Our first ever Urbex started off as a simple quest for fresh air and turned into something else entirely. I'd photographed this building many times from the outside as a canalside feature, but when I visited around 12 months ago I discovered it had been partly demolished. Unsure as to how much longer it would survive, we took the bull by the horns and had a closer look.
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.
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.
