The aim of the BKR Project was to study life and land use along the Bradford to Keswick trade route. This study was inspired by the journey made by Tim Smith and Irna Quereshi along the Grand Trunk Road, a trade route running through India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Bradford to Keswick road was chosen as it mirrors the Grand Trunk Road route in a number of ways; a road of some antiquity, it is linked to the development and heritage of the settlements along its way, reflecting the diversity of the land and the lives of the people.