An awesome reminder of a time when the great mills held sway

We spent most of a day exploring this former industrial community and perhaps the enduring impression upon leaving is one of awe. It seems astonishing that one man could envisage and then build such an impressive place which, after its industrial decline a century ago, is now enjoying an equally remarkable renaissance.

The centrepiece is a massive mill, a huge Italianate building which was the focus of the woollen industry during Victorian times. It now houses a remarkable collection of works by artist David Hockney, along with some impressive indoor markets selling everything from books to furnishings by way of designer jewellery, ceramics and glassware. There are restaurants too, with all the staff wearing white shirts bearing David Hockney's name.

So how did all this start? The name gives a clue to its origins. The village, the first of its kind in the world, was conceived by a philanthropic industrialist called Titus Salt (1803-1876) and constructed close to the River Aire. At that time, the site was beautiful countryside with green fields below the towering hills.

The obvious question is why did he produce such a place? And how was the eventually derelict old mill transformed into such an interesting new venue?

Titus was the son of a farmer who eventually established his own firm within the woollen industry. He learned his skills from his father and travelled widely throughout Britain to learn everything he could about his profession, talking to both industrialists and farmers.

When he was 28, he bought a mill of his own and it prospered so much that he was soon able to buy a further four in Bradford. In 1830, he married Caroline and she bore 11 children.

In 1834, he travelled to Liverpool on business, where he noticed bales of alpaca wool in a warehouse. He bought some, experimented with it and discovered it produced a high-quality lustrous cloth, ideal for the expensive dresses of rich women.

By the time he was 40, Titus Salt was one of the wealthiest men in Yorkshire, but he was always conscious of the poverty of the poorer classes. They worked and lived in dreadful conditions and Titus Salt wanted to do something to help them.

He decided to build a new mill in the countryside, where the air was fresh and the fields were green. He would ensure that working conditions and accommodation for his staff were the finest and he wanted the workers to truly enjoy and benefit from the fruits of their labour.

That is why he built the huge mill which still exists at Saltaire. One of the biggest in Yorkshire, it was opened in 1853 on Titus' 50th birthday. It had space, light and warmth, it was in the beautiful green valley of the River Aire and he made sure his workers were treated with kindness and respect.

But he wasn't content only with his splendid mill. The people still lived in poor houses with little by way of recreational and educational facilities, so he set about building an entire village around his mill, close to the railway and river.

It would have 800 houses, a park, a library, a school, outdoor sports facilities, baths, a learning institute, a social club, a hospital, almshouses, shops and a church. But no public house!

At a time when mill-owners were notoriously cruel to their workforces and ignorant about their needs and aspirations, this was indeed an innovation and it became known as the happiest and healthiest working community in the world.

Titus was knighted by Queen Victoria, then died in 1876 shortly after his last building had been constructed. He lies in the mausoleum of the handsome Congregational chapel which he built opposite his mill. His was a remarkable achievement by any standards.

During the 1870s and 1880s, however, the textile industry suffered a savage decline and, by 1892, this magnificent mill was no longer trading. The entire village was sold to a consortium and, by 1933, it was in a sorry state of decay.

Then, in 1984, the Saltaire Village Society was created and the railway station re-opened. Commuters moved into Saltaire and then along came another entrepreneur called Jonathan Silver, a self-made millionaire and friend of David Hockney, the world-famous artist.

Silver bought Salt's Mill in 1987, then the Village Society managed to convince English Heritage that Saltaire was of world importance. In the former mill, Jonathan Silver created the 1853 Gallery which now houses a collection of works by Hockney and he rented space within the building for use by offices, retail outlets and restaurants.

He recreated the success of Titus Salt, winning the Civic Trust's top award in 1996 along with the Europa Nostra medal for conservation-led regeneration. In 2001, the development was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

Sadly, Jonathan Silver died from cancer in 1997, aged only 48, but his work, and that of Titus Salt, lives on in this unique village of Saltaire.

Following my notes about market crosses, I have received from a correspondent in Catterick a leaflet entitled "A little Catholic History in Richmondshire".

He tells me that Richmond market place probably had three crosses, one of which was rather elaborate and later replaced by the present obelisk. This was known as the Great Cross, which had been erected in the reign of Henry VI.

It comprised a stone pillar with a cross on top, all surmounted on a square plinth reached by a flight of steep steps. It was buttressed at each corner with a stone dog on guard, but was demolished in 1771. It stood somewhere between the present obelisk and the shops.

The other crosses in the market place were the Barley Cross and Oat Cross, each being a single stone pillar bearing a cross. They were used during the celebrations of First Fruits, a harvest ceremony which continues to the present day each September. It is known the crosses were still standing in 1724, but I don't know their ultimate fate.

Another of the markets in Richmond was the beast market which, I believe, was not far from Nun's Close, which is now a car park near Friars Close. The patron saint of that market was St Anthony, with St Anthony's Cross standing near Pinfold Green. A nearby chapel was also dedicated to him. Several saints are called Anthony, but this one is probably St Anthony of Padua, whose feast day is June 13.

That cattle market later grew busier, as a result of which Elizabeth I granted permission for it to be extended in Newbiggin so that the town's economy would benefit from the extra sales of livestock. I believe it was either on, or every close to, the site which is now occupied by St Joseph's and St Francis Xavier's Catholic church.

It is hard to believe that the spring equinox is so very close. It arrives on Monday and marks the official beginning of a new spring.

This used to be the feast day of St Benedict when, according to Yorkshire gardeners, peas should be sown. The full saying was: "St Benedict, sow thy pease or keep them in thy rick." Failure to plant them on that date was a sure sign the crop would fail.

However, that saying is no longer apt because the feast day of St Benedict has been changed to July 11. I am not sure why this was done, although it was a fairly recent change and some reference books, including two in my personal library, continue to indicate his feast on March 21. Clearly they are out of date because a more modern volume gives the July date and this is supported by the St Paul Liturgical Calendar for 2005.

Whether or not March 21 is the feast day of St Benedict, regarded as the founder of modern monasticism with every order of monks following his rule, it remains the spring equinox. In that capacity it is a highly important date because it governs the method of determining the time of Easter.

Easter Day falls on the Sunday following the Paschal moon, the first full moon which happens on or next after March 21. This year, Easter is very early, being a week on Sunday.