The fire-damaged remains of Langley Maltings in Langley near Oldbury in the West Midlands
The maltings were erected by Walter Showell around 1880 on the side of the Titford Canal to supply malt to his new 'Crosswells Brewery' a hundred yards away across the railway line. This was one of the largest breweries in the area, and Showell's Ales were distributed throughout the Midlands. Local barley was used in the malting process, supplemented with grain brought in by barge and, later, by railway. Malting ceased in 2006, and the building was sold by its owners,Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries, in 2007, since when it has been allowed to deteriorate. It was one of the last maltings to still use the traditional 'floor' malting process: the grains of barley were steeped in water and then spread over the floor of the maltings, the mass being frequently turned to permit even germination. At the end of the twentieth century, there were only five maltings in the country still using this process.
Size: 4844px × 3208px
Location: Western Road, Langley, near Oldbury, West Midlands, UK
Photo credit: © Nick Maslen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: beer, brewing, building, damaged, fire, langley, malt, maltings, traditional
