Saltaire

About

Saltaire was founded by Sir Titus Salt along the River Aire, hence Salt+Aire (aha!), in 1851. The pinnacle of the Victorian philanthropic paternalist ideal, Salt’s industrial town provided his factory workers luxuries like backyards, bathrooms, and bathhouses in a grid of elegant Victorian townhouses, which would influence the ‘garden city’ movement. In order to keep his town tidy, Salt even banned washing lines and required all employees take two-baths-a-week. The result of having clean, happy, and cared for workers? Increased factory profits. Today, the elegant architecture and open spaces make the town a delight for visitors to explore, with the old mill standing as the unmissable monument. Once the largest factory in the world, the mill was purchased by Jonathan Silver in 1986, who partnered with renowned artist David Hockney to convert the space into a giant art gallery and shopping emporium. Now, visitors are treated to not just fine shops, but one of the world’s largest David Hockney exhibitions.