THIS week's Rural View comes from the remarkable West Yorkshire village of Saltaire which lies between Bingley and Shipley, not far from Leeds/Bradford Airport.

We spent most of a day exploring this former industrial community and perhaps the enduring impression upon leaving is one of awe. It seems astonishing that one man could envisage and then build such an impressive place which, after its industrial decline a century ago, is now enjoying an equally remarkable renaissance.

The centrepiece is a massive mill, a huge Italianate building which was the focus of the woollen industry during Victorian times, and it now houses a remarkable collection of works by artist David Hockney, along with some impressive indoor markets. They sell everything from books to furnishings by way of designer jewellery, ceramics and glassware. There are restaurants too, with all the staff wearing white shirts bearing David Hockney's name.

So how did all this start? The name gives a clue to its origins. The village, the first of its kind in the world, was conceived by a philanthropic industrialist called Titus Salt (1803-1876), and it was constructed close to the River Aire.

At that time, the site was beautiful countryside with green fields below the towering hills. The obvious question is why did he produce such a place? And how was the eventual derelict old mill transformed into such an interesting new venue?

Titus was the son of a farmer who eventually established his own firm within the woollen industry, and Titus learned his skills from his father. He travelled widely throughout Britain to learn everything he could about his profession, talking to both industrialists and farmers.

When he was 28, he bought a mill of his own and it prospered, so much so that he was soon able to buy a further four in Bradford. In 1830, he married Caroline and she bore 11 children. In 1834, he travelled to Liverpool on business where he noticed bales of alpaca wool in a warehouse. He bought some, experimented with it and discovered it produced a high-quality lustrous cloth, ideal for the expensive dresses of rich ladies.

By the time he was 40, Titus Salt was one of the wealthiest men in Yorkshire but he was always conscious of the poverty of the poorer classes. They worked and lived in dreadful conditions, and Titus Salt wanted to do something which would help them. He decided to build a new mill in the countryside where the air was fresh and the fields were green; he would ensure that working conditions and accommodation for his staff were the finest, and he wanted the workers to truly enjoy and benefit from the fruits of their labour.

That is why he built the huge mill which still exists at Saltaire. One of the biggest in Yorkshire, it was opened on 1853 on Titus' 50th birthday. It had space, light and warmth, it was in the beautiful green valley of the River Aire and he made sure his workers were treated with kindness and respect.

But he wasn't content only with his splendid mill. The people still lived in poor houses with little by way of recreational and educational facilities, and so he set about building an entire village around his mill, close to the railway and river. It would have 800 houses, a park, a library, a school, outdoor sports facilities, baths, a learning institute, a social club, a hospital, almshouses, shops and a church. But no public house!

At a time when mill-owners were notoriously cruel to their work forces and ignorant about their needs and aspirations, this was indeed an innovation and it became known as the happiest and healthiest working community in the world. Titus was knighted by Queen Victoria, then died in 1876 shortly after his last building has been constructed. He lies in the mausoleum of the handsome Congregational chapel which he built opposite his mill.

His was a remarkable achievement by any standards. During the 1870s and 1880s, however, the textile industry suffered a savage decline and by 1892 this magnificent mill was no longer trading. The entire village was sold to a consortium and by 1933, it was in a sorry state of decay. Then in 1984, the Saltaire Village Society was created and the railway station re-opened. Commuters moved into Saltaire, and then along came another entrepreneur called Jonathan Silver, a self-made millionaire and friend of David Hockney, the world-famous artist. Silver bought Salts Mill in 1987, then the village society managed to convince English Heritage that Saltaire was of world importance. In the former mill, Jonathan Silver created the 1853 Gallery which now houses a collection of works by Hockney, and he rented space within the building for use as offices, retail outlets and restaurants.

He recreated the success of Titus Salt, winning the Civic Trust's top award in 1996, along with the Europa Nostra medal for conservation-led regeneration. Then, in 2001, the development was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Sadly, Jonathan Silver died from cancer in 1997, aged only 48, but his work, and that of Titus Salt, lives on in this unique village of Saltaire.

Updated: 11:04 Wednesday, March 16, 2005