Maltings converted to homes with brewing artefacts

The company converting Clementhorpe Malltings has been praised for its efforts in retaining important elements of Yorkshire’s brewing history, while turning the building into six characterful townhouses.

The maltings had been disused for half a century and survived in spite of being on the route of a suggested new inner ring road. It also escaped the bulldozer when nearby Victorian terraces were demolished to make way for modern homes in the 1960s.

Now the 19th century property, previously owned by City of York Council, is entering a new era thanks to York-based developer Northminster Ltd. The firm has created new homes along with a communal showroom for the historic maltings artefacts.

“Giving new life to this historic property, which respects the original structure and heritage, appealed to us because it was such a challenge,” says Northminster Ltd managing director, George Burgess. “It is a 10,000 sq ft Grade II listed building on a compact site. It was important that our scheme worked within the constraints of the site and building. Our enthusiasm for the restoration was shared by our architects and engineers, whose vision and hard work made it deliverable. All sensitive buildings need a flexible approach and the team was able to adapt and solve issues as they arose throughout the whole process, creating homes of real character.”

As well as being among Yorkshire’s few remaining malting houses, the property was even rarer for having so many well-preserved brewing artefacts, including a double-bucket elevator, large hopper for grain storage, seed-dressing machine, a cast iron steep and furnace. According to York Archeological Trust’s research, the property was built in the late 19th century and bought by Tadcaster Tower Brewery Company in 1903, which used the maltings until the late 1950s.

The £2.1m refurbishment has created homes that range from 1,100 sq ft to 1,500 sq ft, The entrance is a three-storey open atrium housing the conserved industrial artefacts. TThere is a mix of two and three bedroom homes with three storeys and many original features. All have lower ground floor utility rooms on the former barley-growing floor. Clementhorpe is close to fashionable Bishopthorpe Road, The homes are on sale from £320,000 with Hudson Moody, York, www.hudsonmoody.com.