The Malting

Double

The Malting, once a brewery, was in existence on this site since 1721. The maltings expert and architectural historian Amber Patrick, in a report of 1996, described the building as a maltings ‘of national importance’ for its scale and its early date.

The diarist Mary Hardy and her husband William came to live in Letheringsett to run the business. They converted the malt-mill and brewery to water power in 1784, using the force of the River Glaven just downstream of the watermill.

Mechanisation represented a significant move for the brewer. He created a channel from the River Glaven to run under the Malthouse and into the brewery yard before heading south under the main road to re-join the river. The large waterwheel under the malt-mill, was destroyed in the brewery fire of 1936.