Holiday in Bradford- what to do?

[jasminoide]

DH is working from an office for the first 3 weeks of August and we've decided to go along and make a holiday out of it. Accommodation is sorted, just looking for recommendations for things to do with a teen and tween. We will have a car and don't mind driving up to an hour, or 90 minutes for a really nice place.
So far we'd like to go to Flamingo Land and the cat cafe in Leeds. I'd love to go to a Botanical garden (of the indoor, tropical type) but not sure where the closest would be? We are planning day trips to Sheffield, Manchester and perhaps Leicester.
Open to all ideas, the hidden gems as well as the well known places.
Is Flamborough worth going to for the views?

Agree with all of the above. Some lovely cafes in Bradford now too - The Cake'ole and places on North Parade. There's also a Police Museum and some places in Bradford, eg. City Hall, Little Germany, were used as film sets.

My mind is blown with these suggestions, thank you so much! Anyone I've told that we are going to Bradford has usually pulled a catsbum face and lamented that there will be nothing to do . It seems we will be spoilt for choice 😁

Haworth is nice for a day out. Walk on the moors and a cafe. The bronte museum is good but maybe not for kids.

Hardcastle crags at hebden bridge is also a nice walk.

Some brilliant suggestions already

I wouldn't pay £100 to look at some alpacas, I’d go to None Go By farm in Bramhope (near Leeds and Bradford airport) which is a fraction of the price - or you can see them for nothing if you just stand in the car park 😂 Then Murgatroyds in Yeadon for fish and chips. You could easily combine that with another Leeds visit as it’s not a big place. Tropical World is decent but small - again you’d be there less than an hour.

Harrogate is lovely but Betty’s is a racket. There are a million better places

Eureka is a disappointment for any kid over five

Another vote for the piece hall (piece as in pieces of cloth)

www.thepiecehall.co.uk/

Depending on where you are from have a look out for factory shops, the true factory shops are sadly in decline, these were where you literally went into part of a factory and someone would stop what you were doing to serve you.

Most are now like boundary mill (which was an actual mill shop when I was a child) but there are a few linked to the factory so head to Pontefract for 'The Haribo Factory Outlet' and Batley for Fox's biscuits - check this first they may only be open for a few hours.

You can usually get cheaper things from the factory shops, things like the label not bein printed. As a child a relative worked at the factory and use to bring home a huge bag of broken biscuits.

Also depending on where you come from visit a sweet centre in Bradford, there will be loads and they are the best place to buy samosas.

Obviously if you are from Leicester of Birmingham you will already know about sweet centres but also check out the Indian / Pakistani shops for spices and unusual fruit and veg.

If you do any sewing check out the material and sari shops for some amazing materials. You can buy by the metre but you can also get a 'suit length' which is three pieces of material to make a shalwar kameez, one for the trousers, one for the top and a third, usually gauzy type material for the scarf.

If you don't sew have a look at the ready made clothing www.bombaystores.co.uk/product/Ladies%20Wear/Ladies%20Readymade/BS-LA-SM-675

Finally fish and chips, check they are cooking in beef dripping before you buy.

There are plenty of brilliant places around Bradford that you really don’t need to go too far.

Museum of film and TV
Skipton Castle
Salts Mill
Piece Hall
Bronte museum and Haworth
Ilkley and Ilkley Moor
Malham Cove, Gordale Scar and Janet’s Foss (weekdays only - you won’t like the drive up there at the weekend!) or any other part of the Dales
Leeds city centre for shopping, cafes, and the Armouries
York (park and ride or train)
Lotherton Hall - mainly birds
Butterfly house at Roundhay, and Roundhay Park
Temple Newsam gardens and farm - nearer than Canon Hall, but not as extensive.

I wouldn’t bother leaving West & North Yorkshire to be honest - all the driving is a waste of time and the M62 can be a nightmare. Certainly not Leicester.

Oh yes and you must have a proper Bradford curry. It’s too long since I did, so won’t give you any specific recommendations.

www.windlehousefarm.co.uk/alpaca-experience

This place comes highly recommended for alpaca walks

Teens might like Leeds for shopping also Leeds city museum
Mangna in Rotherham
Howarth
Ilkley Cow and calf
Malham
Yorkshire wildlife park
Forbidden corner
Temple newsham farm
Harlow Carr has a bettys for treats
Skipton
Bolton abbey followed by billy bobs for a treat
Shibdon park
Excape at castleford cinema/golf/skiing
Doncaster dome swimming/ice skating
Hebden bridge

So many great places to visit

And be sure to go into Waterstones in Bradford.
The building is stunning.

Yorkshire wildlife park is an hour from Bradford and well worth a visit

Whitby is near flamborough and you could do both in a day.

Hope you have a nice time OP! Bradford is definitely not a typical holiday destination but I love your positive attitude to it!

I was coming on to recommend Bombay Stores but happy to see a pp already has. It’s full of wonderful fabrics! It used to have a kitchenware department at the back too, don’t know if it still does. Have a rummage in the local food stores for interesting ingredients and fresh fruit and veg too - I used to shop in the Al Halal many years ago, and it’s still there.

Oh and does anyone from Bradford know if the Cannon Mills flea market is still going?

The coast from Bradford is far more than 90 minutes drive in August and it’s not a pleasant journey due to vast amounts of traffic. If you’re thinking of York for a day out then taking the train is far more sensible as parking is limited and very expensive.

It highly depends where you are in Bradford and what time you set off as to how long it takes to get to the coast.

I live between Leeds and Bradford, not far from the alpacas and ice cream farm mentioned in this thread and if I set off early, it's exactly 90 mins to the coast. I usually prefer saltburn, because it avoids the A64 bottleneck, but that's far smaller than the likes of Scarborough that a family might prefer.

But if the OP is on the west side of Blackpool, she can get to somewhere like Blackpool in under 90 mins, with the same caveat about setting off early to avoid traffic.

I used to live near Bradford and there are some fantastic suggestions here. I would give Cannon Hall Farm a miss as it is really for younger children.

I would also add Kirkstall abbey and the Abbey House museum.

I wouldn’t bother leaving West & North Yorkshire to be honest

Except to visit Yorkshire Wildlife Park. It realy is amazing how the place has developed since they first rescued the lions from Romania 12 years ago. It is much easier to get to now that they have built the link road from the M18.

We used to drive across to Chester Zoo (2 hours drive) but have no need as YWP is on our doorstep (it doesn't have elephants, but I wouldn't be surprised if they don't get them at some point in the future).

@jasminoide

Thank you all so much, taking note of everything. Dc are 18, 16 and 12. The youngest 2 love animals so ideally we'd go to some sort of animal experience/farm, any suggestions of things close by? There's an alpaca place in Pudsey, it's very expensive though (about £100+ for 30 minute walk) has anyone been that can advise?

Monk Park Farm is fab for little ones who like animals www.monkparkfarm.co.uk/plan-your-visit/park-map/

West side of Bradford that is.

Bolton Abbey, lovely picnic spot, river to play in, ruins and walks

Media museum is always a good shout. We haven't been for years but I'm sure it's free. There is an ice rink just over the road from it too.

Temple newsam farm is really good and you can have a nice walk round the grounds.

Goodalls at tong just for the ice cream. It's not really a petting zoo though, just some alpacas and a couple of goats.

Xscape at castleford is about 30 mins away, there is all sorts there including a dry slope for snowboarding and tobogganing.

Yea to flam borough for the views. It's one of my favourite places.

There is an escape room place in leeds city centre.

Park up at saltaire for a lovely long canal walk.

@Juice9000 same! I used to live near there and near the IKEA retail park in batley on the m621 there's a sign that always makes me laugh 'Bradford tourist attractions' like what? The exit?

Here you go OP, the Tong Alpacas, no need to pay £100 to see them

I think some of the farm places mentioned aren't going to appeal to teens but Yorkshire wildlife park is good for a day out. Tropical world is nice for a short visit for the indoor botanical stuff and you could go to Roundhay park. Personally I found the cat cafe in Leeds overpriced (you pay entry as well as for your food) and not amazing but there are lots of other things to do in Leeds city centre if you do go there for lunch e.g. art gallery, city museum, browsing shops. In Bradford itself the only things I would visit are the Media museum and Waterstones. And the Alhambra if there is something good on. Take the train to ilkley for a visit to Bettys or other nice cafes/shops. You can also walk up to the edge of the moor quite easily but you might want your car to park higher up for a proper walk. Otley if you like a market/charity shops/pubs. Saltaire/Salts Mill and Haworth also nice to visit and not too far. I definitely wouldn't drive to Flambrough - it will take ages and it's not that amazing.

Both Leeds and Bradford have industrial museums and the Bradford one was free last time I went.

Interesting for DC the OPs age because if they were born in 18th century Yorkshire they'd have been working full time in the mills. Focusses the mind somewhat any time they're having an 'its so unfair' moment.

@BarbaraofSeville are you my next door neighbour??? I'm about 5 mins from the alpacas 😂

Ooh yes I forgot to mention the industrial museum in armley. It's rather haunted and they have done some overnight ghost hunts there before. I could barely walk into the cinema room, all my hair stood on end and I was quite scared.

Maybe don't tell the younger ones about that bit....