Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings (ph: David Jerred Miles)
At Northcot Brick, we are passionate about building conservation and the preservation of Britain’s historic architecture. Established in 1925 by the cousin of Sir Winston Churchill, Northcot has a wealth of experience in making traditional hand-thrown, machine-made, and tumbled reclaim-looking facing bricks. Our master brickmakers use age-old hand-throwing skills, traditional kiln firing and highly sophisticated weathering techniques in order to create bespoke blends that can match the precise colours, shapes, sizes, and textures of most regional and historic brick types.
Flagship award-winning heritage projects that have required our specialist skills include the restoration of Battersea Power Station, Radley College Chapel Extension, the Newport Street Gallery, as well as several Historic England and National Trust properties.
End elevation (ph: David Jerred Miles)
Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings – a masterpiece of restoration
One of our recent projects is Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, which has been shortlisted in the Restoration, Craftsmanship, and Sustainability categories of the Brick Development Association’s 2023 Brick Awards.
Front elevation (ph: David Jerred Miles)
Built in 1797 as a steam-powered flax mill, and then repurposed and operated as a maltings from 1897 to 1987, Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings is one of the most important buildings of the industrial revolution.  It is the world’s first cast-iron-framed building, and is considered to be the ‘grandparent’ of the modern skyscraper.
Detailing repairs in progress (ph: David Jerred Miles)
After years of decline on the ‘Heritage at Risk’ register, the site was bought in 2005 by Historic England, who partnered with Shropshire Council and Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings to secure a £20.7m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2017 for the restoration of the Grade I listed Main Mill and the Grade II listed Kiln, and its repurposing as a vibrant business hub and heritage destination.
Traditional hand throwing (ph: David Jerred Miles)
Making bespoke oversized ‘Great Bricks’
A project team, led by architect Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, undertook a comprehensive programme of structural repair, retrofitting and bold insertions, including the repair and rebuilding of the historic brick elevations. The Main Mill had originally been built with ‘Great Bricks’, which were approximately one-third larger than standard bricks to reduce the burden of the infamous ‘brick tax’ imposed by George III to fund his American wars.
Northcot’s collection of bespoke brick moulds (ph: David Jerred Miles)
Northcot made 90,000 bricks in two sizes (75mm and 93mm) in three different bespoke blends with matching specials – all hand thrown, and kiln fired using traditional methods, and weathered to match the idiosyncratic variation of tone and texture of the naturally-aged originals. The making of oversized 93x230x100mm bricks required excellent hand-throwing skills from our team of master brick makers, and was a significant part of the restoration of this iconic structure.
Shrewsbury Colleges Group Students hands on brick making (ph: Historic England)
Preserving heritage skills
As part of its commitment to preserving traditional craftsmanship, Northcot has been actively involved in the Flaxmill’s heritage skills programme, giving hands-on bench mould brickmaking experience to college students. The company also holds regular ‘Heritage Days’ so that architects and conservation specialists can see for themselves our unique bespoke capabilities and their importance for building conservation.
Contact Details
For more information or to arrange a factory visit call Northcot on 01386 700551, email, or visit the website.
