The Village of Saltaire

The village of Saltaire is located 10 miles from Leeds and 5 miles from Bradford in West Yorkshire.

Saltaire is a model Victorian village built by wool baron Sir Titus Salt for his workers. The village comprises 22 streets, 850 houses, 45 Alms Houses and occupies an area of 25 acres.The streets carry the names of his wife, children and other family members.

There was a school, a hospital, Congregational and Methodist churches, Sunday school, park, bath, washhouses and railway station and because there were no public houses within the confines of the village, Salt built a Club and Institute for the moral and physical welfare of the community.

The village even had Its own fire station and a relic of those times is a Saltaire Fire Service plaque over the back door of 65 Albert Road. Most of the village remains just as it was when Salt died in 1876. In December 2001 Saltaire was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Tourist Information

Available from the Saltaire Gift and Visitor Centre,2 Victoria Road, Saltaire, BD18 3LA. 01274 774993.Victoria Hall was built in 1871 as the Home for the Saltaire Club and Institute.There were reading rooms, a library and a lecture theatre accommodating 800 persons and having 3 5 ft. wide platform. A school of art was situated on the upper floor: A further lecture room in the basement seated 21 and there was a fully equipped gymnasium, various classrooms and a curator's office.Sculptor T Milnes, supplied the four lions which front the hall and college building opposite. The names, although rather faded, are Vigilance, Determination, War and Peace. It is often used for large events such as the Day of Dance.

Car parking

Limited on street parking is available within the village and most streets are permit parking only.There are public car parks and on Caroline Street and Exhibition Road.Other car parks and street parking is available outside the village area.

By Train

There are frequent services to Bradford, Leeds, Skipton and Keighley.The railway station is situated in the heart of the village. From the station it is a five minute walk up the gentle hill to Victoria Hall.The pictures below show the many rooms that we make use of within Victoria Hall.They show the main hall which acts as the cafe, souk and an area to relax in during the day. In the evening the dancers tea is located here and at the hafla this room becomes the main performance area. Above the hall is a balcony which provides a good view of the performances below. The picture below shows the York room in which a workshop with Morocco is taking place. In the evening this room is transformed into a disco.