BRADFORD is home to numerous beautiful buildings steeped in history, places we can be proud of.

But how would you rank them? Which one is the best?

Here is a list of nine of the top sites, facts and figures on each but sadly, due to the coronavirus pandemic, we can't enjoy them, or visit some of them, as we used to at the moment.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

City Hall

The headquarters of Bradford Council, where the district's powers-that-be make key decisions that affect all of us.

It is not only the political base of Bradford but it has also been the backdrop for many a TV drama or film including court room scenes for soaps including Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

It has also served as a regular backdrop for the Brummie drama Peaky Blinders, which has used the cells at the Police Museum for scenes.

City Hall was built by John Ives & Son of Shipley and took three years to complete and priced £100,000. It was opened by then Mayor Matthew Thompson on 9 September 1873.

On 14 March 1912 Winston Churchill gave a speech outside the hall in which he called for the people to "go forward together and put these grave matters to the proof".

In 1965 the name was changed to City Hall to reflect Bradford's prominence, and the building was improved at a cost of £12,000.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Bradford Cathedral

The Stott Hill cathedral is built on a site used for Christian worship since the 8th century, when missionaries based in Dewsbury evangelised the area.

The first church on the site was built in Anglo-Saxon times and fell into ruin during the Norman Invasion in 1066.

The Norman Lady of the Manor, Alice de Laci, built a second church that three hundred years later would be destroyed by raiding Scots.

It has been extended over the years and (in non-lockdown times) holds annual events and concerts.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Wool Exchange

The grade I-listed building was built between 1864 and 1867 as a wool-trading centre in the 19th century.

It is one of the most popular sites in the city, as its Gothic Revival architecture is symbolic of the wealth and importance that wool brought to Bradford.

Today it is a Waterstones bookshop as well as Cafe W after 15 years as a Starbucks and has to be one of the grandest shops in the country.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Midland Hotel

The 90-bedroom three-star Victorian hotel in Bradford city centre, took five years to build with work starting in 1885.

It was built by the Midland Railway Company as part of the original Forster Square Railway Station, as a showpiece for the company's northern operations.

The was bought by Bradford entrepreneur John Pennington in 1992, who restored it and the hotel re-opened as the Pennington Midland Hotel in 1993. It was sold to Peel Hotels in December 1998, who returned it back to its original name.

It has had many famous guests, including actor Sir Henry Irving, who died there in 1905. He was managed by Bram Stoker of Dracula fame.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Odoen

Now being restored and turned into a new entertainment venue, Bradford Live, the site has been a popular cinema over the decades.

Built in 1930 as New Victoria, the Godwin Street site was originally a 3,318 seat cine-variety theatre, was the largest outside London, and the third largest in England.

In 1950 the complex was renamed the Gaumont and in the 1960s hosted music's biggest names for concerts including The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Tom Jones.

The Odeon closed in June 2000 but is on its way back to becoming an entertainment hub in the city.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Salts Mill

Formerly a woollen mill, originally opened in 1863, the Saltaire site was converted into an art hub once Jonathan Silver took over in 1987.

The site is now a tourist magnet as people enjoy its facilities including art, home and book shops and a restaurant and cafe with Hockney pictures on display throughout.

The mill is also a workplace for more than 1,000 people for businesses from technology to landscape architecture and graphic design.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

St George's Hall

The Grade II-listed building was opened in August 1853 and has hosted anyone and everyone from the world of entertainment, from Led Zeppelin to Ken Dodd.

The interior underwent extensive remodelling after the Second World War and again after fires in the 1980s.

St George's Hall, which has a 3,500-seat capacity, reopened in February 2019 after a major refurbishment.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Alhambra Theatre

The Morley Street site is the cornerstone of Bradford entertainment venues.

Not only does it hold the annual pantomime but also attracts the cream of West End theatre shows.

It was named after the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain, and was built in 1913 at a cost of £20,000 for theatre impresario Francis Laidler, and opened on Wednesday 18 March 1914.

In 1964, Bradford City Council bought the Alhambra for £78,900 and in 1974, it was designated a Grade II listed building.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

National Science and Media Museum

Formerly The National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, 1983–2006 and then the National Media Museum, 2006–2017, the seven floor site is now a science and media hub.

The museum has seven floors of galleries with permanent exhibitions focusing on photography, television, animation, videogaming and the internet.

In the past it has played host to James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, and astronaut Tim Peake.

Another? 

Do you have another suggestion for the Bradford district's best building?

Why not let us know in the comments section below.