About Salts Mill

Salts Mill is a gigantic Victorian Grade II* listed former textile factory, now filled with  art, books, flowers, food, and 21st century industry. We're renowned for our selection of special things including our large collection of David Hockney original works. We sell beautiful books, exclusively produced David Hockey posters and superb homewares, some of which we’re proud to offer you on this site. In the real world you can visit the Mill, experience our UNESCO World Heritage Site setting, and even join us by renting space for your own business.  For more information about visiting the Mill and renting office space, please see www.saltsmill.org.uk or call us on 01274 531163.

About the Galleries at Salts Mill

Jonathan Silver established the 1853 Gallery – named after the year the mill opened – in 1987, showing work by his friend and fellow Bradfordian, the artist David Hockney. It was an audacious move, filling an old industrial space with contemporary art and hanging paintings from the old steam pipes. Today the 1853 Gallery houses a huge collection of pictures by David Hockney, and his work hangs throughout the Mill. An enormous room on the third floor is devoted to his series, The Arrival of Spring. Further galleries are devoted to the history of the Mill and changing exhibitions by other artists are frequently on offer. We often host literary events in the galleries too.

There is no admission charge to Salts Mill and parking is free. For more information about visiting, please see www.saltsmill.org.uk 

A Tiny Bit of History

Salts Mill opened in 1853 as a vision of a better future. The brainchild of Sir Titus Salt, the Mill was a vast, vertically integrated cloth manufacturing operation next to the Leeds Liverpool Canal and the River Aire. Sir Titus also built the model village of Saltaire just outside the mill gates. It was a place where his workers could live in modern, sanitary housing near green spaces. Salts and Saltaire were named after their founder.

Salts Mill continued to produce cloth until 1986, when it stood empty. It was purchased by another visionary, the dynamic young entrepreneur Jonathan Silver, who began to breathe life back into the buildings by opening the 1853 Gallery, showing work by his friend and fellow Bradfordian David Hockney. The mill began to fill up with art, books, culture and flowers and also became a popular place for cutting edge technology businesses to rent office premises and manufacturing space.

Today Salts Mill is a place of work for over 1000 people – with more tenants always joining us in this beautiful and inspiring building. In 2001 Saltaire village, with Salts Mill at its heart, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.