Home Fit For A Giant Up For Sale

I was browsing through the site the other day when I came across this: the former home of Giant William Bradley in the Yorkshire town of Market Weighton.

Who he? A quick Google of the name reveals that Bradley (b. 1787) is the tallest British man that ever lived – he was a shade under eight feet tall, tipped the scales at 27 stone, and wore shoes that were 15 inches long and 5.5 inches wide.

It wouldn’t be easy being that tall now, but back in the eighteenth century it was even tougher, and the story of his life is a sad one.

Former home of Giant William Bradley

Bradley was teased, and feared, as a child, became a farm labourer as an adult and later toured successfully with a travelling show, his appearances alongside Edward Calvet, a dwarf from Shiptonthorpe, attracting huge interest and large crowds.

Ripped off by the show’s manager, he then toured on his own, checking into local hotels and charging people a shilling to call and see him. King George III paid him a call in Windsor and presented him with a gold chain.

He eventually retired to his home town where he had a house specially built to accommodate his massive frame. It’s currently up for sale and retains many of the original features.

The doors are wider, the ceilings are taller, there’s a large marble fireplace, and a special bedroom, named the long room, that was designed to house his huge bed.

Bradley suffered ill health in later life, and his years on the road as a sideshow freak clearly took a psychological toll: he became a recluse, hid from people who came to gawk at him and requested a dawn funeral in a bid to avoid crowds.

They came anyway, and he had to be interred inside the church for fear that grave robbers would steal his body.

Bradley has enjoyed posthumous fame in Market Weighton. They hold an annual William Bradley festival and have recently erected a statue in his honour. The house features a plaque bearing the imprint of his enormous boot.

Giant Bradley’s house is being sold by Hornseys, Market Weighton (Tel: 0843 2820 79)