Maltings To West Of Railway Station

The building is a maltings, constructed between 1874 and 1878 by Robert Free, an innovator in malting technology. It originally comprised two halves, designed for the production of crystal malt (western half) and pale malt (eastern half), which are now joined. The building’s layout is linear, with kilns located towards the centre of the range. It is built of yellow brick with red brick dressings, topped by a slate roof. The maltings are three storeys high, incorporating a semi-basement level and a loft storey, and extend across 30 bays. It has cambered openings with wooden ventilator windows. Each bay is divided by brick piers featuring bosses of tie bars. A stringcourse and dogtooth cornice run along the building. The south facade features two weatherboarded lucams at attic level, doors (one with an external wooden staircase), and an iron walkway at the east end. Two kilns are situated in the middle of the range, each with a steep pyramidal roof surmounted by wooden ventilating towers, while a third kiln is located to the rear. Internally, it is believed that the steeping pits remain, along with the quarry tile malting drying floors. The kilns are reported to have wedge wire floors, and the kiln ironwork is attributed to J R M Fitch of Lawford/Manningtree. Originally, each half of the building operated independently. The steeping pits were positioned at the east and west ends, with the malted material moving towards the kilns – the eastern block functioning as a traditional malting, and the western block as a crystal malt plant. Crystal malt is not dried in a kiln but finished in a roasting cylinder, explaining the lack of a traditional kiln in the western portion. Malt was steeped for three days in the eastern block, then laid on the drying floors for a further four days. Both kilns were heated by anthracite and featured wedge wire floors. Robert Free was a significant innovator in the industry, later developing major works at Mistley. No other maltings demonstrating such a distinct and dual use of crystal and pale malt production are known to survive.