Once I’d started exploring Saltaire it quickly became clear that some great photographic opportunities lay beside the water, either on the River Aire or the Leeds & Liverpool Canal so I decided to spend one day exploring these. I began with a stroll along the canal, where I found myself walking along at a similar pace to a canal boat. When I reached the lock I hung around for a while, using my pinhole camera to capture their leisurely route through this water level change.
After a spot of lunch I retraced my steps and headed in the opposite direction. This took me across the River Aire, where I found a weir, which offered lots of potential for some candy floss-like water.
From here I continued along the towpath towards Shipley, admiring the handsome architecture of Salts Mill. While these may be the stars of Saltaire, I found plenty of more mundane but very photogenic cottages and industrial buildings during my walk.
When I eventually reached Shipley I popped in to see my friend Andy at his workshop, where he restores classic cars and prepares historic race cars. We had a cuppa and a long chat and he was kind enough to let me take a few slow photos while I was there too.
Finally, having covered many miles already, I followed my nose back to the canal and wandered back to Saltaire, with a decent haul of photos and many thousand steps in the bag.
Photos taken 29 May 2025