I had visited the huge Sleaford maltings compex last year with Turk and the Lincoln guys, but we spent most of our time around the tower, so I was hungry to have a proper explore of the malting buildings themsleves.
The complex is in stunning condition considering it has been over 30 years since it's malting days. The main event is the malting floor, still fitted with hundreds of tiles, each containing a thousand holes. The hot air would rise up and dry the malt, from the furnace below. A man from my home town invented and patented these tiles. Reginad Stanley made his fortune in the American gold rush. His mine was on Indian lands, and he actually had to have gun fights with them once or twice. Him and his bricks are responsible for many of Nuneaton's finest buildings.
Nice also to see line shafts still in situ, and epic ones at that, with 90 degree turns and huge scale wheels still in place.
On the way out I followed the malting's own rail sidings, complete with wooden canopys.
I also peered into a hole to find several dead hedgehogs, along with on live one. Lucky for him I saw him move slightly and bailed him out, before covering the hole for future hogs
The complex is in stunning condition considering it has been over 30 years since it's malting days. The main event is the malting floor, still fitted with hundreds of tiles, each containing a thousand holes. The hot air would rise up and dry the malt, from the furnace below. A man from my home town invented and patented these tiles. Reginad Stanley made his fortune in the American gold rush. His mine was on Indian lands, and he actually had to have gun fights with them once or twice. Him and his bricks are responsible for many of Nuneaton's finest buildings.
Nice also to see line shafts still in situ, and epic ones at that, with 90 degree turns and huge scale wheels still in place.
On the way out I followed the malting's own rail sidings, complete with wooden canopys.
I also peered into a hole to find several dead hedgehogs, along with on live one. Lucky for him I saw him move slightly and bailed him out, before covering the hole for future hogs
