MORE ABOUT US... AND MEET THE GUIDES
 Sir Titus Salt built this amazing model Industrial Village between 1851 & 1876 and it is now a World Heritage Site. The purpose of the Village was to house workers for a huge textile mill, called Salts Mill, which produced 17 miles of cloth every day at the height of its success. Although the Mill no longer produces textiles, it is still accessible and the the Village is largely intact, with buildings styled with Italianate beauty.
Salts Walks are led by knowledgeable guides around the World Heritage Site of Saltaire and the walks are great fun. You'll be given a bookmark with details of an actual person who once lived and worked in the Village - and for a little while, you'll "become" them. You'll be able to track down which house you lived in and find out what work you did. You may even meet other members of your "family" as you go along. Maybe you'll be little Sarah Ann Baker who lived at 2 Stable Cottage and was trained to be Sir Titus Salt's servant - or perhaps John Parley, an Overlooker who fell in love with Mary Denby? Some children have even found themselves "married" to their teachers - a cause of great hilarity! |
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| The Salts Walks Guides |
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Mrs Ellin Dooley - (Maria Glot) |
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Maria's costumed character is Ellin Dooley, who has a large family to feed and a heart of gold. Unfortunately, Ellen is a little coarse and talks about her "bloomers" now and again! Maria has worked within the local tourist industry for many years and is a long-term resident of Saltaire and an enthusiastic local historian. Her collection of fascinating facts and anecdotes bring Saltaire's history to life. Maria also delivers talks and After Dinner Speeches. |
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The Rev. David Cowan - (Roger Clarke) |
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Roger's costumed character is the Rev. David Cowan - a bit of a spiky character full of fire and brimstone but who was drummed out the Village under mysterious circumstances! Roger is a local historian and a published writer of many articles on Saltaire, including research developed for The Saltaire Journal, which can be found on this website. His latest book features Ann Moss, a Victorian poet. |
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Mrs. Dinah Stewart - (Harriet Townsend) |
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Harriett's costumed character is Mrs Dinah Stewart, Titus Salt's House Keeper, a self-made woman in a Victorian man's world, who keeps everyone in line. Harriet lives locally and as well as being a Blue-badged guide, is a writer and director. Her Saltaire-inspired plays include "The Whisperers", based on local scandals, and "Schooling Miss Martha." Her most recent work was "After the Battle", a sequence of Civil War based playlets. In the pipeline is a play about Victorian "fallen women" and a "trouble at t'Mill" novel.
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Mrs Caroline Hill - (Sally Clegg) |
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Sally's costumed character, Caroline Hill, lives in the second biggest house in the Village with the lookout tower. She is married to Col. Thomas Hill, who is in charge of security in the village, but she hankers after her former life in India. Sally, who plays Caroline Hill, is a former journalist and an experienced tour guide. Her hobby is learning languages and she speaks French, German, Spanish and Italian. |
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Mrs Deborah Toothill - (Sheila Lansdell) |
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Sheila's costumed character is Mrs Deborah Toothill who is the Housekeeper at the Institute (now known as Victoria Hall). Her work brings her in to contact with important dignitaries. She's a bit of a gossip who tries to talk and act above her station.Sehila is a local actress and singer and has worked for the National Trust as a costumer/historical re-enactor. |
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Mary Scott - (Marcia Wright) |
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Marcia's costumed character is Mary Scott who works on a barge bringing alpaca to Salts Mill. Life on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal is hard and sometimes dangerous but Mary enjoys the freedom of the waterways and the sociability of her close knit community.
Marcia is a former teacher, mental health drama worker and sometime actor and costumed interpreter for the National Trust. |
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