Saltaire, West Yorkshire

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One of the greatest treasures of the Bradford area, is Saltaire. This extraordinary mill and village on the bank of the River Aire near Shipley, was the brainchild of wealthy mill owner Sir Titus Salt, a visionary businessman who wanted to create a slice of paradise for his mill workers who had become victims of the same industrial revolution in which he'd made his fortune. While he lived in the lap of luxury, others were suffering the degradation of living in crowded, unhealthy streets where sanitation was poor, disease was rife and crime was out of control.

Between 1851 and 1876 he created a model village of 22 streets, 775 houses and 45 almshouses on 25 acres of land, as well as the great mill which was opened in 1853 on his 50th birthday. The state-of-the-art mill housed 14 boilers supplying steam to four beam engines which powered 1,200 looms capable of producing 30,000 yards of cloth per day. The whole development was considered to be the Utopia of West Yorkshire, far removed from the poverty which existed just a few miles down the road.

Eventually, recession caught up with Salts who ceased trading in 1892, leaving his little corner of paradise to stand idle and eventually fall victim to vandalism until, nearly a century later, it caught the imagination of maverick Leeds entrepreneur Jonathan Silver, who had already helped Sir Ernest Hall to revitalise Dean Clough in Halifax. Sharing Salt's vision and commitment, he bought the mill with the sole aim of restoring it to its former glory. Today the mill houses three galleries containing hundreds of works by Bradford born artist David Hockney, all linked by a family restaurant where even the napkins are Hockney designed. The buildings are occupied by a broad cross section of commercial, cultural and corporate enterprises, including the 40 antique dealers who occupy the Victoria Centre and an annex to Shipley College houses in a former dining hall for mill workers.

Saltaire has become the Mecca for thousands of visitors who spend hours trawling through the pristine streets, trying to imagine life as it was 100 years ago and the inspiration behind this extraordinary development.

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