Saltaire

The bottom of Field Locks where we moored for the night on Friday. They are locked at 4pm, so were too late on Friday evening to go through. But it was a very pleasant place to be, lots of walkers and cyclists passing by and nice woods to walk with Jumble.

Looking down from the bridge above the locks, Ian being arty this time!  So on Saturday morning we set off in sunshine to work the staircase with the help of a very nice lock keeper who made a good job of keeping the very leaky gates from pouring too much water into our bow.

Through Shipley we looked out for the old junction with the Bradford Canal, it was 3 miles long, shame we can't get to see our daughter there by boat.  We'll go by train instead.

And so we arrive at Saltaire. A mill town built by Sir Titus Salt in the 1850's. A Victorian philanthropist who moved his woollen textile business out of Bradford where the city had become so polluted and the housing was in such a poor state. He built a new mill beside the canal and the railway, and then built a village around it with housing for his employees, schools for the children, hospital, churches, leisure facilities and parkland. 

Looking over the road bridge where the canal runs between the original mill and a newer one built a few years later.

The church which stands opposite the mill and alongside the canal built as a congregationalist church, now a United Reformed Church.

It is very popular for weddings being in this unique Italianate style. There was a wedding going on today unfortunately in the rain. We took this photo yesterday in the sunshine.

Inside the church, looking back to the entrance. The Salt's gallery can be seen above the door. But they didn't use it, Sir Titus had the lights lowered so they were in the way and preferred to sit in the pews.

The organ is quite impressive.

The three storey houses were used as lodging houses for single workers.

The houses with front gardens were for the foremen of the factory.

Some opened straight onto the street, and these were for the lower paid employees.

All the houses had a water supply, gas lighting, an outdoor privy, separate living and cooking spaces and several bedrooms. A great improvement for the workers.

Saltaire is now recognised on the UNESCO World Heritage list as one of the best nineteenth century 'model villages'.

The mill now houses among other things a large gallery of David Hockney's art.

We have enjoyed spending time in Saltaire and have been able to visit our daughter in Bradford too.