Saltaire: UNESCO site to be location for Yorkshire Society's heritage summit

There surely can be few settings more appropriate for a Yorkshire heritage summit than Saltaire Village.Afterall, since 2001, the area on the outskirts of Bradford has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, designated so for being a “well-preserved” example of a 19th century industrial village.
Laura Reid
By Laura Reid
Published 16th May 2023, 11:50 BST

Later this week, Saltaire’s Victoria Hall will be this year’s location for The Yorkshire’s Society’s The Yorkshire Heritage Summit, which was held for the first time last year in Pontefract.

The summit will involve two key events, a Yorkshire Heritage Exhibition, which is free to attend and open to the public, as well as the ticketed Yorkshire Heritage Symposium, with guest speakers, question and answers sessions and free guided walks around Saltaire.

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The event is being organised by The Yorkshire Society and its lead on heritage – the author and environmental campaigner Colin Speakman.

The event will be held at Victoria Hall in Saltaire. Photo: The Yorkshire SocietyThe event will be held at Victoria Hall in Saltaire. Photo: The Yorkshire Society
The event will be held at Victoria Hall in Saltaire. Photo: The Yorkshire Society

Colin explains: “Heritage is as much about our future as about our past. Yorkshire has such a fascinating heritage with its history, culture, nature, landscape and people, we want to bring heritage organisations, volunteers and members of the public together to network, celebrate and promote their work with one united voice.”

The theme of this year’s event is the role that Yorkshire’s public and voluntary bodies play in shaping and delivering the region’s heritage in the mid 21st century.

More than 30 organisations are set to take part in the day, from Saltaire’s local history society, to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

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Colin says: “What all have in common is a passion for Yorkshire, its natural beauty and man-made built heritage and culture.

"Each organisation will be displaying details of activities to encourage people to come along, find out more, and attend events.”

The summit’s location of Saltaire has previously been noted as a key place to visit in the region by Dr Amir Khan, who was recently appointed a vice-president of the society.

Dr Amir, a familiar face on television and a practicing GP in his home city of Bradford, has spoken to The Yorkshire Post in the past about his admiration for Sir Titus Salt, the industrialist and philanthropist who built textile centre Salt's Mill, together with the attached village of Saltaire.

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Dr Amir says he first studied Salt at school and was “fascinated by this forward-thinking Victorian”, who “gave his workers so many amenities to improve their lives”.

The Yorkshire Heritage summit takes place on May 18. Keynote speakers for the symposium include Sheena Campbell, Saltaire World Heritage Site Officer; David Butterworth, the CEO of Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority; Jeff Davitt, chairman of the Yorkshire Rewilding Network; and Kevin Trickett, chairman of the Yorkshire and Humber Region Civic Trusts.

To find out more, visit theyorkshiresociety.org/event/2023-yorkshire-heritage-summit/

Related topics:YorkshireSaltaireTitus SaltUNESCO