The must-see list

The must-see list

Millions of people visit England every year. Many just visit big cities like London, Oxford or Manchester. But England has much more to offer, including a great number of World Heritage Sites. These are places such as buildings, cities, forests or coastlines which UNESCO has decided have special cultural or natural significance. England has 17 World Heritage Sites, including icons like Stonehenge and Westminster Abbey, but there are many which are less well known. Have you ever heard of the village of Saltaire in Northern England, for example?

Saltaire was founded by Sir Titus Salt in 1853. The name of the village is a combination of his surname and the name of the local river, the Aire. Salt was a successful businessman and the largest employer in the industrial city of Bradford. One day he decided to move his five textile mills to a new mill by a canal and railway line out in the countryside. He also built a whole new village for his workers. What was the reason behind this remarkable decision?

In the 19^th century many factory workers lived in terrible conditions and were often treated quite badly by their employers. Salt was deeply religious, however. He felt it was his duty to create an environment where people could lead healthy and godly lives. And he probably also realized that healthy, happy workers are a more productive, stable workforce.

The factory workers who moved from grimy Bradford must have felt they had come to heaven! Saltaire had decent houses, wash-houses and bath-houses with running water, a hospital, a library, churches, a concert hall and a gymnasium. There was a school for their children, there were allotments where they could grow their own vegetables and a park for everyone to enjoy. However, there was one thing missing compared to life in the big city. Sir Titus believed people should not drink alcohol, so the village did not contain a single pub, unlike most other villages in England.