Flaxmill Maltings on Antiques Road Trip

20 January 2022

In October 2021, Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings welcomed the film crew from BBC One’s Antiques Road Trip to site.

Their team spent the day with Historic England’s Nick Hill, where presenter Raj Bisram learnt all about the fascinating story of the Flaxmill Maltings. During a segment of the programme, Antiques Road Trip viewers will hear all about this internationally-significant site.

The Main Mill opened in 1797 as a purpose-built flax mill. The site has grown and been repurposed and adapted many times since then. It was a maltings from 1897 to 1987, a temporary army barracks during the Second World War. Today, under Historic England’s ownership, it continues to evolve as a workspace and a place to celebrate and explore the past.

The Main Mill at Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, with its pioneering cast-iron frame, is the building that launched a thousand skylines. It paved the way for structures to be built taller and is therefore known as the grandparent of skyscrapers. It is always a delight to share the story of the world’s first iron-framed building with a new audience.

Nick Hill, National Conservation Projects Manager, Historic England

The episode featuring the Flaxmill Maltings was aired on Thursday 3 February 2022 at 4.30pm on BBC One. You can find Series 24: Episode 24 on BBC iPlayer here.

If you are interested in filming at the Flaxmill Maltings, please visit our Filming and Photography page for more information.