SALTAIRE United Reformed Church is regarded one of the country’s most precious Victorian architectural gems.

Built in 1859, in grand Italianate design, it boasts ornate pillars and cut glass chandeliers, and has been described as a ‘Cathedral of Congregationalism’.

The Grade 1 listed building is a focal point of the village, admired by visitors to the World Heritage Site - but not so well known is the mausoleum, at the side of the church, containing the remains of Sir Titus Salt and members of his family.

A new video made by Bradford Through the Lens - https://www.youtube.com/@BradfordThroughTheLens - a YouTube channel exploring hidden and unusual spaces in the district - goes into the mausoleum, and up into the bell tower, revealing parts of the church that we would never normally see.

Filmed by historian and photographer Riaz Ahmed and presented by local historian Andrew Bolt, the film enters the church, and heads to an area “not easy to spot by visitors.” Through a glass in the door can be seen the final resting place of Sir Titus and his family.

Andrew and Riaz open the door and enter the mausoleum, where an ornate angel carving stands above the vault of Sir Titus, who died in 1876, and his wife, Lady Caroline Salt, who died in 1893.

“The carving is sublime,” notes Andrew. “Unlike a lot of memorials in cemeteries, which have dissolved over the years, it has never weathered. It is perfectly preserved, from the day he died.”

Also buried in the vault are some of the Salt children - William, Mary and Fanny Caroline - who all have streets named after them in the village.

One of the plaques remains blank - maybe a vault kept vacant for more members of the family to be buried there?

The beautiful tiled floor conceals lifting equipment used to access the tombs.

Leaving the mausoleum, Riaz and Andrew climb stairs in the church, to a viewing area with a balcony which allowed the Salt family to look out onto the church, and outside to the village.

Inside the bell tower, right at the top of the building, the bells are each engraved with names of the family.

This fascinating video, exploring a little-known part of Saltaire, follows another film made by Bradford Through the Lens exploring one of the tunnels beneath the village.

Built to connect Victoria Hall and Exhibition Building, it was built for the Yorkshire Royal Jubilee Exhibition in 1887, which celebrated Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.

The tunnel was the brainchild of Titus Salt Jnr, who had the School of Art and Science (now Exhibition Building, part of Shipley College) built and organised the Great Exhibition to celebrate the Royal Jubilee and to show off art and technology in Saltaire.

The School of Art and Science was completed in April 1887. On May 5, 1887 Princess Beatrice, youngest daughter of Queen Victoria, opened the Exhibition. Located on a huge site, it featured attractions including a taxidermy stand, railway engines, toboggan rides, re-created scenes of the Crimean War, watch-making demonstrations by Bradford’s Fattorini family, the biggest outdoor marquee in England and a Japanese village.

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