Salts Mill

Another iconic view of Saltaire - this is the front elevation of Salts Mill. The mill was built by Sir Titus Salt, designed by the Bradford architects Lockwood and Mawson, and opened in 1853. When completed, it was the largest industrial building in the world by total floor area and employed over 3000 workers, initially producing fine cloth made from llama and alpaca wool. The mill closed in 1986, when the British wool textile trade had effectively collapsed. The mill was purchased in 1987 by a local entrepreneur, the late Jonathan Silver, and was transformed into Salts Mill. It is a grade II* listed building. It is now home to the 1853 gallery and one of the largest collections of art by David Hockney (a Yorkshire-born artist), as well as a variety of shops and restaurants. It is also the headquarters of Pace plc, leaders in digital TV technology.