The Malthouse

The Malthouse is a late 18th century building, with a datestone indicating 1768. It is constructed from local red sandstone rubble, featuring a tiled main roof and slate roofs on other sections. The layout is cruciform, with the main malting floors oriented north-south and a kiln located at the south end. To the west, there is a loading bay, and to the east, a second kiln. A derelict lean-to is situated behind the main building on the east side.

The interior is of considerable interest, comprising two long malting floors. The attic floor is divided by wooden storage bins. The kiln floors are distinctive, paved with Hamstone slabs that have relatively large holes, suggesting that some additional cloth, gauze, or grid was used to prevent barley from falling into the fires below. Short stairs from the attic to the kiln floors can be lifted on hinges to reveal chutes for shovelling malt down to the first floor of the main house, with a similar mechanism on the lower floor. The two small furnaces are intact, featuring hopper-shaped flues leading to the kiln floors above.

An unusual feature is the steep tank incorporated into the ground floor 'room' of the east kiln. It is rare to find a malthouse with two kilns. The datestone inscribed "IH 1768" on the south gable is associated with John Hancock, who is known to have connections to the site. The Hancock family has been referenced in Halse since 1653, with the earliest mention of their malting activities dating back to 1790. This building is an interesting survival of an 18th century malthouse, and its kilns and other features may be unique.