Text and Photographs Copyright © by May DeLory. All Rights Reserved
Put a song in your travels…you’ll be happier for the tune!
BBC Two – Great British Railway Journeys, Series 2, York to Saltaire http://bbc.in/wpUlEi
Saltaire village – near Bradford in West Yorkshire, England and not too far from Leeds – is on the River Aire. Saltaire makes for a wonderful day trip by auto or rail. When you arrive in Saltaire be sure to take a pleasure boat for a tour down the river. But it’s Sir Titus Salt’s textile mill – now an immense museum in the original building – that is a testament to the man’s genius and is the real treasure of Saltaire. As you may see from this photograph I took while at the mill, the structure is huge. Within its walls are surprises few at first glance ever imagine. And the food at the various cafes and main restaurant are absolutely tasty. No greasy stuff here. I loved the local beer with its collector’s blue label.
Sir Titus Salt was born on the 20th day of September in 1803 not too far from Leeds; he built his father’s textile mill into a resounding success, employing thousands of people in Bradford, Yorkshire. The industrial mill was said to be England’s worst polluter. In 1850 when Salt could not get political support to help clean up the mess, he bought property three miles from Bradford and began to build the village of Saltaire on the River Aire as a model place to live and work in a healthy environment. He bought the latest and most efficient machinery for the mill and set it far beneath the building’s structure to insulate the ear-deafening sounds of the mill’s workings.
Saltaire Mill Museum Machinery
Saltaire had its own library, school, church, hospital, almshouses, bathhouses, an institute, and 850 houses for the mill’s workers within walking distance of the mill. Each Saltaire house had its own outside lavatory unlike Bradford and most of England. Salt had a 500,000 gallon reservoir supply clean and healthy water to his model village. Sir Titus Salt died in 1876 a poor man having given all his money away to needy causes.
In December 2001 Saltaire was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The mill is now a fascinating museum with shops, art galleries, extensive bookshop, restaurants, a cafe and displays of original machinery. The original worker’s houses are a real treat to see and just a short stroll from the museum.
Saltaire is a real village with people employed in various jobs and living in Salt’s model row houses. Sir Titus Salt choose one of the prettiest locations in West Yorkshire for the village of Saltaire. Even to this day there are whimsical pastry and tea shops that line the village streets. As for the mill museum…you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better place to purchase unique gifts and items of interest. If you are especially looking for books on wool making, how to knit, or the history of the textile industry…it’s all here in the museum’s book shop. As you stroll the pretty streets of Saltaire, notice street names such as “Katherine” that are named in honour of the Salt family heritage.
Travel Information
FYI
http://bit.ly/1biCaCr London to York in true luxury.
BBC Two – Great British Railway Journeys, Series 2, York to Saltaire http://bbc.in/wpUlEi
http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/york
http://www.ghosthunt.co.uk/ The city of York, England.
http://www.wymetro.com/TrainTravel/metrotrainstations/sae
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/brimhamrocks/
http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/york From London, England to Edinburgh, Scotland with exciting stops along the way. Want to know how long it takes from one point to another? http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/travel-information/
7 January – 23 February 2013
Visions of Angria: Exhibition showcasing rarely seen Branwell Bronte manuscripts from the University of Leeds Special Collections, accompanied by illustrations from students at Leeds College of Art – Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery - Leeds - http://library.leeds.ac.uk/art-gallery
Shopping information:
You might see Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge taking her baby out for a stroll in a Silver Cross pram – all of the Queen’s children [Queen Elizabeth] were wheeled around in the legendary brand; the prams’ contemporary designs are popular across the world. The Silver Cross pram was invented by William Wilson from Leeds, Yorkshire, in 1877, and they are still being manufactured in Yorkshire in the North of England today.
Every baby needs a teddy bear and the definitive toy emporium Hamleys, on London’s Regent Street (get off the underground tube at Piccadilly), is a one-stop-shop of delightful gifts for baby and children of all ages. The world’s largest toy shop stocks classic British brands such as The Great British Teddy Bear Company, who create teddy bears dressed in iconic British costumes.
One of the first presents I purchased for my first grandchild was a pink piggy bank and money to go into it. Commemorate a baby’s birth with a gift from The Royal Mint; the prestigious UK coin manufacturer offers a special baby and christening selection. Bring baby lifelong luck with a Lucky Silver Sixpence or go for gold with the UK Britannia Gold Proof Ten-Ounce coin or the Sovereign Baby Gift.
Useful shopping information
See VisitBritain Shop for baby gift ideas, including London Underground themed baby outfits! www.visitbritainshop.com
Saltaire Museum, Yorkshire. Cafe / Wide Selection of Beer & Menu
