Surrounding the majestic centerpiece of Cartwright Hall is Lister Park, a green sprawl featuring a boating lake and an adventure playground. Its water gardens, sports courts and woodland areas provide relaxing locations on the northern side of Bradford. Capture photos of the Baroque Cartwright Hall dominating the park’s skyline.
Appreciate the serenity in the Mughal Water Gardens, which fuses Islamic and Hindu styles. In spring and summer, exotic plants surround the stone-edged canals and fountains. Enjoy views of these water features, with Cartwright Hall popping up in the background.
Visit Cartwright Hall, a commanding building with colorful floral displays, a water fountain and statues. Inside is the Cartwright Hall Art Gallery.
Enter the gallery for its array of British art from the 19th and 20th centuries. See the South Asian arts and crafts and the collection of prints representing pop art and modernist works. The crowning jewel is the David Hockney Gallery, which celebrates the life and works of Bradford’s most famous artist.
Bring your kids to the adventure playground and inspect the range of bright flowers in the botanical gardens. Enjoy a few hours with a picnic by the boating lake, where you’ll also find a café. Play games on the tennis courts or bowling green and attend occasional concerts at the bandstand. The park’s trees and gardens are often adorned by a layer of twinkling snow in winter.
The park is open at all times and is free to enter. Leave your car in the free parking lot from morning until dusk.
Lister Park straddles the Emm Lane Campus of the University of Bradford in the northern part of the city. Take a bus from the city center to get here in about 15 minutes. While in the area, go to Bradford City Football Club, Northcliffe Park and the Birthplace of J.B. Priestley.
