How Salts Mill Worked

Alpaca cloth was the signature product. Salt had pioneered its commercial use in the 1830s, importing raw fibre from South America and developing techniques to spin and weave it into lustrous, durable fabric. The mill also produced mohair, worsted yarns and blended fabrics.

At peak production the mill employed around 3,000 workers and processed raw fibre shipped from Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. Output went worldwide — Salt’s alpaca won prizes at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, cementing the company’s reputation. The fabrics were used for everything from clothing to furnishings, and the quality commanded premium prices in European and North American markets.

Combing, spinning, weaving, dyeing, finishing: each process occupied its own floor or wing. Workers moved through the building in a logical sequence matching the production chain — raw fibre entered at one end and emerged as finished cloth at the other.

The layout was deliberately rational. Combing rooms separated and cleaned the fibres; spinning floors twisted them into yarn; the weaving shed (the largest single space) held hundreds of looms; and the finishing department handled pressing, folding and inspection. This was an early example of flow-line thinking — a factory designed around the process rather than shoehorned into whatever space was available.

From the 1890s, cheap imports began to erode the worsted trade. The textile industry that had made Bradford and Saltaire wealthy was shifting — first to cheaper producers elsewhere in England, then overseas. The mill changed hands several times during the 20th century.

ICI’s fabrics division used the building in the post-war period, but the economics of large-scale textile production in a Victorian mill were increasingly difficult. The final closure came in 1986 — the looms fell silent after 133 years of continuous production. The building stood empty and deteriorating, and there was real concern that it might be demolished or left to decay beyond recovery.

The 1853 Gallery houses a permanent collection of David Hockney works — one of the largest publicly accessible collections outside a public gallery. Salts Diner serves food on the gallery floor. Bookshops, home furnishings, fashion boutiques and specialist retailers fill the upper levels.

The building is Grade II* listed and sits within the Saltaire UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is open daily with free entry. Whether you come for Hockney, lunch, or just to stand in a 550-foot mill shed and feel the scale of Victorian ambition, it remains the anchor of any visit to Saltaire.