West Yorkshire

Steeped in history West Yorkshire has many attractions offering an insight into life from years gone by.

In Saltaire, 6 miles from Bradford Salts Mill looms on the skyline. A world Heritage site now it is the original mill of Sir Titus Salt a pioneer of the Alpaca wool trade who took his workers from Bradford and built them a model village and provided jobs, health care and education for his people, but no pub!

The mill was built in the 1850's at a time when 'healthy living' was not a buzzword on the streets of Bradford and Cholera and typhoid were rife as in many towns of the day. You can now take a guided walk round the village or visit the mill with its craft shops cafes and the 1853 Gallery filled with the works of David Hockney, one of Bradford most famous sons.

Bradford's Industrial Museum, housed in an original worsted spinning mill, gives a glimpse of the past with its recreated mill workers houses and display of heavy horses, trams and buses.

Harewood House, home of the Queens cousin the Earl of Harewood, has landscaped grounds by Capability Brown, Chippendale furniture and exquisite Adam features. There is a bird garden, a lakeside walk and a wonderful adventure playground for the children and a large picnic area.

Temple Newsam House and gardens are very interesting and Home Farm now has the largest collection of rare breeds in Europe, which includes the largest herd of Vaynol cattle in the world. The workshops house collections of old farm machinery.Denby Dale is famous for its huge pies made to celebrate special events and the most famous is a Millennium Pie, which weighed 12 tonnes.

Foulby near Wakefield is the birthplace of John Harrison who invented the Marine Chronometer and one of his clocks can be seen at nearby Nostell Priory as well as a piece of furniture made by Thomas Chippendale, the Otley born carpenter, when he was an apprentice. The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway hosts special steam train weekends and was the setting for many scenes from 'The Railway Children'.

The Bronte Parsonage Museum is the former home of the Bronte sisters and the surrounding moors were the inspiration for many classics including Wuthering Heights.

Near to Haworth you will find Hardcastle Crags. Cared for by the National Trust there is plenty of flora and fauna to see and a great chance for some walking and the children to let off some steam.

The number of places worth visiting are far too numerous to mention but you could include Kirkstall Abbey and the Abbey House Museum - Leeds, The Thackray Medical Museum, Leeds, Heptonstall Octagonal Church (Hebden Bridge) who's shape was recommended by John Wesley himself, East Riddlesden Hall - Keighley and the Manor House Art Gallery and Museum situated in Ilkley on part of the old Roman fort - Olicana.