TL;DR - A truly unique venue combining art, food and shopping. One of Sparky's colleagues tipped us off about this place, and I'm amazed we'd never heard of it before. In case you don't know (I didn't!), Saltaire was built by industrialist Titus Salt (amazing name!) alongside the river Aire to bring all aspects of his textiles business onto one enormous site. He also built a town for the workers, and the whole area is now a world heritage site. The mill has now been converted into an amazing and huge venue spanning several floors. There's so much here it's hard to take in, but I'll try and summarise. The ground floor is a mixture of books on art, stationery and arts supplies, postcards and the like but interspersed with huge art displays. At first I wasn't sure if I was in an art gallery or a shop, but the answer is both. As with the rest of the mill, David Hockney features strongly throughout. There's a basement level which we didn't explore in detail, but it sells rugs and wallpapers and is just as big as the ground floor. The first floor houses the most. One end is a gorgeous bookshop, where the focus seems to be on unusual titles rather than breadth - I saw many, many books in the recipe section which I'd never seen or heard of anywhere else. The other end of the building is devoted to homewares - kitchen supplies, furniture, clocks and more. A lot of it is very expensive, but it's a beautifully curated selection of objects for sale. Between these two wings is Salt's Diner. It's a separate venue on Yelp but suffice it to say we had lunch here and it was great.Through the restaurant you can access a further wing of the building which is split into an outdoor clothing shop, a jewellers, an art exhibit, a treasure trove of an antique store and a small coffee shop. Finally, the top floor is split into three: an exhibit on the history of the mill, a major exhibition of work by David Hockney, and a further cafe/restaurant. On top of all these, parking is free on site and it's right next to the Saltaire train station, so there's really no excuse for not visiting. read more

Salts Mill - Ground floor - Tea Rooms Near Me - Queensbury, XWY

Its easy to spend the best part of a day wandering round the amazing Salts Mill with its extensive collection of David Hockney's work and its eclectic selection of "shops" which include an excellent book shop, the wonderful home section with its stunning array of furnishings and kitchen porn, and the antique/collectables area. At some point you are going to need to get some fuel on board and Salts Diner is not a bad option. Its situated on the 1st floor of this wonderful labyrinthine industrial building in a large area between the book shop and the home shop. It was very busy on our visit between Christmas and New Year but we managed to get a table for 6 without much difficulty. The young waiting girls were all very helpful and attentive and we soon settled down with a reasonably priced bottle of Merlot to have a look at the menu. There is fairly wide choice of available, and while there is no real theme to the menu, there is enough to satisfy all the generations of family visitors that Salts Mill attracts. There are lots of ankle biters about so be careful in your choice of seating if you want a peaceful lunch. I had the roast butternut squash and lentil soup from the daily specials board which was tasty and wholesome, obviously a popular selection as it was soon rubbed off the board. B and I both went down the pizza route for our main and shared a bowl of nicely cooked crispy fries; nothing to complain about but pretty bog standard. The most successful main seemed to be Danny's beef meatballs and pasta in a rich tomato sauce, again from daily specials board, although the other boys were quite complimentary about their beef and ale pies which came in a nice white dish topped with puff pastry. All in all while this was nothing to write home about it was a pretty decent lunch in a great building. Salts Diner itself its not somewhere I would go out of my way to visit but works well a part of a visit to the Mill (I would particularly recommended a visit at the moment to see the amazing "Flowers" show on the top floor of work created by Mr Hockney on his iPad - just stunning). 3 for Salts Diner and 5 for the Mill. read more

See all

A short drive out of Leeds will find you at the old factory of Victorian patrician industrialist Titus Salt, now sympathetically converted to house a cornucopia of cultural riches. Under this massive roof you will find artwork from local lad David Hockney, a book store, cafes, and various shops. My perfect day here will include browsing the vast array of antiques and collectables, marvelling at their history and general prettiness. A casual lunch of seasonal dishes at The Diner is followed by glorious décor fantasies at Home - the kind of store that makes you ache for a Lottery win so you can spend it on furniture and homeware design classics. I like to be able to find a way to buy a small but perfectly formed object each time and then make my way out via the bookshop maybe buying a book on the Arad chairs that my budget won't stretch too. Somehow, being surrounded by the truly beautiful things here can make you feel like a better person by osmosis. An afternoon spent at Salts Mill is like stepping into a Sunday Newspaper supplement. In a very, very good way. read more

My best friend and I visited the Salts Mill this week. I had been before but not for a few years. We took her son, my godson; Alexander along too. He's 10 months old so obviously we had to make sure it was going to be accessible for pushchairs. I'd rang them before hand to check. There is a ramp which makes entering the mill easy and there is also a lift to get to all the different floors. There are 3 in total, which consist of a vast array of books, quirky gifts, home wares, funky kitchen ware and accessories with designers like Alessi and gorgeous jewellery by Kath Libbert. This is such a great place for gifts and inspiration, I just wish it wasn't so far away from where I live in East Yorkshire! This little treasure chest is close to Leeds and Bradford, easily accessible from the M62 motorway. We had lunch in the 'Salts Diner' and both opted for the Goats cheese, rocket and pesto Risotto from the specials board and it was rich but delicious. On the menu there was freshly made pizza, homemade cakes and loads of yummy things. There were high chairs available for babies including baby changing facilities. There's plenty of free parky at the side of the mill too. I Bought a few kids books as gifts for birthdays and saw loads of things for the house and wedding inspiration! I will definitely be visiting again soon.....or dragging my fiancé should I say ha ha! Go and see for yourself, you wont be disappointed, enjoy! read more

A great way to spend an afternoon although since its founder Jonathan Silver died it's lost some of its charm. The collection of Hockneys is said to be the largest anywhere - paintings, prints, posters etc. and there is always something to look at that you haven't seen before. The book shop is good but as it used to be housed downstairs and stretch the full length of the huge room it was a total delight to wander about in. It's been separated so the art books on one level and other books on another floor which is a shame as it feels less cosy and more rigid as opposed to its casual feel of yesteryear. There's a nice diner too with mid-priced food available - I've always eaten welll here. Some of the shops are a little silly - the one with furniture in is a joke with normaly looking plastic chairs priced at several hundred pounds. My companion and I had a real giggle at some of the prices - a standard looking teaspoon for £9? But all in all it's a place full of charm and if you like Hockey (as I do) you are in for a treat. read more

Built by Titus Salt in 1853, in fact he built the whole village of Sailtaire, with plentiful housing for his mill workers. The village is a world heritage site and the mill is now an art gallery/diner/bookshop. Well worth a visit, perfect Sunday afternoon territory. The diner serves really good food at reasonable prices and the chocolate milkshakes are nearly the best I've ever had. Beware, if you like books, you could easily get carried away here. Easily accessible by rail direct from Leeds, it's right next to the station. read more

See all

If you are in West Yorkshire I'd recommend visiting Salts mill. It is an old woolen mill - or rather it was. It now houses a very nice designer furniture store (kind of like the conran shop) a couple of restaurants, a bookshop and David Hockney's gallery. It is really very interesting and along with the 'estate' if you can call in that behind the mill is a Unesco world heritage site. All of the streets near by are named after Titus Salt's children and they were all cottages that his workers lived in and they really are lovely. You can get to it easily from Leeds or Bradford and in the summer I have seen a little craft market in the grounds. Also the one thing missing from Salts village is a pub - Titus Salt was a staunch tee totaler, which is why I rather like the nice little bar up the road, aptly named don't tell Titus! read more

Salts Mill is steeped in history and culture, and definitely worthwhile visiting (although your wallet might not think so!) As well as the David Hockney art on display, there is an excellent book shop, a fancy cafe/restaurant, as well as custom jewelry and a large Home store selling designer items for any budget. It's not cheap, but you do get what you pay for - the food is great, the jewelry is one-of-a-kind, and the home items are from the top designers. Perfect for a lazy Sunday morning! read more

The restuarant is nice, a good place to chillax But the rest of the place is a little dull to be honest It needs better shops read more

Wow I can't believe this place wasn't even listed let alone written about. Where to start, ok so there once was an industrialist specialising in wool, and not liking the structure and layout of his mills in the centre of Bradford, he decided to relocate his mills to one central location in Shipley by the River Aire. In creating the upheaval Mr Salt decided it would be a good idea to create living accommodation for all of his workers and their families. The man was Sir Titus Salt, and the village he created was Saltaire, his mill, Salt's Mill. Now defunct as an industrial mill, Salts Mill is still a beautiful mill building in construction, housing original features and restoration in keeping with the original integrity of Salts Mill. Today the mill houses a variety of businesses, including galleries, the 1853 gallery holds works by David Hockney all year round, a café, a diner, shops selling books and music equipment, jewellery, antiques, homewears, and arts and crafts materials. It's all set in the beautiful mill and it really is a joy to just wander around and be informed, eat, drink and shop. A pleasant change to concrete, plastic and glass shopping centres we often see everywhere these days. read more

Salts Mill - Sir Titus Salt, taken from official salts mill website - Tea Rooms Near Me - Queensbury, XWY

See all

Saltire in itself is now a Unesco world heritage site and Salts Mill is a unique building housing an eclectic mix of shops , restaurants and galleries . Revitalised by Jonathan Silver who was a friend of David Hockney , it has the largest collection of Hockney,s at any given time on display . A rather wonderful bookshop is on the second floor and has a great selection of books and incidentals to browse . There is a superb cook shop and design centre to peruse where you can lose hours just browsing without buying , although I gave into temptation in the end ,and made a purchase . A great Audio visual displays gives a detailed history of the area and Titus Salt it's founder . The restaurant and coffee shops are great but busy at weekends ., and the gallery on the ground floor is wonderful . There are other shops and an Antique centre , so realistically it is a day,s outing but well worth it . read more

I cannot believe why i have not been to this place before. Its lovely and has it all. a wonderful bookshop and a tea room, many designer shops and jewelry too. Nice place to spend time with friends. read more

A favourite of mine since my teens - loads of Hockney's displayed well, the staff are a bit snooty, which is quite funny but the paintings are amazing, the cafe's over priced with ideas above it's station so try 'don't tell titus' just up the road for refreshments read more

I love Salts Mill!! So much to browse round under one roof - there's the galleries, the arts area (where you can look at different art books or art equipment), lots and lots of books to browse through, also the home area, jewellry etc. It's a great place for buying presents so I would recommend going here before Christmas to get stocking fillers etc. There's also a cafe and a nice top floor restaurant/ cafe. Lovely place to visit for locals and tourists alike!! read more

I just love this place. There is so much to do and see. The David Hockney works, and the history of the place intrigue me. I find it fascinating to go on my own actually (so sad!!) Just to wander around in peace and look at at the vast array of books on offer is enough for me. I am always surprised at how tranquil it seems and yet at one time this was a hive of industry with deafening machinery and hundreds of workers bustling about. The cafe/restaurant on the top floor serves the most wonderful fish dishes and I love to go and chill out with a glass of wine and read yet another book I have bought from the shop. Also love the Antique shop area to root in and always hope I can find that Antique Roadshow treasure. Suitable for all ages, although I think younger children would get bored after a while. After a browse around there is still the rest of the village to walk around including nearby Shipley Glen. read more

Beautiful old mill now used as a few stores/gallery/cafe. It has a cook shop stocking quite expensive trendy items, a book/gallery section with a lot of Hockney items which is really good. There's a restautant which is lively and pricey. Salts also houses Allan Austins walking shop which used to be on Manchester Road. read more

went here on a school trip once, very educational & a great place for a picnic, not far from the mill itself, has some lovely little shops there also. read more

Huge mill in a picturesque setting right next to the Leeds Liverpool canal and the River Aire. Plenty of shopping to be had in the myriad of different shops inside the mill. There is also the Hockney gallery displaying his work from the early days up to the present. The food is good but like many of these places it is quite pricey. Saltaire Village is a World Heritage site and deservedly so. Sir Titus Salt built the whole village to give his mill workers a better life knowing that this in turn would mean he had better workers. The village included a school, library and hospital and of course a church. His mausoleum is now part of this church. read more

Nice place to eat and amazing food

Upon the approach to the Salts Mill we saw a security guard gesturing for us to park in the Car Park for the offices nearby, knowing that the Salts Mill car park was closer and open to the public on Sundays we followed two other cars in, where there were plenty of spaces. The spaces were a bit tight so we started to get our baby out of the car before we parked up properly, however before we finished we were confronted by another, agresive security guard who stated that we had been 'told' to park in the other car park and we were parked on double yellow lines. After making our way from the other car park ( a long way to carry a baby, we had to get the pushchair out ) we went into the Salts Mill, to be confronted by lots of overpriced pretencious tat. The book shop was somewhat expensive and most of the paintings were the sort of thing you would find in any sixth form college art room, only with price tags of hundreds of pounds. Quite alot of the furniture went into thousands of pounds and although some of it was a bit querky, I would have walked straight past it at a car boot sale for £50. I also got the impression that some of the other customers were looking down their noses at us, not sure why, maybe we don't look like the sort of people who belong in this stuffy pretencious environment. Although I did have a bit of baby sick on my leg, I suppose the sort of people who frequent this place have 'perfect' babies who aren't sick... After driving all the way from Huddersfield we decided we may as well stay for a coffee. Upon arrival in the huge dining area we were herded to the noisiest part, right next to the open kitchen, where all the other people with children seemed to have been put. We ordered two large Cappachinos which seemed reasonable at two pounds each, however when they came they were in an ordinary houshold mugs with a David Hockney sketch on. The drinks were mainly froth and the girl at the till tried to overcharge me by ten quid when I paid, and almost accused me of having Desserts when I questioned this. Looking at the food menu most of this was in the ten / twelve quid region which I would pay to eat in a nice pub, not a busy dining hall. By now we wanted to leave but there was only a small lift with two lots of people waiting, so we decided to take the pushchair down the steps which was a performance given that we only got it out of the car for the reason outlined above. On the way out of the door I noticed the same security guard sneering at us. I have taken time out to write this review in the hope that I save some other decent, down to earth family from wasting their Sunday afternoon visiting this place !!! read more

very interesting history right on my door step