Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings: Malting Kiln

The Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings includes a former maltings kiln built between 1896 and 1897, designed by Henry Stopes. It is part of a former flax mill complex that was converted and extended for maltings use in 1897-1898 and closed in 1987.

The kiln is constructed of red brick and features a pyramidal slate roof topped with a cowl that has a rectangular hat. It is a three-bay building with three storeys and a rectangular plan.

On the east elevation, the lower part has a three-bay arcade, with each bay containing a timber, three-light window; the right-hand bay's window is positioned at a higher level. Bays one and two have shallow windows beneath their respective windows, while bay three has a large blocked opening below its window. Each of the two upper floors features three regularly spaced windows, although the central window on the first floor has been bricked up. All windows have blue brick cills. The west elevation has two tall, round-arched openings at the ground floor, with the left opening originally serving a railway siding. The right opening has been bricked in, with a door and window added. The upper part of the west elevation is set back from the ground floor and contains windows on both the first and second floors. Both elevations have several cast-iron tie plates.

Inside, the kiln is accessed from a link passage in the eastern stair block of the Cross Building. The ground floor, which housed the furnaces, features vaulted brick ceilings on either side of a central heat chamber. Originally, there were two kiln drying floors above, but the upper one has been removed. The first floor is divided into two halves, retaining the characteristic cast-iron floor beams. Although the maltings machinery, including elevators, conveyors, power shovels, kiln-loading machine or thrower, and burners have been removed, the overhead chute that supplied grain to the thrower remains in place.