The Ditherington Flax Mill is one of Shrewsbury’s most important buildings. Constructed in 1796 as the spinning works of Marshall, Benyon and Bage it later became the Maltings and as the first wholly iron-framed building in the world, is the great-grand-daddy of New York’s mighty skyscrapers.
Throughout the 1990s it was left empty and decaying, and various ideas for regeneration have been and gone, most failing due to a lack of private sector investment. Now it is in the hands of Historic England in partnership with Shropshire Council and Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings. Let’s hope its future is secure.
Paula’s (Lost in Translation) challenge this week is Traces of the Past
TRAVEL WORDS 
I love whatever effects you used on these pictures, Jude. They really take the viewer back in time. Nostalgia captured perfectly. (Or maybe you didn’t use any effects, and this place naturally looks like this!) Either way, it’s wonderful. 🙂
No effects Cathy – just a very dull autumn day! And a lot of rust! 🙂
These are great views of this familiar (to me) landmark, Jude. We went to its open day a year or so ago. It is pretty dour and dank inside, and one imagines a huge job of resuscitation is required. But as you say, it would be good to see it brought back to life in some form. It’s been hanging on by the skin of its teeth for decades.
Let’s hope they do something with it, it has been a bit of any eyesore for a long time.
I’d hope, too, that this building can be preserved. Great shots!
Well they finally seem to be doing something about it!
Oh, fantastic….my kind of decaying
I thought you would like this 🙂
😀😀
I really hope Historic England finds a way to restore this building, such an important part of our heritage. It needs someone with real vision as well as the financial backing.
It has been like this for decades – at some point it was supposed to be developed into apartments but never happened.
It’s always apartments, is that the best they can come up with? Very sad.
Well it was back in the noughties when property boomed, but now I think they have other more creative ideas.
I hope that they do better than converting it into flats. Perhaps a gallery, or exhibition centre?
As you say, it is of great historical importance.
Regards as always, Pete. x
There are lots of ideas on the site I linked to. Let’s hope it can be rescued and put to use at last!
Wow! This is the first!!! It seems that it is in the right hands now. It is a treasure to be preserved. The close-up is delightful, looks much more glamorous than the wide frame, but I like them both. The cheeky branches in the frame enhance its state of abandonment. Thank you, Jude. This is a terrific entry.
Glad you like it Paula. I have been saving this one for your Thursday Special 🙂
I’m flattered 🙂
Talk about pride of workmanship. The scrolling whatchacallit at the top is amazing. 😉
Isn’t it just! And it really is a VERY important historical building so pretty shocking that it was allowed to decay in such a fashion.
I know what you mean. We have historic buildings city council can’t make a decision on for years, thus the decay. *sigh*
They are all the same aren’t they? No matter where we live.
It seems so. *sigh*
Well, I thought it was pug ugly till you showed me the curlicues on the top 🙂 Hopefully life breathed into the old dog.
You’d be pug ugly (I love that!) if you’d been neglected for decades… I’m surprised it hasn’t actually fallen down!
I have been neglected for decades! Anyone can see that 🙂
Get away! You have the most beautiful eyes and smile – or are you just fishing for compliments?
I wasn’t, but I’ll take them 🙂 Thank you!