A SALTAIRE landmark is set to welcome its first visitors later this week after being shut due to lockdown - but with a number of differences.

Salts Mill will reopen its doors this Friday for the first day of its phased reopening.

It will be open over the next two weekends on the following days; August 14, 15 and 15 and then Friday, August 21, 22 and 23.

These opening hours will be extended to include on the Bank Holiday Monday and will then be open that weekend, on; Friday, August 28, 29, 30 and Monday, August 31.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Steve Mason, site manager, helps to get Salts Mill readySteve Mason, site manager, helps to get Salts Mill ready

The mill will be open between 9am and 4pm, apart from the Arrival of Spring & Café in to the Opera, which will be open 10am to 4pm.

The mill's opening hours and days in September have yet to be finalised.

A number of changes have been made to entrance to the mill for visitors, including a one-way system throughout most of the site.

There is no only one way to enter the building, through the modern foyer with sliding glass doors and long banners down the exterior wall.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Salts Mill will reopen to the public on Friday Salts Mill will reopen to the public on Friday

Visitors should wear a face mask at all times apart from when dining. They will be greeted on arrival by staff and will be asked to sanitise their hands.

Visitors' contact details will be taken as part of the NHS’s Test & Trace service. These will be stored for 21 days.

If the building becomes too busy, visitors may also be asked to queue outside. Its lifts are for those who really need them. There will be one lift for down and one for up.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Hand sanitising stations will be located around the site Hand sanitising stations will be located around the site

Robin Silver, one of the Salts Mill directors, says it has proved a tough logistical exercise to get the site ready for reopening to visitors.

He said: "We shut a couple of days before the lockdown in March.

"You can't really separate us out from all of the government restrictions. You've got to go through a gallery and we have shops and a restaurant and cafe.

"All of the measurers and restrictions put in place have affected us and still do.

"We are doing a phased reopening over the next couple of weekends and then open for longer over the Bank Holiday weekend and learn from these first two weekends that we're back.

"We want to make sure we have all of the safety measures in place for our staff and customers.

"Everything has been a major problem working out the logistics.

"There will be one entrance way, so we can fill in track and trace for our visitors in case we need to. There will be hand sanitising stations.

"There will be a different route around the building.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Dining will look different at Salts Mill Dining will look different at Salts Mill

"It has been the nightmare without the benefit of being asleep.

"We have to try to learn things and hopefully we have all of the measures in place.

"We have gone above and beyond the minimum requirements for everyone's benefit, at the end of the day.

We want to welcome people back and have a safe, enjoyable and relaxing time

"That's the conundrum; how do we create an environment in Salts Mill where there is already an established environment."

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Booking for the Salts Diner & Café in to the Opera is essential, by emailing diner@saltsmill.org.uk The diner, breakfast is from 9am to 11am, lunch from 11.30am, last orders will be taken at 3pm each day.

Some of the mill's retailers will also be only seeing customers by appointment only. They are Kath Libbert Jewellery and Early Music Shop. All Terrain Cycles will be closed on Sundays.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: The one-way system at the mill's lifts The one-way system at the mill's lifts

The site's 1853 Gallery, bookshop, Carlton Antiques, The Home, & all other shops & galleries open.