In the early days of the new year, before I returned to work, I had a day free to do some photography. The world was my oyster (well, maybe not the world) and I was beset by the angst of choice paralysis – lots of places I might go, but a major struggle deciding on which one to choose. Quite often in these situations I just end up going to the same places I’ve been before – often into Sheffield city centre, or Kelham Island, or somewhere else close but familiar. However I was able to grasp the mettle and make a decision, and pulled Saltaire out of the, er, air.

Saltaire is somewhere I’ve never visited before. It sits to the north west of Bradford which, while not too far away, is still about an hour’s journey in the car. The village (although it’s now kinda merged into the wider Bradford conurbation), was built and named after Titus Salt to house workers employed at his mill, aptly named Salt’s Mill. The streets in the village are named after Salt’s children and other family members.

The mill and village sit beside the River Aire and the Leeds to Liverpool canal and the buildings are built in an Italianate style, which is very photogenic. As well as the mill and the houses, there are a number of other civic buildings, including a church, hospital, school, and others. The village was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2001.

The mill contains art galleries, shops, and a restaurant, and was a very nice place to wander around.

It’s a place I think I may revisit at some point as there is much I didn’t see, and lots to photograph.

Yashica Mat 124G & Kodak Tri-X. Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 for 8 minutes @ 20°

Taken on 2 January 2025