During my first election campaign for Castlefields and
Ditherington in 2005 many residents commented that something should be done
about the Maltings! Indeed, most
believed that it should be knocked down to remove the blight on the area and
blot on their landscape. They knew little about the Flaxmill that preceded the
Maltings and gave rise to the first iron-framed building in the world.
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| The world's first iron framed building - a forerunner to the modern day skyscraper |
Now I am inundated with questions about the state of
progress towards the site’s conservation and the vast majority are proud of the
heritage which lies at the heart of our community. They realise the massive
potential that conservation will bring for the regeneration of their area.
My election led to my involvement with the Working Party
seeking to get work on the site underway after the failure of 2 projects by the
private sector. So the roller coaster of
hopes and disappointment started!
However, there was always hope as clever, experienced and enthusiastic
people were involved.
A step-change happened in 2010 when the Friends of the
Flaxmill Maltings was formed and we were quickly able to engage with the local
and wider community, so that they too could learn about, experience and enjoy
all aspects of the site and the stories which lie within. Since then the Friends have been true
partners in the project working alongside Historic England and Shropshire
Council. Thousands have visited the
site, we have gained much media attention and aroused enormous amounts of
interest and engagement.
Thankfully the Heritage Lottery Fund and other funding
agencies have recognised our work, the very significant public interest and the
clear plans we have for future efforts.
Once completed the Friends will manage all aspects of the
public access to the site including interpretation, learning, research, tours,
special events and community facilities.
For now though we are nearing the completion of Stage 1 of
the project, work which we expect will kick start the larger elements of the
overall project. This first stage has
seen the conversion of the office and stables which will be managed by the
Friends as a visitor centre, including reception, interpretation displays, film
and audio material, research and learning resources. The demolition of the
1950’s silo has also provided pleasant open space for cultural, interpretation
and public use, while much of the surrounding area has been improved.
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| The new visitor centre is nearing completion |
The opening of the Visitor Centre at the end of November
will be a fabulous event for us and for all who care and have great hopes for
the third century of successful life for the site. Our aim is to bring the site
back to life at the heart of the community and hence we are delighted to have
played such a prominent role in achieving this first stage towards that
ambition. This success is testament to the hard work of many volunteers and the
enthusiasm of the local and wider community for this exciting project.
Come and visit us – it’s free! Opening times are as follows:
·
25
November to 1 December, 10 am to 3 pm daily.
·
Opening
times are then as follows:
o 2 December 2015 -
26 March 2016, Saturdays only, 10 am to 4 pm
o 31 March 2016 – 29
October 2016, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10 am to 4 pm
o Closed 25 - 26
December and 1 - 3 January
Guided tours are
available by appointment. For details
visit our website http://www.flaxmill-maltings.co.uk
