'Collapse' concerns over roofs at Shrewsbury Flaxmill buildings prompts plans for reinforcements
Plans have been lodged to secure roofs at Shrewsbury’s Flaxmill site after concerns were raised that they might collapse.
Safety issues were discovered at the Grade I-listed Cross Mill and Warehouse buildings at the historic former flaxmill and maltings, which was the first iron-framed building in the world and considered “the grandfather of skyscrapers”.
We have launched free newsletters for Shrewsbury, Telford and Mid Wales. Sign up to the newsletter for your area here: https://plus.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/shrewsbury/2026/02/06/sign-up-now-to-our-new-shropshire-star-newsletters-all-for-free/
The site, which fell derelict in 1987, was subject of a £32 million Historic England revamp into a cultural and commercial centre, opening to the public in September 2022.
A design and access statement on behalf of Historic England said: “The Cross Mill and Warehouse buildings are part of the Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings site, a complex of Grade I and II listed industrial buildings dating from the late 18th and early 19th century.
“The Warehouse building was built in c.1810. The Cross Mill was built in 1812, replacing a previous building which was destroyed by a fire in 1811.
“The new buildings were designed to be fire-proof and are constructed from masonry jack arches spanning between a cast iron framed structure, with solid brick external walls.
