The Man Himself

A day in Saltaire in W Yorks saw us hiding from the torrential rain in Salts Mill. Here Titus himself - manufacturer, politician, philanthropist and early eco-warrior of Bradford,with a modern depiction of the mill behind.

In 1833 he took over the running of his father's business and within twenty years had expanded it to be the largest employer in Bradford and later the Lord Mayor of the city. The smoke and pollution emanating from the mills (factories) in Bradford was acknowledged to come from the many factory chimneys and Salt tried unsuccessfully to get this pollution cleaned up . Around 1850, he decided to build a large mill to consolidate his textile manufacture in one place, and he bought land three miles from Bradford, next to the River Aire, the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the Midland Railway: there his mill was begun in 1851. He opened it with a grand banquet on his 50th birthday, 20 September 1853, and set about building houses, bathhouses, institute, hospital, almshouses and churches, that make up Saltaire.

Today the Mill holds an impressive gallery of David Hockney paintings along with a bookshop, restaurant and other shops. Well worth a visit for the wealth of colour and artistry on display.