Saltaire - World Heritage Site

The whole snow thing has rather outlived its welcome now so here is something different.

This sign is at the railway station in Saltaire, Near Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Saltaire is 2 stops from Leeds city station, around 20 minutes journey time into the heart of the city of Leeds. It is cheaper to take the train, than to pay to park your car in Leeds. Also you can read, look out the window or just doze.

Saltaire was designated a World heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001. Built by the victorian industrialist Sir Titus Salt, this model village lies on the Leeds - Liverpool canal and the aire river and the Bradford/Leeds - Skipton railway line runs through it.

In 1853 Sir Titus Salt moved his business from Bradford to a new greenfield site near Shipley and called his village Saltaire, a combination of his name and the river aire on which it stands. He built sturdy houses out of local stone for the workers in his mill, with running water, a hospital, almshouses, an institute for education an recreation, a park, boathouse, allotments and also a magnificent church which is now the United Reformed Church.

Some today use the word philanthropist, I would say it was a mixture of that and self interest. Workers not living in unhealthy slums most likely were more productive. However you look at it his workers had a much better and healthier life than many people at that time.