In 1822 Bradford was described as being situated in the very heart of a manufacturing county, and possesses every advantage for trade; it is in the neighbourhood of coal and iron ore, and has the convenience of a navigable Canal, which is cut from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, near the village of Shipley, and penetrates into the heart of the town. It has several manufactories of the finest broad and narrow cloths. There are large iron works near the town, where the most ponderous work is executed. The town is tolerably well built, chiefly of stone, and has probably increased in size more than any other town in the county; the soil is dry, and the air is keen and salubrious.