Built in 1797, at the peak of the Industrial Revolution, Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings in Ditherington, is an imposing building, with its iron frame and bold façade. Created during a period of innovation and social upheaval, when industry was transforming towns and countryside, it was one of the largest and most technically advanced of a new generation of factories. Shrewsbury was an area with a long tradition textiles and, in the wider region, iron production. The Ditherington Flaxmill embodied the latest thinking in factory design and structural engineering. At five-stories tall, it was admired around the world as a forerunner to the modern skyscraper.
The architect, Charles Bage, designed a pioneering iron-framed structure with columns, crossbeams and tie rods, which provided the strength needed to make it multi-storeyed. The iron framework also provided resistance to fire. It was a bold and experimental first step towards the skyscrapers which define our cityscapes today.
Flax is a plant which grows in much of the world, including Britain. The tough fibres inside its stems make linen yarn and thread, while its seeds make linseed oil. Here, flax was processed into linen yarn and thread, then sent away for weaving and sewing into a range of products from clothing to rope, playing cards and even wings for early aeroplanes.
Following the closure of the flax mill in 1886, the machinery and engines were removed. In the 1890s it was converted into a maltings which remained in industrial use until the 1980s. In the late 20th Century, it fell into disrepair, until Historic England, then known as English Heritage, purchased the site in 2005. Made up of eight listed buildings, Historic England began an extensive conservation project in 2014. A development of this size was always going to take many years to complete, the restoration of the main mill and kiln was funded largely thanks to a £207 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
A rare survivor from its time, today Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings has been restored to its former glory and preserved for future generations to enjoy. It is one of the iconic monuments of the Industrial Revolution and presented a challenge for conservation. It was an extraordinary task, involving architects, surveyors, brick specialists, builders, carpenters, ecologists, engineers, ironworkers, roofers and scaffolders. The project partners, including the Friends of Flaxmill Maltings and Shropshire Council, worked closely together to solve the challenges that these historic buildings have presented, and it’s taken some modern-day innovative thinking to save and restore them. J & JW Longbottom were delighted to supply cast iron gutters and rectangular rainwater pipes with plinth offsets and shoes, topped with No. 58 hopper heads, ensuring that the rainwater goods are in keeping with the aesthetic of this Grade 1 Listed building.
The 226-year-old mill is now a place to celebrate and explore the past with an exhibition area, cafe and shop, plus commercial office space. Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings recently received royal approval, with the visit of HM Queen Camilla, when she learned more about the site’s extensive regeneration and met with some of those involved in the project including local community groups. The remaining buildings will be restored in the coming years when plans are approved and funding is in place.
Find out more about the project here.
Images ©Historic England