# Saltaire Dam & Milner Fields House - August 2010



## nij4829 (Aug 26, 2010)

Visited with Kook.

Saltaire Dam was built to provide water for the whole village.






















The 'kissing gate' is positioned between the village of Saltaire and Milner Fields











Titus Salt junior was the son (shock) of Titus Salt MBE who built Saltaire.

[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titus_Salt]Further reading on Titus Salt[/ame]






The house in its origional state.






This grand house, overlooking Saltaire (but well-hidden amongst trees and gardens) was where Titus Salt Jnr lived with his family. It was demolished in the 1950s, but when first built it was a wonder of contemporary Victorian living. Sadly, little remains today except an archive of wonderful photographs of both the interior and exterior, which give a fascinating insight into the lifestyle of well-to-do Victorians such as the Salts.

Built in 1873 in the (then fashionable) neo-Gothic style, with a nod in the direction of the Arts and Crafts movement, it had its own water and electricity supplies, sewage system and filter beds, water-cooled storage rooms (the forerunner of refrigerators!) and was connected by telephone to the mill in Saltaire. It had splendid facilities to cater for the family's recreational needs - a huge billiard room with pre-Raphaelite stained glass and murals, a magnificent library, a music room with a massive purpose-built pipe organ, and stables. It also had landscaped gardens and a large 'winter garden' conservatory and glasshouse, with a mosaic floor, housing palms, orchids and a variety of tropical fruits.

The Salts entertained lavishly, and were twice visited by royalty during their time at Milner Field. Titus Jnr died prematurely in 1887 but his widow, Caroline, continued to live in the house until 1904. (text borrowed from & old image - Saltaire Daily Photo)

The drive






The gardens





















Possibly a bunker


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## nij4829 (Aug 26, 2010)

The house (or whats left)


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## TK421 (Aug 26, 2010)

That's different, loads of great bits of cut masonary, looks like you have had a good look around that man!


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## nij4829 (Aug 26, 2010)

TK421 said:


> That's different, loads of great bits of cut masonary, looks like you have had a good look around that man!



Spent about a hour looking about the place - we were not sure what we were gonna find when we got there, but so glad part of the mosaic garden floor is still there 

Cheers mate


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## KooK. (Aug 26, 2010)

Thanks again nij, this was pretty different as it was completly derelict, it was fun trying to guess what might have been there though, looking at that old pic I'd say we were pretty close to right!

A few of mine...












































I reckon a couple more big lads to move that stone and we'll be in that bunker!


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## nij4829 (Aug 27, 2010)

I was thinking about that bunker and removing the stone, I wanna know what it was for sure.

Cracking pics mate


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## RichardH (Aug 27, 2010)

Fabulous collection of photos!



nij4829 said:


> It was demolished in the 1950s



In the 50's and 60's, stately homes were being demolished at a rate of one a week. It seemed like a good idea at the time...



nij4829 said:


> a music room with a massive purpose-built pipe organ



Waaaah! :arghh:


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## night crawler (Aug 27, 2010)

Great report guys, thanks for showing it.


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## Foxylady (Aug 27, 2010)

Really interesting seeing those piles of masonry and what looks like the remains of the cellars. The mosaic path is fabulous.
Cheers.


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## nij4829 (Aug 27, 2010)

RichardH said:


> Fabulous collection of photos!
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Ill try find the pics mate - such a shame, this place would have been awsome as a building


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## RichardH (Aug 28, 2010)

nij4829 said:


> Ill try find the pics mate - such a shame, this place would have been awsome as a building



I have constructed an imaginary reality where the organ was carefully dismantled, put into crates, and shipped to a new home before the building was demolished. I shall defend my version of reality to the death, or I shall start crying. But I'd be very interested if you happen across any pictures of the music room as was.


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## KooK. (Aug 28, 2010)

Ok so I found a few more olds pics/drawings.

Still no organ.


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## Richard Davies (Aug 28, 2010)

According to Bill Bryson almost everyone who lived in Titus Salt's house after him had some sort of misfortune, & it had been empty for many years before it was pulled down as it was considered to be jinxed.


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## nij4829 (Sep 8, 2010)

Richard Davies said:


> According to Bill Bryson almost everyone who lived in Titus Salt's house after him had some sort of misfortune, & it had been empty for many years before it was pulled down as it was considered to be jinxed.



My house is jinxed always breaks lol.


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