Stay in West Yorkshire
Steeped in History
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 belonging to 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, healthcare and education for his people, but no pub! The mill was built in 1850's at a time when 'healthy living' was not a buzzword, and on the streets of Bradford, cholera and typhoid were rife here, 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 works of David Hockney, one of Bradford's most famous sons.
Bradford's Industrial Museum, housed in an original worsted spinning mill, gives a glimpse of the past with its recreated mill worker's houses and display of heavy horses, trams and buses.
Harewood House, home of the Queen's 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. If lucky, you may even catch sight of some dear!
Temple Newsham house and gardens are very interesting and the 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, 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, It is cared for by The National Trust, and there is plenty of flora and fauna to see, and a great chance for some walking and for 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 to mention just a couple.
Search for West Yorkshire on our homepage to see the selection of countryside accommodation on offer in this varied and interesting part of Yorkshire.