Industry meets art at Salts Mill

If you’re looking for a “Marks & Sparks” here, you’ll be disappointed.

Salt’s Mill, near Bradford, is probably the only shopping mall in the country that says ‘no’ to big brands (good on ‘em). Instead this former woollen mill is packed to its Victorian rafters with independent traders.

Get a perfectly-fitting suit at Salt’s Bespoke Tailors, take out your aggression on a mediaeval tabor drum at the Early Music Shop or pick up some organic yellow roses at the Opera Florist. But there’s as much to see as there is to buy.

The high ceilings and large arched windows make this cathedral-like space the ideal place to display art. Its four galleries house the world’s largest collection of David Hockney’s work, including self-portraits, Bradford scenes and his famous tennis print – which was faxed directly from his LA studio in 1990.

The mill is the focal point of Saltaire, a model village and UNESCO World Heritage Site, created by Sir Titus Salt for his workers in 1853. And as you walk among the almshouses, hospital and rows of neat terraces, you’ll quickly forget the queues and crowds of your local high street.