Langley Maltings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Langley Maltings |
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Viewed from Western Road in 2018
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| General information | |
| Status | Grade II listed |
| Type | Maltings |
| Location | Oldbury, West Midlands grid reference SO 996 883 |
| Coordinates | 52°29′34″N 2°0′26″W / 52.49278°N 2.00722°W |
| Opened | 1898 |
| Closed | 2006 |
Langley Maltings is an old building in Oldbury, West Midlands, England. It used to be a place where malt was made. Malt is a special ingredient used to make drinks like beer.
This building was built in 1898 and worked until 2006. Sadly, it was damaged by a big fire in 2009.
It's a very important building, listed as a Grade II listed building. This means it's protected because of its history and special design. The Victorian Society has even said it's a historic building that needs help to stop it from falling apart.
Contents
What are Maltings?
A maltings is a building where grain, usually barley, is turned into malt. This process is called malting. It involves soaking the grain in water, letting it sprout, and then drying it. This changes the starches in the grain into sugars, which are important for making drinks like beer and whisky.
Langley Maltings used a traditional method called "floor malting." This meant the grain was spread out on large floors to sprout.
History of Langley Maltings
Early Days and Purpose
Langley Maltings was built in 1898. It replaced an older malt house that had burned down the year before. The building was designed by a company called Arthur Kinder & Son.
This maltings supplied malt to a nearby company called Crosswells Brewery. This brewery made popular drinks called Showell's Ales. Because of this, the building was often known as Showell's Maltings.
Transport and Ownership Changes
The building is right next to the Titford Canal. In the past, grain was brought to the maltings by canal boats. Later, a railway line was built, so grain could arrive by train. After the Second World War, trucks started delivering the grain by road.
In 1925, there was another fire at the maltings, and some parts of the building had to be rebuilt. In 1944, a company called Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries bought the maltings from Showells.
End of Malting and Fire Damage
By the late 1900s, Langley Maltings was one of the few places in the country still using the old-fashioned floor malting process. However, malting stopped completely in 2006. The next year, Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries sold the building.
On September 8, 2009, the building was badly damaged by a fire that was started on purpose. Much of the roof and three tall towers were destroyed in this fire.
Efforts to Protect the Building
In 2012, there were plans to build houses on the site. As part of these plans, permission was asked to knock down two parts of the historic building. However, Sandwell Council said no to this idea.
The council looked at reports from experts. Even though some parts of the building were unstable, experts from English Heritage believed it could be repaired. The council decided that knocking down parts of the building would cause a "substantial loss" to its history.
In 2018, the Victorian Society once again listed Langley Maltings as one of the top ten historic buildings in danger of being lost. This shows how important it is to protect this unique piece of history.
