Bradford Beck - Cathedral Arches

Beneath the cathedral lies a series of magnificent, subterranean vaulted arches below Centenary Square. Built between 1866–1867 The arches were part of a continuous stone and brick viaduct designed to Span across the valley near the Cathedral and Minimise land-take in the densely built-up area. Its here the bowling beck meets with the Bradford beck and Eastbrook with intersecting channels coming from all four cardinal directions

The arches resemble the cathedral's architecture with its intricate Victorian masonry, elegant in its symmetry and geometry. There are plans to open up this section of the Beck under the ‘Alsop plan’ which aims at redeveloping bradfords city centre as Yorkshire's answer to geneva. At the heart of the masterplan is a proposal to create an artificial lake called ‘the bowl’ and urban park in front of city hall to help regenerate the city centre.

History

“The Bradford Beck has shaped the landscape and history of Bradford for centuries. Originating in medieval times, it begins as a number of springs located around Keelham, west of Bradford. These small springs merge to form Bradford Dale, which is further fed by various streams flowing towards the city centre, coming together to form what is now known as the Bradford Beck. Historically, the beck was an essential watercourse for early settlers and industries, but as Bradford industrialised during the 19th century, it became heavily polluted, known as one of the filthiest streams in England by Victorian times. The beck was gradually culverted through the expanding city to manage both sanitation and flood risks. However, serious flooding remained a persistent issue, with one of the earliest well-documented events occurring in 1866. Throughout the 20th century, the original aging Victorian culverts, including sections nicknamed ‘Bombay Mix’, struggled to cope with storm flows, leading to regular flooding in the city”.