Sleaford Maltings, Sleaford - November 2012

In 1901 the whole complex was designed by H A Couchman, an Architect and Engineer working for Bass Ratcliff and Gretton Ltd. The malthouses at Bass's Shobnall Road site, also designed by Couchman, were the model for Sleaford, but the new malthouses incorporated considerable refinements including the grain handling systems, ventilation, draft control of the furnaces and in the design of the steeping tanks. The applications for building were submitted to Sleaford U D C, for eight cottages, offices, mess rooms and other ancillary buildings. The plans for the malthouses were submitted and approved 9 months later. The Engine House and Boiler House were built first, followed by the Malthouses. The whole complex, including the Houses, cost £350,000, and had the capacity to produce 60,000 quarters of malt in one season.​

  • 1905 the Maltings opened and begun production.
  • 1945 vacant space in Bass Maltings is let to local tradesmen due to the decline after the second world war.
  • 1946 Gas lighting replaced by electricity
  • 1958 - 1959 Production stops due to the advent of new malting processes and the size and inefficiency of the Malthouses.
  • 1969 First fire occurs.
  • 1973 GW Padley (Property) Ltd. purchases the Maltings. Three of the malthouses are used to rear chickens, and five of the malthouses or vegetable processing and freezing.
  • 1974 Bass Maltings complex listed Grade II.
  • 1976 Second fire occurs, with three of the Malthouses and the Barley Kiln and Barely Screen of the central section seriously damaged by the fire. The structural integrity of the structures remained intact.
  • 1984 Application for demolition turned down at appeal.
  • 1985 Maltings Working Party set up to find possible uses forthe buildings.
  • 1990s Poultry rearing ceased due to Health and Safety when residential development opened on the land adjoining the west.
  • 1999 Third Fire, with Number One block damaged.

One explore from a good weekend of exploring. Been wanting to come back here after a failed visit previously, I have to say that I was somewhat underwhelmed when we got in, the internals don't match the impressiveness of the externals for me. Nevertheless still a good mooch and a nice tall thing to climb, the water tower. Seems to be quite a bit of other stuff to look at in Sleaford, return we must.

Water tower and chimney. Window. Inside one of the large buildings. Barred windows. Door and rickety bridge. Staircase. Bird droppings. Plenty of pigeon poop in this building. In the water tower building. The spiral staircase. Views from the top. Views. Nice buildings.