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The most memorable and entertaining way to understand Saltaire World Heritage Site is on one of our fun and fascinating walks with guides accredited with over 25 year experience.
Tour Saltaire with knowledgeable guides who will inform and entertain you as they personally conduct you around this unique place.
Click below for more information about our different walks:
Individuals
Not in a group or here just for the day? We are happy to offer private guided walks for individuals at anytime by arrangemen. We have also given guided tours to national and international students studying for their theses.
Small Groups
We are more than happy to organise a tour for a small group at any time by arrangement. Mrs Ellin Dooley lives in the village and can often be available at short notice.
You won’t be bored!
Coach Parties & Tourist Groups
Our costume guided tours of Saltaire World Heritage Site are enjoyed by groups, coach parties, tourist groups, clubs and societies from the world over. We constantly receive fantastic feedback.
Groups can book online and choose subject areas of particular interest.
Meet the Guides
All our guides have been and are involved in not just preserving the history, but making history in Saltaire.
We fully support the UNESCO world heritage site and contribute to projects, like the restoration of the Prussian blue and white street signs. We make a regular monthly contribution for the preservation and restoration of the Saltaire United Reformed Church, eg of the mausoleum where Sir Titus Salt is interred.
We also provide resources for the education market, for example education packs for primary schools.
All our guides are individuals and have their unique style, opinions and character. They interact with each other, just like in real life. That’s what makes our tours so special.
Maria
is
Ellin Dooley
a common mill worker
Maria actually lives in Saltaire and has worked in the tourist industry for many years and is famous for being appointed Bradford District’s first Tourism Officer in 1980. She was instrumental in training the first Blue Badge Guides in Yorkshire. Not only is she a long term resident of Saltaire and an enthusiastic local historian, she is a member of Saltaire Collection the fabulous Saltaire WI, the Saltaire Traders and supports the Saltaire Village Society, Saltaire Festival and Saltaire Inspired. Her collection of fascinating facts and anecdotes bring Saltaire history to life. Her guided walks, talks and after dinner speeches are legendary and refreshingly different.
Maria’s costumed character, Mrs Ellin Dooley, is as common as muck, lives in an ordinary worker’s house on Amelia Street with her husband Henry, 12 children and another on the way.
Sheila
is
Matron Sarah Turner
the first matron of Sir Titus Salt’s hospital
Sheila is an actor and singer; a member of West Riding Opera and the Glen Singers. She appeared in ‘After the War is Over’ in 2012, playing a First World War nursing sister for Saltaire UNESCO World Heritage Site and most recently she played Sister Milton in “Not About Heroes”.
She is currently guiding for Salts Walks, playing the character of Matron Sarah Turner, a trained ‘Nightingale Nurse’. The first matron to be appointed at Salt’s Hospital, her mantra in life is ‘to purge, or not to purge?’ Sheila’s specialism is 19th Century medicine.
What People Say About Our Guided Walks
Our sincere thanks to you and your colleagues for an extremely interesting, informative, and enjoyable tour of Saltaire. The French and English alike found the visit truly absorbing. You and your colleagues have obviously done a huge amount of research to be able to relate the story of Saltaire with such authority and make it so interesting. Our day at Saltaire contributed significantly to making our twinning week a great success.
- Les Piggin, Secretary
The Elland-Riorges Association
Just a brief note to formally thank you for the wonderful introduction to Saltaire. I know from all the comments I received through the day how much the others in the group enjoyed the banter and the light hearted approach. Your tour certainly brought Saltaire to life for us.
- Lynda Hall
North Leicestershire Association of National Trust Members and Volunteers
We would like to thank you and your colleague for the really informative, but great fun, talk and tour you both gave us yesterday. It certainly started our day off in the right way and we continued in high spirits and all thoroughly enjoyed our day at Saltaire.
- Pam Cartwright
Kenilworth U3A
Thanks to the Saltaire tour guides whose knowledge of Saltaire and its history is to be admired, and their ability to control unruly visitors to be envied.
- Rita & Richard Harrison
Friends of Wentworth Castle Gardens
What an excellent start to our northern tour. Our members were still talking about it on the way home. We were most impressed with the way you both wove in the history, social history, industrial history and economic history of Saltaire in such a lively manner. Your method went down so well with us oldies.
- Pearl Wheatley
Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology