Saltaire Model Village

I first heard of Saltaire after my Dad moved to West Yorkshire about 15 years ago. Since then it's become one of our favourite places to visit in the area, whether it's a walk along the canal, strolling through the park or lunch in the Mill, it holds a lot of memories for us as a family.

Saltaire is a Victorian model village in West Yorkshire built by Titus Salt in the mid 1800s. Some see Titus as a controlling business man and ruthless employer who reaped rewards from his employees, others see him as a philanthropist who improved the lives of many. I'll leave you to decide.

Born in Morley near Leeds in 1803, Titus was the son of Daniel Salt a wool-stapler and successful businessman. He joined his fathers firm in 1824 as a wool buyer. The firm Daniel Salt & Son prospered in Bradford, but Titus was unhappy with the slum conditions of the city and the pollution the vast mills were creating.

In 1850 he purchased 22 acres of land in Shipley from William Crompton Stansfield. The land was well positioned on the River Aire which forms part of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. He engaged architects Henry Lockwood and Richard Mawson to draw up plans for a mill and village. The design of the buildings was inspired by Italian Renaissance with the brief being that each street must be open to allow airflow, all houses were to have running water, gas, electricity and an outside toilet, absolute luxury for working class people in the 1800s.

The village consisted of 850 dwelling homes, shops, two churches, a school, bath house, park, hospital wash house and an almshouse for the elderly. His one stipulation was that there was to be no pub or selling of alcohol within the village, this lead to speculation that Titus was teetotal, but this could not have been further from the truth, he just didn't want his workers under the influence while at work.

Instead of a pub he had a recreation centre called Victoria Hall built, this was a centre for culture and community which included a library and an adult education centre.

The mill opened on 20th September 1853, Salt's 50th birthday, with much pomp and ceremony, but probably not any Champagne corks popping!

The village was completed in 1871, just five years before Titus Salt's death in 1876. The village and mill thrived for the next one hundred years, but unfortunately like much of the clothing industry, it became unsustainable and was closed in 1986.

In 1987 the dilapidated mill was purchased by local businessman and entrepreneur Jonathan Silver, with a background in business and retail he managed the restoration of the mill and developed it into a cultural, retail and commercial centre. Silver was an admirer of the artist and local boy David Hockney. He created the 1853 Gallery which is a dedicated space for the Hockney Collection.

In December 2001 Saltaire Village and Mill became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognised for its international influence on town planning, and its importance in social and economic impact on the textile industry.

The village and mill are now a tourist attraction with restaurants, cafes and shops. Poor Titus will be turning in his grave as alcohol is served not only in the village, but also in the cafe and restaurant within the mill.