Shrewsbury's historic Flaxmill building one step closer to completion
The scaffolding surrounding a historic building in Shrewsbury for more than 18 months has been removed.
A total of 7,200 slates from Penrhyn Quarry, the last major source of Welsh slate, were used to create the new pyramid-roofed kiln at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings.
The kiln, believed to be one of the largest in Europe, has been undergoing extensive internal and external repair as part of the restoration of the Flaxmill Maltings site, led by site owners, Historic England.
Inside the kiln, new steelwork for the lift shaft and walkways has been put in. The concrete vaulting around the sides – a 1960s replacement of the original brick vaults – was in very poor condition and is being replaced. There have also been lots of careful repairs to the walls with matching brickwork inside and out.
Alastair Godfrey, Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings project lead for Historic England, said: “After being hidden behind scaffolding since 2019, it’s fantastic to see the pyramid-roofed kiln revealed. The highly skilled carpenters, roofers and craftsmen of our contractor Croft Building and Construction really have done an incredible job bringing this building back to life.
"During the malting era, the kiln was a hub of busy daily activity as it will be once again when it becomes the main entrance for the commercial tenants, providing a breath-taking view when people first set foot in the building.”
The restoration of the Grade I listed main mill and the Grade II kiln at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings is taking place thanks to a £20.7m grant from National Lottery players through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, combined with additional funding from the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership via its Growth Deal with Government, and from project partners Historic England, Shropshire Council and the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings.
Alan Mosley, chairman of the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings, added: “Now that the scaffolding is down, it’s fantastic that the local community and the ex-maltsters can once again see the pyramid-roof and the 1898 frontage.
"The site was adapted from a flax mill to maltings in the late 1800s and is now once again adapting ready for a new century of use. Each part of the main mill and kiln that are restored brings us closer to opening and to Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings being once again at the heart of the community. Congratulations to Historic England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund for enabling this to happen.”
