Saltaire: Jamie Roberts begins his walk with his alpacas

 

Jamie Roberts with alpacas

 

Jamie Roberts, the great great grandson of Sir James Roberts (Roberts Park is named after him) is the owner of Kilnsey Park, one of North Yorkshire’s top visitor attractions. Jamie will begin a walk next Tuesday 6th August at 11am accompanied by alpacas, to commemorate his ancestors whose fortune was built on alpaca wool, from Salts Mill World Heritage Site in Saltaire, West Yorkshire. A weekend of celebrations is planned at Kilnsey Park on 10-11th August including family activities, outdoor performances, music and local food and drink.

Jamie is undertaking the trek to mark the Park’s 35th anniversary and the 120th anniversary of his great great grandfather Sir James Roberts saving Salts Mill from bankruptcy. As his ancestor made his fortune from alpaca wool, so Jamie will walk with alpacas that are coming home to take up residence at the family’s estate this August.

Sir James Roberts, from Haworth, began working in mills aged 11, eventually rising to take over Salts Mill, considered at the time to be the largest industrial building in the world, employing 4,000 people. In 1903 Sir James erected the statue of Sir Titus Salt in what is now known as Roberts Park.
The Kilnsey Estate was purchased by Sir James Roberts’s son Bertram Roberts in 1911 and four generations of the family have lived there. Kilnsey Park was established as a visitor attraction in 1978.

The anniversary begins with the walk from Saltaire and will lead onto a weekend of celebrations at Kilnsey Park on 10th-11th August. The walk will follow a section of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal before continuing in the Dales.
Jamie will be accompanied by the alpacas that will live at the Park visitor attraction. The alpacas have been sourced from prize-winning alpaca breeders at Carlshead Farm near Wetherby.
Kilnsey Park visitor attraction is 11 miles north of Skipton in the Yorkshire Dales.

Website: www.kilnseypark.co.uk

Information courtesy of Saltaire World Heritage:   http://www.saltairevillage.info/news-00296_Trek_from_Saltaire_to_Kilnsey_Park_with_alpacas_010813.html