We are proud to present the first Bewildered Family Guide to Yorkshire video. In this clip we explore the beautiful village of Saltaire and take in the sites and sounds of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take a look:
Visit Saltaire
Saltaire is a beautiful village on the outskirts of Bradford. Although it originally housed the workers from Titus Salt’s mill on the River Aire, heavy industry is a thing of the past and today it’s all about tourism, arts and community.
There is an array of independent shops to browse and a range of tempting cafes, restaurants and pubs to visit. You will also find a packed calendar of events to enjoy throughout the year. In addition, it is worth popping by just to take in the beautiful architecture of the terraced homes and other buildings such as the Victoria Hall.
You might also enjoy sniggering at the sign bearing the name Fanny Street, but that could just be me.
Salts Mill
Titus Salt built Salts Mill in 1852 and, although he was a master businessman, his grammar left something to be desired. There’s no apostrophe in Salts Mill, even though it is the mill of Titus Salt. Still, you probably shouldn’t let that get in the way of enjoying a family day in Saltaire.
The mill no longer churns out textiles to send around the world. Instead, it is an art gallery, dining destination and shopping experience. There is a fine bookshop featuring a large selection of kids’ titles. You will also find a home shop with beautifully designed items that I could browse forever. I rarely buy from there as it’s a bit pricey and I’m tight, but I like looking.
Salts Mill is home to a host of work by the world famous artist David Hockney. The venue holds the world’s largest permanent collection of works by the Bradford-born painter and is well worth a look.
Saltaire Festival
Saltaire Festival is one of the biggest family-friendly events of the year in the village. It takes place over two weekends in the middle of September and the week in-between. You will find kids’ activities, art displays, open gardens and more in the lead up to the final weekend, when the village is taken over by food festivals, live music, stalls, a vintage fair and all manner of fun events.
It’s extremely friendly and a great excuse to explore this family friendly village on the outskirts of Bradford.
Other Saltaire Events
You can also take in the Living Advent Calendar in the run-up to Christmas. Every day during advent, a new festive scene appears in a Saltaire resident’s window, building up towards the big day.
The Living Advent Calendar is run by arts group Saltaire Inspired, who also put on events and workshops throughout the year. The Saltaire Arts Trail in May is particularly worth visiting with the family.
The Bewildered Family Guide to Yorkshire
The Bewildered Family Guide to Yorkshire is a weekly series of films from around Yorkshire in which we test how family friendly the county is. If you are planning a visit to Yorkshire or live here and just any a family day out, you should subscribe to the Bewildered Dad YouTube channel and keep an eye on the Bewildered Family Guide to Yorkshire page.
Thanks to Maria Glot of Salts Walks for her contribution and to the British Council Film Collection for snippets from the film We of the West Riding.
Is there somewhere in Yorkshire we should visit? Let us know!
Jim, I’m very impressed. You’ve captured Saltaire for families very well. Our community will really appreciate this. Thank you!
Thank you for your help, Maria.
This has been put together really well. Elsa is a starlet and not bewildered like her dad. Well done.
Thank you! Nowhere near as bewildered thankfully!