The Saltaire Village Website, World Heritage Site
Saltaire Village World Heritage Site
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Colin Coates' Research
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Researching Saltaire - links and resources to help you

Here are a few pointers that may help you in your research of Saltaire. You are welcome to contact the website, though as we are staffed by unpaid volunteers, please use these research tools first. If you can recommend a research source or book, please let us know and we will include it here.

Many thanks to the input of Craig McHugh (former World Heritage Officer for Saltaire) and local historian, David King for their suggestions and notes.


Email: history@saltairevillage.info

Saltaire's inscription as a World Heritage site

SITE NAME: Saltaire
SALTAIRE'S EXACT POSITION: N53 50 21 W1 47 18
DATE OF INSCRIPTION: 16th December 2001
DECISION OF THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE:
"The Committee inscribed the Saltaire on the World Heritage List under criteria (ii) and (iv):

Criterion (ii): Saltaire is an outstanding and well preserved example of a mid 19th century industrial town, the layout of which was to exert a major influence on the development of the "garden city" movement.
Criterion (iv): The layout and architecture of Saltaire admirably reflect mid 19th century philanthropic paternalism, as well as the important role played by the textile industry in economic and social development."

UNESCO: "Saltaire, West Yorkshire, is a complete and well-preserved industrial village of the second half of the 19th century. Its textile mills, public buildings and workers' housing are built in a harmonious style of high architectural standards and the urban plan survives intact, giving a vivid impression of Victorian philanthropic paternalism."

Saltaire's nomintation document for World Heritage Status
The document prepared for Saltaire's bid to gain World Heritage status, has information about Saltaire's history and architecture as well as some interesting images.
Download the Nomination File. (21.8 mb)

Extracts have been taken from the nomination document on the architecture and history of Saltaire. More >

UNESCO website
UNESCOUNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
whc.unesco.org

The Saltaire Archive

This unique collection owned by Shipley College provides insights to the history and development of Saltaire. Volunteers and members of the Saltaire History Club are actively involved in the archive, which is managed under the guidance of the Archivist.
Public exhibitions are held as often as possible. A small range of items is currently displayed in the ‘People and Process’ exhibition at Salts Mill.

The collection includes:
Books, research papers, pamphlets and DVDS -on the open shelves, some available for loan.

  • Publications about Sir Titus Salt and Salts Mill
  • Souvenir guides from the 1870s onwards 
  • Television documentaries/travelogues
  • Projects by university and college students
  • Personal Memory files
  • Newscuttings about aspects of Saltaire/Shipley from the 1980s onwards.

Maps and Plans covering Saltaire, Shipley and Bradford dating back before the founding of the village in 1853
Architectural plans/drawings of village buildings
Photographs and illustrations featuring Saltaire buildings, people and community events.
Documents

  • 1960s Salts sample books/catalogues 
  • Salts Mill works’ publications, posters etc.
  • Salts High School posters and photograph

Salt Family Collection (Sir Titus Salt built the Mill and Village in 1853) Examples Include:

  • Family portraits and photographs
  • Original drawings by Titus Salt as a boy
  • Birth, marriage and death certificates
  • Copies of the Wills of Daniel Salt and Titus Salt

Roberts Family Collection (Sir James Roberts took over Salts Mill in 1893) Examples include:

  • Family Photographs, maps and plans
  • Mortgage documents, birth and marriage certificates
  • Ledgers, business letter books, Shipley and Baildon rent book 

Artefacts, Examples Include:

  • Bobbins, tools, samples of wool and cloth from Salts Mill, 
  • China, glass and other mementos from the 1887
  • Royal Yorkshire Jubilee Exhibition in Saltaire
  • Items from Salts High School

Saltaire Stories

Saltaire Stories is the education programme of Saltaire World Heritage Education Association (charity no.1158756). SWHEA was formed by three partner organisations, the Salt Foundation, Shipley College, and Saltaire United Reformed Church.

SWHEA works alongside other organisations and individuals to promote educational use of the World Heritage Site. In 2017 Saltaire Stories received significant Heritage Lottery funding to increase access to the archive.

Saltaire Archive welcomes visitors and researchers by prior appointment.

Opening hours and contact information

We are open Thursdays and Fridays, 10-12, 12.30-4 pmand based in the

Shipley College Learning Resource Centre
(second floor of the Exhibition Building).
Victoria Road, Shipley BD18 3LQ

We are actively seeking volunteers. Please get in touch if you have any questions about voluntary roles.

For all enquiries contact the Archivist via email: saltairestories@gmail.com

For more information see: saltairestories.org

Bradford Central Library Resources

Bradford Central Library, Prince's Way, Bradford, Yorkshire, BD1 1NN
Tel. 01274 433600

Resources - what's available
Bradford Central Library, local studies section has lots of things on microfiche or microfilm, such as census info, church baptisms, marriages and burials, voters rolls which shows who lived at a given address and was entitled to vote year by year, back numbers of local newspapers, some local cemetery records and a good selection of local trade directories – all free of charge.

Downloadable list
Download the library's notes on researching Saltaire: a list of books, articles, maps, plans and illustrations which are available for consultation in the Local Studies Department of Bradford Central Library. Download document (pdf file) >

Shipley Library

2 Well Croft, Shipley, West Yorkshire BD18 3QH
Tel. 01274 437150

Shipley Library has much the same as Bradford but limited to the Shipley area (including Saltaire).

Websites for census information, births, marriages, deaths etc.

Pay to use websites
www.ancestry.co.uk
provides census info, indexes to national registration indexes of births, marriages and deaths, local church records of baptisms, marriages and burials and much more. You need access to the internet and to pay for the use of the site.

There is also findmypast.com

Free websites
www.freebmd.org.uk (this gives access to the national registration indexes of births marriages and deaths from 1837)
www.familysearch.org, hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints where parish records of baptisms and marriages have been recorded from well before the start of national registration in 1837.

Research Links

If anyone would like to add their link here, please contact the webmaster.

Saltaire World Heritage Officer - news of learning resources

Added to website: 21 November 2012

  1. With the help of the My Learning Team we now have some basic learning resources online at http://www.mylearning.org/saltaire--victorian-model-town-then-and-now/  if anyone has any comments please let me know and I can make any amends. The videos were the ones created through the Skillset project in 2011.
  2. The evaluation report for the UNESCO Youth Summit that the students from Titus Salt School attended is now online at http://www.youthsummit2012.com/?page_id=38 and there is also a video of the event at http://vimeo.com/47670811

Craig McHugh [Previous Saltaire World Heritage Site Officer]
Please note, Helen Thornton is now the World Heritage Officer for Saltaire.

Saltaire World Heritage Officer

World Heritage Site Officer - Saltaire
Landscape, Design and Conservation
Planning, Transportation and Highways

Tel: 01274 435319
2nd Floor (South), Jacobs Well, Bradford, BD1 5RW
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Department of Regeneration and Culture

Saltaire map showing the original development

Saltaire mapA downloadable map of Saltaire, drawn from present day Ordnance Survey plans, courtesy of Nemine Juvante (Saltaire) Publications. The map shows locations of the Mill, its departments and other features of the original development.

Link: Saltaire Map

The Saltaire Journal

The Saltaire Journals publish newly researched articles which relate to Saltaire and its history. Each Journal consists of a single topic by an author or group of authors.
The Journals are published as new research is written up, and are available to download on a world-wide basis to non-commercial parties such as local historians, and research and educational bodies, from this website. Any copyrights attached to an article are made known in its issuing. A limited number of copies are printed centrally, for deposition in libraries, archives and other outlets.

Publication is by Nemine Juvante (Saltaire) Publications, a not-for profit partnership dedicated to the publishing of works relating to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saltaire. The facility is free to contributors and readers alike.

Link: Saltaire Journals

Saltaire History Club

The Saltaire History Club was established in September 2006 to further the knowledge and awareness of the history of the village. The club is open equally and freely to all and holds quarterly meetings in the village. Details of meetings are released two or three weeks before the meeting date.

Link: Saltaire History Club
Email: historyclub@saltairevillage.info

Saltaire History Articles

These are a collection of news items and articles contributed by the people who have visited the Saltaire Village website. Contributions are welcomed - stories about families who have lived and/or worked in Saltaire etc.

Link: Saltaire History Articles
To contribute an article, email: history@saltairevillage.info

The Saltaire Sentinel

The local, monthly, free paper, edited by James Duncan. The Saltaire Sentinel records history today for future generations. The first issue dates from January 2003 and issues are on-line and free to download. More >

Balgarnie's Salt - The original biography of Sir Titus Salt

Balgarnie's SaltThis biography, written by Sir Titus Salt's contemporary and friend, Reverend Robert Balgarnie, is made freely available courtesy of Nemine Juvante (Saltaire) Publications. Download the original text FREE OF CHARGE! You can also buy the a republished hardback edition of the biography with valuable Commentary and Additions by local historians, Dave Shaw and Philip Barlo.

Download free text (Acrobat file), or buy the book with Commentary and Additions. More >

Further reading...

Please feel free to recommend helpful books. Email the webmaster.

Please also see the Bradford Central Library's list of resources >

   
More books >
 

 

 

 
 
Our friends

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Saltaire Inspired
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Saltaire Collection, Shipley College
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Please contact the editor.

About

This website

Colin Coates

The Saltaire Journal, Nemine Juvante Publications

Contact

Editor: Flinty Maguire
editor@saltairevillage.info

Reseacher: Colin Coates
colincoates@saltairevillage.info

Saltaire Social History
history@saltairevillage.info

 
Disclaimer

This website is unfunded and run by volunteers. We do our best! The information may be inaccurate or out of date.