About

The Bradford Peregrine Trail highlights locations across the Bradford area where you can see the fastest animal in the world: the Peregrine Falcon. These stunning wild birds will readily set up home in urban areas and the tall chimneys of Bradford's mills make perfect substitutes for the cliffs and rocky outcrops they nest on in the countyside.

Where to watch:

-Dalton Mills

Dalton Mills in Keighley is the first stop on the Peregrine Trail. Sadly the main mill building has been damaged by fires and there are currently issues with ownership of the mill making it difficult for us to undertake any works here. However we hope to bring online a long distance webcam very soon.

The Peregrines have nested successfully here for many years and we're lucky that the chimney they use at the back of the mill has not been affected by the fires.

The Peregrines can perch on any side of the chimney and sometimes on the other buildings making up the Mills complex. Good viewing can often be had from Riverside, Dalton Lane or River Technology Park Road.

-Damart Factory

The easily recognisable "Damart chimney" is a regular haunt of Peregrine Falcons. We provided guidance to Damart on installing a nest box for the Falcons, which Damart generously funded and carried out the works for. A fantastic gesture from our favourite clothing manufacturer!

The box was installed in early 2023, probably too late for the Peregrines to find and use the box that year. The first reported sighting of a Peregrine on the box was in February 2024 and we have our fingers crossed for a nesting attempt this year.

The Peregrines will perch on any face of the chimney so it might be necessary to move to different locations to check all perch points for Peregrines - binoculars or a telescope is recommended. The nest box is sited on the north face so is best viewed from the 5 Rise Locks or Hill Side Road area.

-Salts Mill

Salts Mill in Saltaire is the third stop on the Peregrine Trail and is our only Peregrine location in a UNESCO world heritage site! Sadly the building owners have not granted their permission for us to install a nest box here, but we hope our infectious enthusiasm for Peregrines will bring them round.

If you're visiting the Mill and see the Peregrines please politely share your sightings and enthusiasm for the birds with the folk at Salts.

Peregrines often perch high up on the highest chimney at Salts, and on the horizontal ledge on the gable end viewable from near the art trail sign on the canal tow path.

-Lister Mills

The iconic Lister Mill chimney stands at 249 feet and can be seen from across the Bradford District. It's no surprise that Peregrines have made a home here, and they've been using the chimney for many years. They have only had occasional breeding success over that time, so we have installed a special nestbox which should give them a much greater chance of hatching their eggs. We're also installing a web camera so we can all follow their progress through the breeding season - this should be up and running soon.

The resident Tiercel (or male) at Lister Mill has a red leg ring with the code "TBD". TBD was ringed when he was just 2 weeks old on the clock tower of the University of Leeds in 2019. It's great to see him doing well just a few miles away in Bradford!

The Peregrines will perch on any face of the Lister Mill chimney, so it may be necessary to walk around the site to see the birds. Binoculars or a telescope are recommend for viewing as the chimney is tall so the birds are difficult to see with the naked eye. The nest box is mounted at the northern end of the north east face. So it is best viewed from part way down Beamsley Road.

-City Hall

The City Hall, in the centre of Bradford, is the final destination on the Bradford Peregrine Trail and has held resident Peregrines for many years now. The pair have only infrequently had breeding success but we hope to improve that by installing a nest box for them in the future.

The Peregrines will perch on any face of the clock tower but one of our favourite viewing locations where the birds can often be seen with binoculars or a telescope is from Centenary Square near Nandos. We hope to bring you a nest box webcam in the Autumn of 2024.