Sunbridge Wells
Sunbridge Wells is a leisure and shopping facility and tourist attraction built in tunnels in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The centre was opened in 2016.
History
[edit]The tunnels where the leisure and shopping facility is now was a quarry in the thirteenth century. It was also used as prison cells and during the Second World War was used as an air raid shelter.[1] In the 1960s it was a location for dancing.[2] This was when The Little Fat Black Pussycat nightclub was based there - it was owned by the wrestler Shirley Crabtree who was known as Big Daddy.[3]
The unusual underground development involved the removal of hundreds of tonnes of rubble[3] and it cost £1.9 million to develop and it includes bars and shops. It had originally had a budget of £1 million but this was nearly doubled when the internal area was increased to 24,000 square feet. The stairwells and corridors are decorated in a Victorian style with displays by the Bradford Museums and Art Galleries.[4]
The leisure and shopping facility was opened after some delay[5] by the parents of developer Graham Hall, on 9 December 2016. A further extension to Sunbridge Wells, the Rose and Crown craft beer pub, opened later, The complex now hosts the following Pubs, Bars & Restaurants: Wallers Brewery, La Caverna Pizzeria, The Rose and Crown, Not Guilty Bar, Lina's Coffee Booth and Bar, Mr Pauls, Guilty, Perilla Bar and Kitchen as well Juicy Jerk.[2]
References
[edit]
- ^ "Bradford's Victorian tunnels in £1m retail refit". BBC News. 10 September 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ a b Bradfords Underground Shopping Centre opens, ITV, Retrieved 25 February 2017
- ^ a b "Tunnel vision: Bradford plans underground shopping mall". www.yorkshirepost.co.uk. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
- ^ Mason, Vivienne. "Opening day of the new Sunbridgewells bars and shops complex, in the city centre, draws thousands of visitors". Argus and Telegraph. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
- ^ Stanford, Mark (5 January 2017). "T&A". Retrieved 25 February 2017.
53°47′36.9″N 1°45′19.4″W / 53.793583°N 1.755389°W
