Monument record MWX356 - Groves Malthouse, Weymouth

Malt house 4, 1889 designed by G R Crickmay. Wide linear plan with double growing floors set side by side on three storeys. Barley storage bins in the attic at the south end, kilns at the north end. Constructed of polychrome brick and concrete with steel/iron joists.

Malthouse 4, dated 1889 and built by G R Crickmay for John Groves. This malthouse shows the development in build techniques from malthouse number two and changes in the malting process which took place after the repeal of the Malt Tax in 1880. In terms of build, layout and function, it is a hybrid between the Ware and Newmark types of maltings. Built of polychrome brick with reinforced concrete and welsh slate roof, the building consists a four storey wide linear plan with double growing floors set side by side on three storeys. Barley storage bins were situated in the attic at the south end and kilns to the north end. Unlike malthouses 1, 2 and 3 the malt storage is accommodated in the roofspace over the growing floor and this was probably due to the constraints of the site by the date of construction. Two cast iron hopper bottomed steeps were situated above the growing floor level and reflect the change from flat bottomed cistern steeps due to the repeal of the Malt Tax. Two original kilns with pyramidal roofs and cowls appear to be constructed from reinforced concrete. This malthouse is the only known example of the use of the Last Patents ventilation system with rectangular holes in the end walls of the building and between the kilns and growing floors to improve the draught to the kilns. The kilns would have originally been fired by coal or anthracite but it appears Suxe anthracite burners were installed in the late 1950s. Between the kilns is a malt screen through which finished malt passed. Evidence remains of bucket elevators and a belt conveyor which probably superseded a screw conveyor. Crickmays plans show an engine room at the top of some steps on the north side and this may have contained a steam or gas engine for powering the machinery. The information for this malt house was compiled in a survey in 1995 after a proposal was put forward for the conversion the building. <1>

Record last edited

Dec 12 2022 12:46PM