This unusual Bradford police station has been left vacant for decades.
Grade II-listed, 1877, Eli Milnes and Charles France
Bavaria Place was commissioned by the Bradford Borough Police Force in 1877, as part of a wider effort to increase police presence in the then rapidly expanding manufacturing town. The work of two local architects, Eli Milnes and Charles France, who formed a partnership in 1865, it was designed to respond sympathetically to the street scene, of ashlar sandstone, whilst making a compelling architectural contribution in its own right. The most prominent feature is the rounded corner tower – with a steep, corniced French Gothic roof – which was presumably designed provide, or at least imply, a good field of vision down Bavaria Place and Church Street. The building has long since closed, but has struggled to find a new owner, and currently lies vacant and in need of urgent restoration.
Griff Rhys Jones, Victorian Society President, said: ‘Bradford is well known for its wonderful Victorian buildings, it perhaps has so many wonderful examples that it lets them slip away too easily. As Bradford regenerates, it should do all it can to save the buildings by its key local architects, those who made it a great city. It is irreplaceable historic buildings such as this police station which will attract investment to Bradford, the city’s heritage must be protected.
Status Update / March 2026
Although it was made secure and watertight in 2020, the building remains vacant and in need of urgent repairs. A comprehensive restoration and redevelopment strategy is needed to secure a sustainable new use for the building and safeguard its future.