West Yorkshire: Industrial Villages, Art and Walking Trails

Explore West Yorkshire through a range of interests: Saltaire preserves the character of an industrial village, museums focus on art, technology and history, and walking routes lead through landscapes and historic places. When choosing your hotel, you can first decide what you want to focus on during your trip—for example, architecture, a particular museum or walking. The destinations differ in subject and scale; the details below will help you match them to your interests.

Saltaire: an entire industrial village

Saltaire is a complete, well-preserved industrial village dating from the second half of the 19th century. The ensemble includes the buildings of Salt's Mill, New Mill, the workers' housing and Roberts Park. The industrial history is therefore revealed not just through a single building, but through the way these elements fit together. Salt's Mill is a historic building in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saltaire; visitors can see a very extensive collection of works by David Hockney there.

The Leeds-Liverpool Canal is also part of the area's history: Saltaire was deliberately built beside the canal, and its towpaths are now part of the National Cycle Network. Those interested in a longer walking route can find the start of the A Dales High Way at Victoria Square: it is by the four lions in front of Victoria Hall on Victoria Road. The route is 90 miles long and runs from Saltaire to Appleby in Cumbria.

Museums spanning art, history and technology

The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds is a free national museum of arms and armour. Exhibits include Japanese samurai armour and swords, film props, Henry VIII's armour and armour for an Indian war elephant. Daily live shows and combat demonstrations round out the museum's offerings. If a demonstration is important to your visit, check the current programme, as details may change.

The Hepworth Wakefield offers a different artistic focus: the Wakefield Permanent Art Collection comprises more than 5,000 works of art. Its collection of modern British art includes important works by Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore. The collection may grow as holdings develop, and individual displays may change.

The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford explores the impact of image and sound technologies on people's lives. Wonderlab features more than 20 interactive exhibits about light and sound. The IMAX—Bradford uses a 52-foot-high screen, which the museum describes as the largest in the region. Since exhibitions and film programmes may change, check the latest visitor information if you want to plan your day around a particular offering.

The Brontë Parsonage Museum is in Haworth. The house, rooms, furniture and objects once belonged to the Brontës and were their home. The museum offers special exhibitions, contemporary art, informative talks and family activities throughout the year; individual programmes may change. Bradford also has a culinary attraction: you can enjoy authentic Bradford curry in many restaurants.

Sculptures and trails through the countryside

Yorkshire Sculpture Park has around 90 outdoor sculptures set in 500 acres of landscape; the exhibits may change. Offerings include Little Wild Wood, a creative nature play area, as well as activities for exploring sculpture and nature. The park is one mile from M1 Junction 38 and is easy to reach by bus from Wakefield and Barnsley. Check the service before you travel.

Hardcastle Crags is a wooded valley with the 19th-century Gibson Mill at its centre. The mill was built in 1805 and now hosts a varied programme of art and exhibitions. Hardcastle Crags has 15 miles of walking trails through the wooded landscape and surrounding Yorkshire countryside. The Calderdale Way offers a different scale: it is a 50-mile circular walking route through the hills, moors and valleys of Calderdale. Its route follows old packhorse trails through hilly countryside dotted with villages and historic old mill towns. At 50 miles, the Calderdale Way is longer than the 15 miles of walking trails at Hardcastle Crags.

Planning your trip

For getting around the region, the Weaver Network brings together buses, trains, walking, mobility aids and cycling in an integrated transport network for West Yorkshire. The network may change; check current services before travelling. When choosing a hotel, you can then plan around whichever attraction matters most to you—whether Saltaire, a museum or a particular walking route.

Discover more destinations: Liversedge, Oxenhope, Harewood, Bramham, Skelmanthorpe, Meltham, Holmbridge, Clifford, Almondbury, Denby Dale, Slaithwaite, Upton, Clayton, Guiseley, Menston, Greetland, Steeton, Rishworth, Farsley, Hepworth, Oakworth, Mirfield, East Morton, Holywell Green, Lofthouse, Drighlington, Oulton, Queensbury, Rawdon, Silsden, Morley, Woolley, Featherstone, Marsden, Ripponden, Sowerby Bridge, Pontefract, Brighouse, Wetherby, Normanton, Pudsey, Collingham, Knottingley, Elland, Baildon, Harden, Addingham.

For the broader travel overview: Yorkshire And The Humber.