Sunday, January 2, 2022

Cathedral of Industry



Some more photos from our trip.  The landscape over the moors does not settle on my soul easily.  There are formations I do not understand, probably quarries.  As we reached the topmost part of the moor we looked down into the deepest valley with seemingly no bottom to it.  Whereas the Hole of Horcum has a wide expansive area of farmed land in its depth, here the steepness was abrupt.  It reminded me of the dreams I have when I wander around in landscapes fairly familiar but scary in their steepness and water.

The Salts Mill building, now designed by one of Tasker's family relative, hit me with its massiveness.  Impossible to take a whole photo, phallic chimney and towers and studied plainness of windows.  But, and yes I know it is an UNESCO site, the decor inside was beautifully crafted to host the foibles of a modern society.

In the restaurant I had to visited the loo, and had to walk down a short corridor with large prints of Corbusier buildings and that brutalist Russian stuff.  Subliminally trying to influence me was my first thought.  But such architecture relied on machinery, the straightness of line was thanks to skilled workers and new machinery (do I dare say this - someone had given the adults lego!).

At least Titus Salt was trying to make working conditions better for his employees.  



On a very windy day we walked round the park and viewed the United Reform church also built by Titus.  Not to my taste, it is Italianate in style, but striking.


 

There is so much history to read up on, that really one only needs to google information, here is one source for instance.


Good photos



8 comments:

  1. I tend to agree about the landscape of the moors, espeially now that I have lived for over thirty years in the landscape of the Dales. Being originally from theLincolnshire Fens where much of the land is reclaimed from the Wash I love the history of up here- the slate - still so much evidence remains.

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    1. Landscape definitely has a great pull on oneself I think Pat and the narrow valleys tend to leave one claustrophobic.

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    1. Yes the weather is much better down South and the hills much gentler.

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  3. Yes, Henry Lockwood of Lockwood and Mawson. Also the whole of Saltaire (did you spot Lockwood Street?) including the United Reform Church, Bradford City Hall, wool exchange and St George's Hall, and loads of stuff in Hull. He wasn't happy when his ex-apprentice Cedric Broderick won the competition for Leeds City Hall. Perhaps they didn't want yet more Italianate. Not mine but my wife's ancestor. She might be from the south but...

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    1. Bet when your wife goes to Salts Mill she must be very proud of her g. g. grandfather. We did walk some of the back streets, and saw some of the 'model village' terraced houses, Karen said they were fetching £250,000 when sold. Not much of a shopping centre though I thought.

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  4. Replies
    1. So glad to see you back Joanne. Here is to a Happy New Year for you.

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