Essential Reading for Intrepid Saltmen and Women

Long-standing readers of this blog may recall that Following the Saltmen produces an (occasional) series of travel guides for the geographically curious non-league football supporter.

This season, as we have mostly been revisiting towns we had previously been to, there has been less need for such valuable travel advice. However, this coming weekend sees the Saltmen travel to Bradford for the first time.

The first important thing to bear in mind when planning your trip must be that there is more than one Bradford in the UK. This is important because if you end up in Bradford (West Yorkshire) you will almost certainly miss the game.

Confusion would be understandable because both Bradfords made their fortunes from the wool trade. In fact, Bradford on Avon (BOA) had woollen mills well before its northern name sake. Unfortunately for Bradford on Avon, much of the wool trade moved from the Wiltshire town to the newly founded giant mills in West Yorkshire, and Bradford in particular.

However, the town’s rubber industry started in 1848 at Kingston Mill, off what is now Kingston Road, where Stephen Moulton took over redundant woollen mills and brought vulcanised rubber to Britain. The Iron Duke, the machine he began with, has been restored and stands on Kingston Road as a memorial. [Source: discovercotswolds.com]

Sadly, the wool trade has been in decline since the mid part of the twentieth century as production was moved overseas.

It will be interesting to see how the two former mill towns compare since they both lost their traditional industries. I expect the difference will be stark. Whereas Bradford (WY) has seen a decline in its fortunes, BOA appears prosperous. I think I’ve identified the reason:

Bradford on Avon is located in the west of Wiltshire, close to its border with Somerset. It can be found between Bath and Trowbridge. If that doesn’t help much, I can add that it is also situated a few miles to the west of Melksham.

So, now we have established in which Bradford, Bradford Town FC play, we can look in more detail at the area. Luckily for all concerned, Bradford on Avon is located on the River Avon. This would prevent a great deal of misunderstanding except that there is more than one River Avon! Bradford is not on the River Avon which runs through the Vale of Evesham to its confluence with the River Severn, at Tewkesbury. Instead, it is on the River Avon which runs through Bristol, under the Clifton suspension bridge and out into the Severn estuary at Avonmouth where thousands of white vans are born every year. The vans can clearly be seen from the M5. Scientists have yet to determine where the vans are conceived but many have the word Ford on them. Could that allude to the ford in Brad-ford?

Of course, white vans are not the only thing which (may) come from Bradford on Avon. The town clearly has an affinity with sport. Former England Rugby and occasional Question of Sport captain Will Carling OBE hails from the town. Lewis Moody, another former England rugby international lives in the town. Olympians Jazz Carlin and Ed McKeever are also Bradford residents. Jamaican football international Fitzroy Simpson was born in Bradford, presumably during a now forgotten period when Wiltshire was annexed by the Eastern Caribbean state.

Away from sport, longtime Antiques Roadshow presenter Hugh Scully was a BOA native. Named after the biblical Welsh messiah, Brit Pop band and international bright young things Jesus Jones were formed “Right Here” in BOA. They still play and tour so keep your eyes open for tickets.

There are a number of Pubs and eateries for those of us who find motorised transport quite dehydrating. As responsible publishers we must remind you to drink responsibly, like wot we do!

The club is running a coach for Spa supporters. There is limited space available so contact admin@ds-fc.com for further information.

See you there.

Cheers

FTS