Visited with Tcake, then saw a suspicious bloke mouching , turned out to be our the awesome Chris1684 who offered to be our guide for the day (top bloke... and please email me ,i cant PM you) We had a great look around , the place is vast and requires a revisit for sure.
If you want a detailed walk around the site i would recommend Oldskools Report
Historys & a Timeline
The Maltings is a Grade II* listed complex built between 1901 and 1907 that consists of nine parallel ranges.
The central block with its engine house and water tower is flanked by six-storey malthouses on either side containing the Steeps, Kilns and Granaries. It has a total floor space of 500,000 square feet, and occupies a site of 13.3 acres with a frontage almost 1,000 ft long. Internally there is a substantial amount of surviving machinery and fittings relating to the maltings process.
Associated with the main maltings buildings are the former Mess Rooms. In separate ownership are also the former Company Housing, Cart Shed, Stables, Weigh Office and other ancillary buildings.
The building overlooks open countryside but it is physically very close to the centre of Sleaford, separated only by the railway line.
Maltings operations ceased in 1959 and the buildings were subsequently used for poultry farming and vegetable processing. They are now all empty.
1892 Artesian well bored, 180 feet deep, with a good supply of water
1892 - 1901 The site at Sleaford is chosen for five principal reasons. The first reason was that Sleaford was near the areas where the English malting barley primarily grew. Second, the site had sufficient water available. Third, the seasonal labour came from the barely growing areas and was easy to obtain in Sleaford. Fourth, Sleaford was served by the railways. Fifth, it was cheaper to bring barley to Sleaford than to Burton where Bass had its other maltings. Construction at the site was deferred due to a nationwide trade slump. Sixteen malthouses were originally planned, with the second group located immediately to the south of the existing group.
1901 Bass buy 13.3 acres of freehold land at the site of the artesian well. 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 in March, for eight cottages, offices, mess rooms and other ancillary buildings. The plans for the malthouses were submitted and approved in December.
1901 - 1906 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.
1906 - 1907 Malting begins in the first four Malthouses in September, the next two Malthouses in October, and the final two in January 1907.
1945 Vacant space in Bass Maltings is let to local tradesmen.
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 for the 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
Anyways Pictures
Thanks for looking and all critique welcome
If you want a detailed walk around the site i would recommend Oldskools Report
Historys & a Timeline
The Maltings is a Grade II* listed complex built between 1901 and 1907 that consists of nine parallel ranges.
The central block with its engine house and water tower is flanked by six-storey malthouses on either side containing the Steeps, Kilns and Granaries. It has a total floor space of 500,000 square feet, and occupies a site of 13.3 acres with a frontage almost 1,000 ft long. Internally there is a substantial amount of surviving machinery and fittings relating to the maltings process.
Associated with the main maltings buildings are the former Mess Rooms. In separate ownership are also the former Company Housing, Cart Shed, Stables, Weigh Office and other ancillary buildings.
The building overlooks open countryside but it is physically very close to the centre of Sleaford, separated only by the railway line.
Maltings operations ceased in 1959 and the buildings were subsequently used for poultry farming and vegetable processing. They are now all empty.
1892 Artesian well bored, 180 feet deep, with a good supply of water
1892 - 1901 The site at Sleaford is chosen for five principal reasons. The first reason was that Sleaford was near the areas where the English malting barley primarily grew. Second, the site had sufficient water available. Third, the seasonal labour came from the barely growing areas and was easy to obtain in Sleaford. Fourth, Sleaford was served by the railways. Fifth, it was cheaper to bring barley to Sleaford than to Burton where Bass had its other maltings. Construction at the site was deferred due to a nationwide trade slump. Sixteen malthouses were originally planned, with the second group located immediately to the south of the existing group.
1901 Bass buy 13.3 acres of freehold land at the site of the artesian well. 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 in March, for eight cottages, offices, mess rooms and other ancillary buildings. The plans for the malthouses were submitted and approved in December.
1901 - 1906 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.
1906 - 1907 Malting begins in the first four Malthouses in September, the next two Malthouses in October, and the final two in January 1907.
1945 Vacant space in Bass Maltings is let to local tradesmen.
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 for the 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
Anyways Pictures
Thanks for looking and all critique welcome
