Inside timeless town where life is rich and property can be cheap
Bradford-on-Avon feels timeless. As you exit the train station- walking past the bubbly lady selling coffee for tired commuters - one of the first things you'll see on the horizon is a beautiful early eighteenth century mansion.
Just a short stroll from there, you'll pass an ancient bridge overlooking the river: cross it and go straight ahead for The Shambles, a dinky row of shops with one harkening back to the 1400s. Or, cross the bridge and turn left to be on your way to a meticulously preserved Saxon church thought to be built around 700.
John, 67, has lived in Bradford-on-Avon since the eighties and doesn't feel it's changed much: "The fabric of the town is the same. It's got a bit busier but it's also had a lot of traffic. The population's not grown enormously because the amount of new housing has been quite limited.
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"I don't think the centre of Bradford-on-Avon will or can change very much, just because it's so densely populated and the houses are already there."
According to the Office for National Statistics, Bradford-on-Avon has a population of around 10,400 people. It's a town of contradictions: ancient yet trendy, serene yet bustling, cosseted in a cosy part of Wiltshire yet well connected to Bath and Trowbridge.
Despite its genteel charm and apparent shortage of housing, property in Bradford can be surprisingly cheap. Apartments in the Grade II listed Westbury House- originally a mansion when it was built in the early 1700s - can go for as cheap as £189,950.
Meanwhile, retirement apartments in the Victorian Abbey Mill overlooking the river are going for a starting rate of offers above £160,000. To put this in perspective, The BBC reported this week that the average house price in the UK is £293,399.
The Bull Pit - another area overlooking the river - dates back to the 18th century and has one apartment on the market for £950 per calendar month. While new builds seem to be uncommon, the town has made good use of the homes already there, allowing Bradfordians to live in centuries-old homes with bright, modern interiors.
On a cloudy Tuesday in October, the town seemed plenty busy. But some 'to let' signs in shop windows on The Shambles and the closed down Swan Hotel complicated the town's trendy image.
When asked about the 'to-let' signs, John said: "Like everywhere, hospitality really took a hammering during Covid. It was a tough period for restaurants and pubs."
For me, there's no question that a town that's thrived for so long can rise again from any challenges it may be facing. It's a town where people have worshipped since the Saxon age, ran bustling markets since the Medieval age, and been captains of industry during the Victorian age.
What no longer works, the town has repurposed: mansions become stylish apartments, Victorian mills become retirement homes. As the centuries wear on, Bradford adapts to changes but retains its timeless charm.