shoot here – winning its actors some significant accolades in the process.
More recently, the hall has played host to the Peaky Blinders crew – doubling for The Midland hotel in Birmingham as Tommy Shelby ascends the City Hall steps the inside staircase.
Also housed within the City Hall is Bradford’s Police museum, which is now open to visit and contains some sought-out filming locations of its own – like the old prison cells used to film parts of Peaky Blinders and Kiera Knightley’s Official Secrets.
John Malkovich was also filmed here for The ABC Murders, in which he starred alongside Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint.
About to reopen to the public after sitting empty for over a year, the Police Museum is now taking bookings for fans who want to visit the old prison cells and explore the world of their favourite shows from 4th June.
There’s a Peaky Blinders-themed event planned for the future, but for now the focus is on the weird and wonderful police memorabilia inside.
From vintage police vehicles to the ‘death mask’ of Albert Pierrepoint, the Clayton born hangman who executed over 400 people (including many Nazis) during his career, there’s plenty of weird and wonderful artifacts to be seen here.
You’ll tour the old prison cells, led by guards in old-fashioned Victorian uniforms right up to more contemporary ones, and view relics from a different age of policing – such as ‘old Sparky’, a 1920s chair from Manningham Police Station once used to restrain violent prisoners.
On arrival, you’ll be given a card with the name of someone from the past – be that a policeman, executioner or prisoner – who you’ll learn about as the tour progresses.
On your way, look out for holograms of famous prisoners like Harry Houdini, the famous escape artist who once disappeared from a locked cell here, and ‘Chains Charlie’, a burglar who is said to still haunt the site today.
There’ll also be some re-enactments of real murder cases happening upstairs in City Hall’s Victorian courtroom, which members of the public will be invited to judge as members of a mock jury.
Pre-booking is essential, with slots filling up fast already. Head over to the Bradford Police Museum’s website to book your slot.
The Bradford Police Museum reopens on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th June 2021, and then every Friday and Saturday onwards until the end of November between 10am and 4pm.
Feature image – Billy Wilson.
