Greengates is a small suburban area in the north-east of the city of
Bradford
Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...
,
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
, in England. The area is bordered by
Idle and
Thackley to the north-west, whilst
Thorpe Edge is to the west. To the south of Greengates is
Ravenscliffe with the village of
Eccleshill beyond that.
Apperley Bridge
Apperley Bridge is a village in the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford, in West Yorkshire, England in the Idle and Thackley Ward.
Apperley Bridge is north-east of Bradford on the boundary with the City of Leeds
bounded in the east b ...
is to the north. East of Greengates, in the
Leeds Metropolitan District, is the village of
Calverley.
History
To the west of Greengates is Albion Mills, a historic textile mill, destroyed by fire on 10 March 1911 but rebuilt.
In 1931 the Bradford trolleybus routes were extended from Idle to Greengates
with the service running along Albion Road and Leeds Road.
In 1928 a purpose-built 595 seat cinema 'Greengates Cinema' was constructed on New Line for the Greengates Cinema Company. This closed in 1959 and is now an
Asda
Asda Stores Limited (), trading as Asda and often styled as ASDA, is a British supermarket and petrol station chain. Its headquarters is in Leeds, England. The company was incorporated as Associated Dairies and Farm Stores in 1949. It expanded ...
supermarket.
[;
]
Governance
Greengates is situated largely in the
Idle and Thackley ward and partly in the Eccleshill ward. It is represented as part of the parliamentary constituency of
Bradford East.
Economy

Greengates' proximity to the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool.
Over a distance of , crossing the Pennines, and including 91 locks on the main line. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal has several small branc ...
, that runs through Apperley Bridge to the north of the village, has meant that Greengates has several mills. At the western end is Robin Mills and Albion Mills. Robin Mills was a base for manufacturing knitting wool yarns but is now split into industrial units. A large part of Robin Mills is occupied by Storey Evans, carton, leaflet, label etc. printers for the pharmaceutical industry.
Albion Mills is split into office accommodation and business units. There is the racing car themed Speedmaster Conference Centre, until recently notable for its classic, competition and racing car showroom and exhibition. The centre was opened in April 2008 by Sir
Stirling Moss
Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss (17 September 1929 – 12 April 2020) was a British racing driver and sports broadcasting, broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from to . Widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers to never win the Formula On ...
.
[; ]
The large
cenotaph
A cenotaph is an empty grave, tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere or have been lost. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although t ...
war memorial situated at the crossroads, which commemorates those who died in
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
from Greengates and the surrounding villages.
On Harrogate Road to the north of the main crossroads there is a large
Anglican
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
church dedicated to
St. John the Evangelist.
Along this stretch of the Harrogate Road is Optegra Yorkshire Eye Hospital and Bettersight Advanced Eye and Vision Consultancy.
There are a number of
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
s in Greengates.
These are to be found at Beck Bottom,
Carr Bottom Road,
[; and ]
Haigh Hall,
[; and ]
Harrogate Road,
[
;
;
;
;
]
New Line
[
;
;
;
]
and Stockhill Fold.
[
;
;
;
;
;
]
Education
Greengates has its own primary school, Greengates Primary School, that moved northwards out of an older building on Leeds Road, to a new building across the road.
The old school building has now been transformed into fashion business premises. Parkland Primary School, immediately behind Albion Mills, also serves Greengates and the neighbouring
Thorpe Edge estate.
Transport
The following bus services run to Greengates:
*645: (First Bradford) Buttershaw – Greengates via Five Lane Ends and Bradford City Centre,
*60: (Keighley Bus Company) Leeds – Keighley via Bingley and Saltaire,
*747: (Flying Tiger)
irport DirectBradford – Leeds Bradford Airport – Harrogate.
The
A657 Leeds Road / New Line runs east–west through Greengates while the A658 Harrogate Road runs approximately north–south.
Greengates does not have its own railway station: the nearest station is
Apperley Bridge railway station just under a mile to the north. The nearest airport to Greengates is
Leeds Bradford Airport
Leeds Bradford Airport is located in Yeadon, West Yorkshire, Yeadon, in the City of Leeds, City of Leeds Metropolitan District in West Yorkshire, England, about northwest of Leeds city centre, and about northeast from Bradford city centre. ...
, which can be accessed by bus service 747.
Notable people
*
Albert Cordingley (1871–1939), first-class cricketer
See also
*
Listed buildings in Idle and Thackley
*
Listed buildings in Bradford (Eccleshill Ward)
References
{{Navboxes, list1 =
{{Geographic location
, Northwest =
Thackley
, North =
Apperley Bridge
Apperley Bridge is a village in the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford, in West Yorkshire, England in the Idle and Thackley Ward.
Apperley Bridge is north-east of Bradford on the boundary with the City of Leeds
bounded in the east b ...
, Northeast =
Rawdon
, West =
Idle
, Center = Greengates
, East =
Calverley
, Southwest =
Eccleshill
, South =
, Southeast =
Ravenscliffe
{{City of Bradford
Areas of Bradford