UNESCO City of Film

Welcome to Bradford, one of just 26 cities worldwide to be named a City of Film by UNESCO in 2009! Other cities include Bristol, Rome and Yamagata. Bradford's inspiring locations have appeared in numerous movies and TV shows and the National Science and Media Museum (NSMM) is a key attraction.

The NSMM houses the UK's first IMAX screen and the Cinerama at Pictureville, one of only two such screens in the world! The museum also hosts the annual Widescreen Weekend, celebrating the best of large-format film. Whether you're a film buff or love exploring new places, Bradford's iconic sites are perfect for set-jetting adventures. #StarringGREATBritain

Highlights

• Wuthering Heights – Top Withens: The dramatic moorland around Top Withens, long associated with Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, remains one of the region’s most atmospheric literary‑inspired landscapes. Rooted in the real Wuthering Heights setting of Haworth, its wild character continues to influence new interpretations — including Emerald Fennell’s 2026 adaptation, filmed in nearby North Yorkshire.
• East Riddlesden Hall: This National Trust manor, with its gardens and historic interiors, has appeared in various period dramas and provides a quintessentially cinematic backdrop.
• Keighley and Worth Valley Railway: Featured in the classic family film The Railway Children and its sequel. The operating trains and Oakworth station were highlighted throughout the film.
• Bradford: The BBC crime thriller Virdee was filmed entirely in Bradford, featuring locations such as City Park, Bradford's historic mills, City Hall, Cartwright Hall and Lister Park, Sunbridge Wells tunnels and the Khidmat Community Centre.
• Little Germany, Bradford: This striking enclave of neoclassical architecture continues to attract major productions. Most recently, it appeared in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, where the area was transformed into 1940s Birmingham for the film’s wartime scenes. Little Germany has also featured in the much‑loved series All Creatures Great and Small, making use of its historic streets and grand Victorian buildings.
• Esholt Village: For over 20 years, it was the location for the long-running soap Emmerdale (Farm). Fans can still visit many landmarks and even have a pint at the Woolpack pub.
• Ilkley Moor: Its breathtaking beauty has made it a standout filming location for Calendar Girls, The Witcher: Blood Origin, Miss You Already starring Drew Barrymore and Toni Collette, and the iconic opening sequence “Top of the World” from A Woman of Substance.
• UNESCO World Heritage Site Saltaire and Salts Mill: Frequently used for film and TV productions. The Railway Children Return, the 2022 sequel to the beloved classic, was filmed here, along with The English Game, Funny Cow, The Choral and BBC dramas The ABC Murders and Peaky Blinders. The Choral made particular use of Saltaire’s atmospheric mill buildings and village streets, drawing on the area’s industrial heritage to shape its visual style.
• Follow the Bradford: Film Trail and step into the scenes of iconic productions across the world’s first UNESCO City of Film.