Roberts Park, Saltaire
Where History comes
e v i l A
by Ron Bairstow
‘To ensure the health of his workforce, Titus built Roberts Park, to provide an area for them to enjoy fresh air, sunshine and exercise...”
In 1953, Titus Salt, then 53 years old, moved his wool business from the centre of Bradford to his new model village on the banks of the River Aire. He was prompted to do this because of the rising death rate affecting Bradford’s workforce. This was a decision he made in 1848, when, as Mayor of Bradford, there occurred a Cholera outbreak that killed 480 people. Deciding on the area he wanted, he appointed Lockwood & Mawson Architects, who had just finished building Bradford Town Hall and The Wool Exchange. Work started on his new mill and homes for the workers in 1851. Titus Salt laid down strict conditions for people moving into the houses in the new village, there were to be no public houses, and he banned clothes lines but made alternative arrangements for ‘wash day’ – he built a huge wash house and incorporated drying facilities with constant hot water and hot piping to dry the clothes! For their entertainment he built the wonderful Victoria Hall, with a ballroom and many rooms for meetings. The hospital he built was well equipped and still functions to this day. Schools for pupils of all ages were built and a college - which again is still a hive of activity. He also built a wonderful
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church with its dome and churches for all denominations. One of the buildings meant for 800 Sunday School pupils was demolished to make way for a car park! Lockwood and Mawson, the architects, used an Italian influence in all of their buildings, which, coupled with the new Yorkshire stone mined locally, produced a beautiful picture. One of the main features is the main chimney, modelled on the Santa Maria Gloriosa Church in Venice. To ensure the health of his workforce, Titus built Roberts Park, to provide an area for them to enjoy fresh air, sunshine and exercise, and it contained a cricket club, a cricket pitch and pavilion and an arboretum of beautiful trees that still stand proudly today. There is only one name for this architectural masterpiece...Saltaire! Unfortunately, after the death of Sir Titus in December 1876, funding for the park started to dry up, leading to its
deterioration and it became neglected and a disgrace - when suddenly out of the blue came LOTTERY MONEY! And behold, plans were soon underway to give the park a makeover costing millions. On completion of the work, a celebration was held on Saturday May22nd this year, where The Lord Mayor officially opened the new band stand. People turned up in their thousands to be entertained by various bands including The Titus Salt New School Jazz Group! He would have been very happy and proud to see his beloved park restored to its former glory and enjoyed by so many.