The Industrial Revolution at Undercliffe Cemetery

The move to producing goods in factories using mechanisation resulted in the large scale movement of people from rural areas to towns and cities. Towns such as Bradford grew at an alarming rate putting pressure on local services. Green fields were transformed into industrial landscapes.

Instead of hearing the sound of cows and sheep the roar of industry filled the air along with smoke belching out from factory chimneys. Streets were filled with people going to and from work, streams which once were filled with fish and wildlife were polluted and became a health hazard. Living conditions were intolerable and childhood mortality was horrendous.

The Railways and Canals carried raw materials and goods from coastal ports, quarries and mines and transported the finished goods to their final destination. Steam engines drove spinning and weaving machines in the factories and had a huge appetite for coal. The iron works made it possible to manufacturer the machines, steam engines and railways, and even armaments to fight foreign wars.

There were no turning back, the nation was transformed. A small number of men became immensely rich whilst the vast majority of the population worked night and day to man the factories and the mines. The tour will highlight some of the people who are buried at Undercliffe Cemetery who played their part in this transformation. The Industrial Revolution.