Walking through room after room of beautifully preserved Victorian splendour inside Bradford’s City Hall, it’s easy to imagine the roles it has played on screen standing in for important institutions such as the House of Commons and the Old Bailey. It was built in 1873 in the Venetian gothic style and the range of backdrops under one roof make it a hugely popular destination for filming. One of the most recent feature films to shoot here was the 2019 film Official Secrets starring Keira Knightley, but it’s also welcomed productions such as Peaky Blinders, Victoria, The Great Train Robbery and Testament of Youth, as well as Coronation Street, Emmerdale and The ABC Murders.
Right on Bradford’s Centenary Square, the City Hall is a Grade I-listed building and has been hired out for filming since 1959. One of the most magnificent spaces you might recognise from the screen is its Victorian Court Room. Other authentic period features include the impressive council chambers, entrance hall and staircase, Lord Mayor’s rooms and a banqueting hall that boasts a beautiful 19th-century overmantel and frieze.
