Sir Titus Salt, one of the great Victorian paternalists, was (like other civic leaders) concerned by the horrific conditions, moral decay and drunkenness in the cities. Indeed, that was one of the factors that prompted him to the extraordinary vision to build his new community of Saltaire. He was keen that his workers and tenants lived upright and healthy lives. Although not a teetotaller himself, as I said yesterday, he made sure that there was no public house or bar in the village.
It was only comparatively recently that the temperance rules were relaxed. The licensed bar and restaurant aptly called 'don't tell Titus..' opened in 2007, in the middle of the parade of shops on Victoria Road, almost opposite Salts Mill. Prior to that, the nearest pubs had been on Saltaire road, outside the village boundary.
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