Pinch of Salt

I have never given it much thought but the wealth and influence of this Nation of ours was as a result of the great endeavours and entrepreneurial flair of many individuals, be they Captains of Industry, Giants of Commerce, Leaders of Men and fearless pioneers in all walks of life and business. 

In today’s global economy fortunes can be made at the click of a computer keyboard or by virtual trading in commodities and monies. 

In the halcyon days of Empire such riches had to be earned by hard graft, prudent investment and above all, doing things on a vast scale. 

Take for example the place that I visited today, Salts Mill in Saltaire, now very much a part of the West Yorkshire conurbation but in the 19^th Century more of a self contained enclave.

In 1853 the industrialist mill owner Titus Salt built it and at the time it was the largest industrial building in the world on the basis of floor area. 

He had earlier rejected a design that would cost £100,000 on the basis that it was “not half large enough” and so you can appreciate the vastness of the completed building that had a workforce of 3000. 

The factory produced 30000 yards of cloth every day from its 1200 looms.

The ornate features disguised the great functionality of its design with the main criteria being that it was of fire-proof construction with cast-iron columns and beams, stone floors on hollow-brick arches, and a cast-iron roof. 

This detail has not been lost and the brick vaulted ceilings of the main floors are retained and continue to support flagstone flooring on which the array of machines will have been positioned. 

The exterior is in hammer-dressed stone with ashlar and rock-faced dressings under a Welsh slate roof. 

The main facade is 60 bays long arranged symmetrically. A prominent feature is the 68 metre high chimney. 

Titus Salt was also a philanthropic industrialist and built a village to house his workers adjacent to the factory with good amenities and facilities. 

The building in a classic Italianate architectural style is still, to this day, strikingly impressive even though after its closure in 1986 it was in very poor condition. 

Its factory floors now provide gallery and display space, a restaurant and niche retail units which attract thousands of visitors annually. 

The site was granted World Heritage status in 2001. 

It is well worth a visit.

David Hockney Salts Mill