The Story – Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings
A brick built mill building.
Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings with all external scaffolding removed, July 2022. © Historic England

The story

Welcome to the home of the grandparent of skyscrapers, the first multifloored iron-framed building in the world!

The Main Mill at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, with its pioneering iron frame, is the building that launched a thousand skylines. It is one of eight listed buildings on site.

The Main Mill opened in 1797 as a purpose-built flax mill. Since then, the site has grown and been repurposed and adapted many times. It was a maltings from 1897 to 1987, a temporary army barracks during the Second World War, and today, under Historic England’s ownership, it continues to evolve as a workspace and a place to celebrate and explore the past.

The new exhibition, called The Mill, the Shop, Behind-The-Scenes Guided Tours, and Turned Wood Café are now open for you to enjoy. You can read more about the visitor offer from the Plan Your Visit pages on this website.

In 2023, offices opened on the top floors of the Main Mill. Read more information about hiring offices here Office Space | Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings

The transformation of this internationally significant site couldn’t have happened without the partners and funders. But the journey doesn’t end here, with four more incredible buildings to restore, and plans for housing on the land around the site. 

Find out about the restoration of the main mill and kiln
A photograph of a 220 year old mill building
The Main Mill at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings
A picture of 200 year old building with a brick sign
The Cross Mill at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings
A photograph of an exhibition
The Mill exhibition at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings

Donate

We need your help to maintain, restore and bring the Flaxmill Maltings buildings back to life.

find out more
A photograph of a 130 year old tower with blue sky behind
The Jubilee Tower with its restored Victorian coronet

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