Latest news with #ShrewsburyFlaxmillMaltings
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Architects appointed for Sheffield Town Hall restoration
The restoration of a historic town hall has moved a step closer with the appointment of an architectural design Town Hall, one of only two Grade I listed buildings in the city centre, is set to undergo major refurbishment to secure its long-term future, the city council building, which was opened by Queen Victoria in 1897, is currently used for council meetings, civic events, sporting celebrations and Tuesday, it was announced Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, which is behind Grade II listed Leah's Yard, would lead the restoration project and "breathe new life" into the building. In 2022, urgent work had to be carried out after a council report found serious risks including fire safety, Legionella from water supplies, no ventilation in the council chamber and leaks from an old large diesel to the council, the restoration plan would address key issues such as accessibility, fire safety, structural repairs and the preservation of historical features. The firm chosen to lead the project is known for schemes such as the transformation of the Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings and Brighton Dome Corn Exchange and Studio leader Tom Hunt said he was delighted the project was moving forward so that the town hall could "continue to serve everyone" and be a "modern, accessible workplace".He said: "Our iconic and historic town hall is at the heart of Sheffield's democracy and public life."From weddings to citizenship ceremonies, council meetings and elections, this special building has a unique place in the lives of Sheffield residents." Geoff Rich, partner and director of heritage and creative reuse at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, said the firm felt "hugely honoured" to have been said: "The project represents an exciting opportunity to complement the building's unique heritage with inclusive and sustainable design, and to ensure the town hall meets the future needs of Sheffield's communities."An initial feasibility study in 2022 outlined potential restoration costs and safety works could range from £20m to £ council said it aimed to secure funding through "innovative strategies", balancing the needs of heritage preservation with financial sustainability. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
31-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Hunt is on for Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings' bell as it reopens
A search has been launched to find the bell that has been missing from the so-called "grandparent of skyscrapers" for nearly 40 Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings prepares to re-open under English Heritage's (EH) tenure on Tuesday, the charity is asking one question - where is its bell?It is believed to be about 24in (0.6m) tall and cast with the year "1791" on it. The charity believes it went missing in the late 1980s or early 1990s, when the building was derelict."Whilst it is possible that the bell could have been melted down, it is more likely that someone took it as a souvenir," said Matt Thompson, EH curatorial director. "[It would have been when] this imposing, historic building which – at the time – looked close to ruin."As Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings begins its new incarnation as an English Heritage site, it feels like the right time to appeal for information on the bell's whereabouts so that we can restore it to its rightful place."The bell would ring out to mark the start and end of each working day at the Flaxmill and later, the maltings, EH said. It was the world's first multi-storey, iron-frame building, and its design paved the way for modern high-rise buildings. It opened in 1797 as a purpose-built flaxmill, operating for a century under steam power to spin flax into linen thread. From 1897, the site was used as a maltings and served as a temporary army training unit and barracks during World War Two, before closing in 1987. 'Catalyst for labour reform' The buildings were left to fall into dereliction, before EH bought the site in 2005, restoring it in partnership with Shropshire Council and the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings."The social change brought about by this very flaxmill and the factory system in general is equally as important to British history," said Mr Thompson."The associated urban migration, long, hard working hours and exploitation of children were catalysts for labour reform movements and legislation to improve conditions, including the 1833 Factory Act for which the government received testimony from former workers at Shrewsbury Flaxmill."It would be a fitting end to the incredible story of Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings if we could find the bell and restore it to its rightful place." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Guardian
31-03-2025
- General
- The Guardian
For whom the bell tolls: hunt for missing piece of Shrewsbury's industrial history
For almost 200 years, the bell tolled to mark the start and end of the working day at one of the UK's most remarkable industrial sites – but it vanished when the buildings became derelict in the late 1980s or early 90s. As English Heritage prepares to welcome visitors to the Flaxmill Maltings building in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, a hunt for the missing bell has been launched. Matt Thompson, the curatorial director of English Heritage, accepted it was possible the bell had been melted down and was lost forever. But he said: 'It is more likely that someone took it as a souvenir which, at the time, looked close to ruin. Maybe it's sitting in someone's garden or in a shed.' The bell and the building have long and important histories. Known as the grandparent of the skyscraper, the building was the world's first multistorey, iron-frame building, with the design paving the way for modern high-rise buildings. Thompson said: 'Without Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, today's cities would look very different.' The site opened in 1797 as a flax mill and then, from 1897 to 1987, was used as a maltings. It also served as a temporary army training unit and barracks during the second world war. A third of the 800 workers at the flax mill were under 16 and some as young as nine. Shrewsbury itself was too small to provide that number, so children were brought in from as far afield as London and Hull, mostly from the workhouses. Often orphans, the children were given housing, food and clothes but not paid wages. The missing bell would have called the children in from the apprentice house nearby. Days were long and conditions often brutal, with testimony from some former child labourers at the mill leading to the 1833 Factory Act, which restricted the hours that children could work each day. Thompson said: 'The urban migration, long, hard working hours and exploitation of children were catalysts for labour reform movements and legislation. It would be a fitting end to the story of Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings if we could find the bell and restore it to its rightful place, providing today's visitors with an audible connection to the site's history and past generations of workers.' Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Originally operated by a pull rope, the bell changed to an electric chiming mechanism after the second world war, but was lost at some point in the 1980s or 1990s when the building was left derelict after the closure of the business in 1987. Believed to be around 60cm (24in) high, the bell is cast with the year '1797' on it. The bellcote has been restored but remains, for the moment, empty. Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings opens on Tuesday as English Heritage's first new paid-for site in 21 years.
