The Titus Salt House was built in 1873 by Titus Salt Jr., three years before the death of his Father, Sir Titus Salt, who founded the local town of Saltaire - a world heritage site as one of the last fully maintained Victorian Village, which was in turn built to house the workers of the mill (at one point the biggest wool mill in the country). The mansion is often thought by locals to be "cursed" due to its long history of tragedies.
Fourteen years after the house was constructed, the family business was beginning to severely struggle, with declining need for wool and misplaced judgements on investments in mining and iron production. This bad fortune seemed to climax when Sir Titus Salt Jr. died in the billiard room, as the result of his heart condition.
The house then passed into the hands of Sir James Roberts, who'd been working in mills since age 11, starting in the old Oxenhope Mill. Despite a very under-privileged start in life, in May 1898 he was appointed Manager of of Manufacturing and Merchandising, and in July of the same year, he took ownership of the company. Sadly, his eldest son, William "Willy" James passed away this same year aged 24. After moving into the house in 1904, Sir James Roberts' tragedies continued, following the death of his youngest son, John "Jack" Edward, who drowned at Ramore Head on a family holiday that same year, and then the death of his third son, Bertram Foster in 1912 from 'Serous Neuritis' aged 36. His final surviving son married a Nurse he met during his world War 1 conscription, yet she later died from Influenza whilst pregnant. Additionally, his daughter, Alice, eloped a few years before Roberts' purchasing of the house with Norman Rutherford; yet in 1919, he was arrested for shooting and killing Alice's alleged lover, Miles Seaton.
By 1923, Sir James Roberts had moved out, under the pressure of the crippling Mill Business, and ownership fell to Ernest Gates, a managing director at the mill. However, just two weeks after moving in, his wife died; and in 1925, Gates himself also died after injuring his foot, potentially from scratching it on a rose bush or a golf club, from developing from septicaemia.
The final resident of the mansion was Arthur Remington, who moved in in 1925, and who was also a managing Director at the mill alongside Gates. Yet, he occupied the house for only five years; his wife dying from pneumonia aged 43 less than a year after their move in, followed by his death in 1930 from an irritation of the gall bladder.
By 1930, the house was abandoned and its grisly reputation kept any prospective buyers away. It was used to provide building materials for the mill when it needed repairs, and for grenade training during the Second World War.
At some point in the 1950s, the house was demolished, and now just the ruins remain - a well preserved cellar alongside a few tiny scattered structures and collapsed bricks in an overgrown area off the main path in the forest bordering Eldwick. If you jump over a little stream there's a small, rarely used, footpath which runs through the debris. A hike along this path could very easily lead an unaware person to walk completely past the house ruins
However, in a tiny dip in the forest lies the traditionally accepted "entrance" to the cellar. There is another way in, which provides much easier access, however locally there is an unwritten rule of the route through the cellar being one way. The small dip is very easily unnoticed
Or from the inside looking out:
Once inside, the cellar is relatively small - especially if you're a taller person - but is interesting nonetheless:
Interestingly here you can see what was presumably the stairs stretching into n unreachable part of the cellar, suggesting it to be bigger than what remains - some may even still be buried:
The "Exit" provides an easier entryway, and is open into the forest:
Another inspection into the landscape can reveal the foundations of what was presumably the orangery still in place, and even some of the mosaic floor patterning has survived:
And aside from those key elements and some scattered debris, there's still some standing structures such as corners of rooms:
And so whilst the cellar may be small, it's certainly interesting, and also located in a beautiful part of the country in the middle of a gorgeous walk through some natural woods in the Yorkshire Countryside!
Fourteen years after the house was constructed, the family business was beginning to severely struggle, with declining need for wool and misplaced judgements on investments in mining and iron production. This bad fortune seemed to climax when Sir Titus Salt Jr. died in the billiard room, as the result of his heart condition.
The house then passed into the hands of Sir James Roberts, who'd been working in mills since age 11, starting in the old Oxenhope Mill. Despite a very under-privileged start in life, in May 1898 he was appointed Manager of of Manufacturing and Merchandising, and in July of the same year, he took ownership of the company. Sadly, his eldest son, William "Willy" James passed away this same year aged 24. After moving into the house in 1904, Sir James Roberts' tragedies continued, following the death of his youngest son, John "Jack" Edward, who drowned at Ramore Head on a family holiday that same year, and then the death of his third son, Bertram Foster in 1912 from 'Serous Neuritis' aged 36. His final surviving son married a Nurse he met during his world War 1 conscription, yet she later died from Influenza whilst pregnant. Additionally, his daughter, Alice, eloped a few years before Roberts' purchasing of the house with Norman Rutherford; yet in 1919, he was arrested for shooting and killing Alice's alleged lover, Miles Seaton.
By 1923, Sir James Roberts had moved out, under the pressure of the crippling Mill Business, and ownership fell to Ernest Gates, a managing director at the mill. However, just two weeks after moving in, his wife died; and in 1925, Gates himself also died after injuring his foot, potentially from scratching it on a rose bush or a golf club, from developing from septicaemia.
The final resident of the mansion was Arthur Remington, who moved in in 1925, and who was also a managing Director at the mill alongside Gates. Yet, he occupied the house for only five years; his wife dying from pneumonia aged 43 less than a year after their move in, followed by his death in 1930 from an irritation of the gall bladder.
By 1930, the house was abandoned and its grisly reputation kept any prospective buyers away. It was used to provide building materials for the mill when it needed repairs, and for grenade training during the Second World War.
At some point in the 1950s, the house was demolished, and now just the ruins remain - a well preserved cellar alongside a few tiny scattered structures and collapsed bricks in an overgrown area off the main path in the forest bordering Eldwick. If you jump over a little stream there's a small, rarely used, footpath which runs through the debris. A hike along this path could very easily lead an unaware person to walk completely past the house ruins
However, in a tiny dip in the forest lies the traditionally accepted "entrance" to the cellar. There is another way in, which provides much easier access, however locally there is an unwritten rule of the route through the cellar being one way. The small dip is very easily unnoticed
Or from the inside looking out:
Once inside, the cellar is relatively small - especially if you're a taller person - but is interesting nonetheless:
Interestingly here you can see what was presumably the stairs stretching into n unreachable part of the cellar, suggesting it to be bigger than what remains - some may even still be buried:
The "Exit" provides an easier entryway, and is open into the forest:
Another inspection into the landscape can reveal the foundations of what was presumably the orangery still in place, and even some of the mosaic floor patterning has survived:
And aside from those key elements and some scattered debris, there's still some standing structures such as corners of rooms:
And so whilst the cellar may be small, it's certainly interesting, and also located in a beautiful part of the country in the middle of a gorgeous walk through some natural woods in the Yorkshire Countryside!
