Malthouse Number 4

Malthouse Number 4, Weymouth

This malthouse was built in 1889 by the architectural firm CR Crickmay and Son for Grove's Brewery. It is constructed in Flemish bond brickwork using red and Broadmayne bricks, with a basement in rubble and slate roofs. The building is arranged as a large industrial unit in three distinct parts: to the left are two square kilns with pyramidal roofs; at the centre is a six-bay gabled range of three storeys with a basement and attics; and to the right is a gabled cross-wing of four storeys with an attic and a gabled projecting framed and boarded hoist. A small lean-to engine house projects forward from the northern end of the north-western elevation.

The kilns are set out in two bays with flat piers stopped under a frieze band in yellow brick with a red diaper pattern, and brick dentil eaves. The swept slate roofs feature cast-iron hip tiles and a short cast-iron circular ridge vent. To the front is a lean-to unit and a flight of stone steps leading to a door under a pent roof. Along the narrow lane to the left, a stepped plinth contains two blocked and two open basement lights, a wide light with a bull-nosed brick sill at first-floor level, and small square lights cutting into the frieze. The plain rear elevation, with brick piers, is set forward from the central range. A series of circular cast-iron plates holding bolted ties near the top of the kilns appear to be part of the original construction of the inner apparatus.

Throughout the remainder of the building, openings generally have plain reveals, segmental brick heads, and steep sills in bull-nosed brick. Most windows consist of a square central light flanked by narrow verticals, generally shuttered rather than glazed. Those at the eaves level are set in the frieze, and below the bays the windows are divided by brick piers. The ground floor has a plank door inserted in bay two. In the rubble basement are five square barred openings, plus in bay one a wide segmental-headed opening over deep-set doors. The rear wall is similar in detail, with plain flush yellow brick bands at sill level and, towards the left, a raised gabled ridge-light with boarding.

The tall gabled range to the right features corner and central brick piers, the latter stopped below the hoist, with two lights at each of three levels and a pair of plank doors on a steep flight of steps. The hoist is carried on steel beams to stone corbels and has a band of casements at the top, with a further narrow band at third-floor level. The gable displays stepped projecting brick embellishment. The return front to Horsford Road is arranged in four bays with piers joined to a stepped eaves band. At first and second-floor levels are small square vents in a 1:2:2:1 pattern below the windows, with prominent bull-nosed sills. The rear gable displays bold stepped brick eaves over three small central stepped lights with flush stone lintels and sills, corner and central piers. There are two segmental-headed lights at ground and first-floor levels.

The interior is unaltered and contains two eight-by-three-bay main malting floors with cast-iron columns and beams supporting shutter-built cement jack arches. The kilns are constructed using a rolled-iron framework with infill panels of shuttered cement and concrete strengthening. The kiln floors retain most of their perforated ceramic tiles. Two cast-iron hopper-bottomed steeps survive at the south-western end of the upper growing floor. All the barley and malt storage bins are extant, along with the linked barley and malt cleaning machinery.

The building retains the only surviving example of the innovative Last's ventilation system, which comprises rectangular holes in splayed openings containing adjustable cast-iron plates inscribed with the words "LLEWELLINS & JAMES BRITOL LASTS PATENTS". These openings are positioned at regularly-spaced intervals in the south-western elevation and in the party wall between the kilns and the growing floors. A bucket elevator was introduced at the western end of the growing floor range in the late 19th or early 20th century.

This is a splendid example of bold and forthright detailing characteristic of the "Functional Tradition", and the most significant element in an outstanding group of brewery structures in the Hope Square area. It is particularly notable for the innovative use of materials for its date, its complete state of interior preservation, and as the only surviving malthouse to retain the innovative "Lasts Patent" system for assisting draft to the kiln.