Salts Mill

A view across the Saltaire allotments to the south elevation of Salts Mill

Although Salts Mill has flourishes of the Italianate style that the architects Lockwood and Mawson used in all of the buildings to various degrees in Saltaire, it is the scale of the structure that most impressed me – as well as the fact the suppliers of the stone, and the workers, must have been very glad to have been kept busy for a very long time. 

A view along the south elevation

The offices fronting Victoria Road, with their boldly projecting quoins, string courses and rusticated round arched windows give the strong impression of solidity and the mill itself, and its associated buildings, have a similar appearance. 

The chimney

Having already spent two and a half hours walking around the village and Roberts Park, and with the various galleries and shops inside still to see, I hardly spent any time looking at its external fabric and only took a few snaps to provide me with a basic record of the structure. 

The interior of the mill complex

Along the south elevation of West and East Mills, the central towers in the centre of the façade provide an architectural flourish that wouldn’t really be expected in such a functional building - as do the gritstone window surrounds, plinths and other dressings, which can also be seen on the elevations that are not on open view. 

A view of the 1853 Gallery

Once inside Salts Mill, the bare stone walls are still exposed, as are the shallow vaulted brick ceilings set on cast iron columns, but these are barely noticeable against the abundance of artwork and high quality products for sale that fill the space. 

A view across the roof of the combing shed

From high level, you get good views of the combing shed and warehouse at the centre of the mill complex and, when walking up and down the various galleries etc. on three of the four floors, you really appreciate the size of the place – after a total of 4 hours nonstop walking around I was glad to finally sit down on the train home!

Saltaire railway station