Historic England will be handing over the visitor attraction at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings to the care of English Heritage.
As of 1 April 2025, the visitor experience at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings will become part of the charity’s 400-strong portfolio of historic attractions, welcoming thousands of potential new visitors.
Historic England will remain the owner of Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings and will focus on managing the commercial lettings within the Grade I listed Main Mill, as well as progressing the rescue of the remaining historic buildings and the residential development of the wider site.
An icon of the industrial revolution, Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings was the world’s first iron-frame building and has been dubbed ‘the grandparent of skyscrapers’, with its pioneering design paving the way for modern high-rise buildings.
In 2022, after saving and restoring the landmark for future generations, with £20.7million funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England opened Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings to the public as a visitor attraction comprising a self-guided exhibition and behind-the-scenes tours.
Alastair Godfrey, Project Lead for Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings at Historic England said:
“Over the past two years, Historic England has firmly established Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings as a thriving local visitor attraction. Now, as the site continues to grow in appeal, we are passing the day-to-day operation of Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings visitor operation to English Heritage, where we are confident it will benefit from the charity’s expertise in delivering first-class visitor experiences at hundreds of sites across England.
“With over 1.2 million members, English Heritage is uniquely placed to promote visits and share Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings’ story with a wider audience whilst keeping the visitor offer broadly similar, including the excellent on-site café. The charity already cares for over 400 sites across England including international icons such as Stonehenge, Dover Castle and Iron Bridge, as well as local attractions Wroxeter Roman City, Wenlock Priory and Stokesay Castle.”
Rebecca Eade, English Heritage’s Head of Historic Properties (West), said:
“Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings is a superb example of living, breathing heritage. Rather than a relic from a bygone era, it is instead the blueprint for today’s buildings and a vibrant part of Shrewsbury’s community. At English Heritage, we are extremely excited to be taking on the Flaxmill and cannot wait to start inspiring our members and visitors to discover this vital part of England’s industrial history.”
Opened in 1797 as a purpose-built flaxmill, Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings has grown and been adapted for different purposes in the intervening years. From 1897 to 1987, the site was used as a maltings and it even served as a temporary army barracks during the Second World War.
After the maltings closed in 1987, the buildings were left derelict until Historic England bought the site in 2005 and, in partnership with Shropshire Council and the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings, restored and breathed new life back into them.
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