Hunt is on for Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings' bell as it reopens
A search has been launched to find the bell that has been missing from the so-called "grandparent of skyscrapers" for nearly 40 years.As Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings prepares to re-open under English Heritage's (EH) tenure on Tuesday, the charity is asking one question - where is its bell?It is believed to be about 24in (0.6m) tall and cast with the year "1791" on it. The charity believes it went missing in the late 1980s or early 1990s, when the building was derelict."Whilst it is possible that the bell could have been melted down, it is more likely that someone took it as a souvenir," said Matt Thompson, EH curatorial director.
"[It would have been when] this imposing, historic building which – at the time – looked close to ruin."As Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings begins its new incarnation as an English Heritage site, it feels like the right time to appeal for information on the bell's whereabouts so that we can restore it to its rightful place."The bell would ring out to mark the start and end of each working day at the Flaxmill and later, the maltings, EH said.
It was the world's first multi-storey, iron-frame building, and its design paved the way for modern high-rise buildings. It opened in 1797 as a purpose-built flaxmill, operating for a century under steam power to spin flax into linen thread. From 1897, the site was used as a maltings and served as a temporary army training unit and barracks during World War Two, before closing in 1987.
'Catalyst for labour reform'
The buildings were left to fall into dereliction, before EH bought the site in 2005, restoring it in partnership with Shropshire Council and the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings."The social change brought about by this very flaxmill and the factory system in general is equally as important to British history," said Mr Thompson."The associated urban migration, long, hard working hours and exploitation of children were catalysts for labour reform movements and legislation to improve conditions, including the 1833 Factory Act for which the government received testimony from former workers at Shrewsbury Flaxmill."It would be a fitting end to the incredible story of Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings if we could find the bell and restore it to its rightful place."
Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ITV News
2 hours ago
- ITV News
'I will bring them home': A son's determination after losing his parents in the Air India Crash
A man has promised to bring his parents home to Orpington after they died in an Air India Crash to London Gatwick. Ashok Patel, 74, and Shobhana Patel, 71, have lived in Greater London since the 80s. Ashok was a financial advisor, while Shobahana a microbiologist. The pair travelled to India for a religious trip known as a Yatra which helps people find peace when they eventually pass away. Unfortunately, just days later, they were among 53 British nationals that died in a fatal plane crash in Ahmedabad, West India just minutes after take off. It is still uncertain when the pair will be returned to London though the process to identify them was quick. Their son, Miten, went to India and describes the process as a "miracle". He added "it's a result of meticulous and efficient planning" which meant he had to put his grief to the side to focus on fulfilling his parents' wishes. "I haven't come to terms with it. My main priority was the promise I made my parents to bring them home," he says. He is one of dozens of British family members who have flown to Ahmedabad to identify and bring their loved ones back. "It is not an easy process when there are so many people that have gone through this tragedy," he tells ITV News London. Despite how difficult the last seven days have been, Miten praises his family and the wider community for all their kindness and support in the process. It all began, when Miten received a phone call from his father's friend who was in India. "I couldn't believe it," he says. "I was with him on Father's Day, I held the first time in this whole ordeal I cried because I felt like I was actually hugging my dad." Miten contacted insurance companies, collected dental records and DNA samples to take to India in order to support the identification process. He says it was fate that his mother was identified just four hours after his father was, and added: "It felt like my mum was saying to my dad, stay where you are, you're not going alone, I'm coming with you." In India, he was shown items that belonged to his parents that were found among the wreckage, from the label of his father's beloved Stafford shirt to his mother swan-pendant necklace that Miten's young daughter Amira will now inherit. "My mum used to say one day you will have that. It just feels like she's left that necklace for her," he says. Once his parents are back in the UK, Miten aims to hold a funeral service for them both together. "They have made it this far together so I would like to send them off together," he says. While Miten's dad Ashok was born in India and his family have ethnic roots to the country, India was an 'unknown country' for Miten who grew up in the UK. "I'm just glad I was able to fulfil my promise that I made to my parents and my family that I will make sure that they come home because the UK is their home." "They've been here for over 40 years." Miten says his parents finally being cremated will start off a more personal mourning process for him that he has been delaying. "Once I get them home and we give them a good send off then I'll grieve in my own time, but at the moment I've just got to stay strong for them," he says.
The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish rainforest silent killer' rooted out by scientists
Yet, their survival has been threatened by thickets of rhododendron, first introduced to the UK as ornamental plants two centuries ago. However, progress is being made. Ahead of World Rainforest Day on June 22, Forest and Land Scotland (FLS) have announced a new milestone in their restoration efforts over the last year. FLS teams restored 1226 hectares in 2024/25, up from 930ha last year. Work included removing invasive rhododendrons, returning native species to the forest, and ensuring deer populations are effectively managed. Rhododendron has run rampant across Scotland's rainforests. (Image: FLS) Dubbed the 'silent killer of Scotland's rainforest', due to its proclivity to rob other plants of space, water, and light; rhododendron is FLS' top target. One 'practical and targeted' solution involves injecting each the stem of each plant with a small dose of herbicide. FLS Native Woodland Ecologist Richard Thompson praised his team's work in combating the rhododendron scourge. Thompson said: 'Following on from the success achieved by the National Trust at some of its sites, FLS is starting to use stem injection at large landscape scale. Results have been encouraging and we are hoping to roll out its use more widely across other FLS managed rainforests. 'FLS manages a substantial proportion of Scotland's rainforest, and with around 8000 hectares of priority rainforest rhododendron areas on land managed by FLS it is imperative that effective and efficient control measures at landscape scale can be refined and deployed. 'However, to truly control the spread of Rhododendron, it needs a strategic, collective and collaborative effort from all landowners and managers including estate and residential gardens.' Read more from Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco: 8,000 jobs boost in Peterhead after £1b energy transition investment Edinburgh University staff to strike today as 1800 job losses threatened 'The Hydro isn't real': Deacon Blue star on upbringing, career, and giving back In 2020 the National Trust for Scotland launched Project Wipeout, targeted at invasive species like rhododendron. According to the Trust: 'Cross breeding with frost-hardy rhododendron species from north east America has produced hybrid vigour and helped the plants adapt to colder temperatures. 'Together with its fertility and tolerance of shade, the plant has been able to thrive in our climate and out-compete native flora. 'Almost half of the core areas of Scotland's rainforests are being choked with R. ponticum.' Project Wipeout has been rolled out across Scotland over the last five years.
Metro
9 hours ago
- Metro
I can be myself in the UK - but now I can't go home
'I can now tell you that you are our first ever Miss Trans Global Uganda finalist – congratulations!' As soon as I heard this news in 2022 via Zoom, I screamed with delight. I had made it to the top seven of the global pageant and I couldn't be more proud. 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!' I shouted with joy and thanks. As a child, I loved everything about beauty and fashion, but I could never fully express this because I'm a transgender woman from Uganda. Although being trans is not explicitly banned in the country, people like me are essentially in legal limbo and discrimination is widespread. As a result, I felt like my dreams to explore creative arts were suffocated and I was forced to assimilate. I went to a Catholic school, which had a strict dress code. On top of that, I suffered through non-inclusive sex education, anti-LGBTQ+ religious sermons in church, and a derogatory media landscape. I decided I needed to prioritise a roof over my head before anything else. That meant that I sacrificed expressing or exploring my gender identity publicly. In order to find a sense of LGBTQ+ community, I created a fake profile on social media and joined an anonymous private group of similar people who were brave enough to express themselves online. Gradually, we started meeting each other secretly, despite living in the closet. With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications! I couldn't really cross-dress in public with my new friends because I was scared of being outed, but I also didn't fit into the straight world either. So I felt stuck and unsafe, which impacted my emotional wellbeing. I devoted my time and energy into graduating. After that, I applied for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, which is a fully-funded scholarship from the British Government. Two months later, I was delighted to find out that my application was successful, so I moved to the UK in 2021 to study a masters at the University of Bath. Life after I came to the UK was liberating. Compared to Uganda, British cities embrace diversity from all walks of life. I watched TV shows that included trans people like Pose on BBC iPlayer. I also revamped my skincare routine and changed my wardrobe from a masculine to feminine aesthetic. I had the gender marker on legal documents changed and explored the nightlife of LGBTQ+ bars across the UK with a community of people just like me. Amanda was part of Hannah and Jake Graf's 'Trans is Human' campaign, which launched around Trans Day of Visibility (March 31) this year. For more information, visit their Instagram page here. The campaign is supported by Pride Wide, a charity featuring exclusive, investigative, fact-checked LGBTQ+ storytelling. Then in June 2022, I attended my first Pride parade in London and I was completely blown away by everyone proudly celebrating their identities. I was also pleasantly surprised by the support from the state in having police protection, endorsement from the mayor, and various companies marching in comradeship. None of these things would be possible in my home country. It was around this time that I stumbled across a Facebook post about a pageant called Miss Trans Global and was immediately interested in applying. Now that I was in the UK, I finally felt safe enough to be visible and express my true self. I had to send an audition tape talking about myself and why I wanted to compete in the pageant. 'I want to challenge stereotypes about femininity,' I said in the video, 'and I want to represent my country, Uganda.' I also had an interview with a panel of judges. In the lead up to the event, I made sure to learn how to walk confidently, practice public speaking, apply makeup, and show polished etiquette. Refugee Week is the world's largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking safety. Each year, IMIX – a charity that helps change the way people think and talk about migration – supports Refugee Week Ambassadors. These are people, like Amanda, who came to the UK to rebuild their lives and who now play an important part in our communities. IMIX is proud to work with Metro as a trusted partner in highlighting these voices and shining a light on the many ways refugees help make the UK a better place for everyone. You can read Agnès' story below I followed every rule as an asylum seeker – I was still detained The pageant was intense from the very start – even though it all took place online due to Covid-19 restrictions. For the evening ball gown category, I walked in an elegant rose pink lace long prom dress as the crowds cheered via live streaming platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Throughout it all, I was nervous but also excited, since I was the first to represent Uganda. In the end, I won 'Third Princess Global' and 'Inspirational Queen of the Year', which I was thrilled with. The whole event was so special to me because it was an opportunity to celebrate our unique traits of beauty and gender expression in a world that forces us to live in fear or shame about our bodies. Personally, participating in a beauty pageant helped me find my feminine charm and confidence – something I've taken with me ever since. This newfound confidence helped me be proactive at university and I got elected as the campaign officer for the LGBTQ+ students club in 2022. I also started my medical transition that year, which is exciting, although comes with its own challenges. But being so open about my identity has had its downsides, leading me to getting outed in my home country. My family and friends back at home found out I was transgender through social media, and were initially furious. Some cut ties. Later, a few gradually became more accepting and looked to reconcile. But most people I knew still remain negative about my identity. As a result, it's no longer safe for me to return to Uganda. So I had to apply for asylum and was granted the right to remain in the UK in 2023. Besides that, life for me has been joyful as I have grown more in my career – working in the charity sector where I have co-founded a charity organisation called Minority Inclusion Foundation (which supports LGBTQ+ refugees) and even modelled in magazines, too. More Trending I am also an ambassador for Refugee Week UK 2025, which is the largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity, and resilience of refugees worldwide. From competing as Miss Trans Global Uganda, I learnt to conquer my fears about myself. The pageant changed my life by pushing me out of my comfort zone to a place of growth. It helped me change my geographical location, physical appearance, career and community, but most importantly the relationship I had with myself. This article was originally published April 6, 2025 Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: I went to the world's wettest Pride parade where everyone gets soaked MORE: Stephen Fry's JK Rowling criticism is welcome – but I'm still disappointed MORE: 'I was the first person to survive rabies without a vaccination' Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
