Badly hit by fire
A HISTORIC building with links to Burton’s brewing heritage has gone up in flames.
A section of the Anderstaff Maltings, off Wetmore Road, went up in flames yesterday, with three roofs consumed by fire. One had completely caved in.
The maltings were built by brewers Bass, Ratcliff and Gretton between 1862 and 1864.
One onlooker said: “It is such a shame. It is part of Burton’s history gone up in smoke.”
There had initially been six crews at the scene, from Burton, Uttoxeter, Tutbury, Lichfield, Cannock and Needwood, and the road was closed from its junction with Bridge Street and Wharf Road.
It is understood the building had been converted into flats but it is thought no-one has yet moved in.
Nearby businesses and homeowners were asked to keep their windows and doors closed due to the severity of the smoke.
A neighbour said: “I didn’t know what was happening until I saw the fire engines. My first thought was to move our cars as we thought they might blow. We have been told to keep our windows closed.”
Russell Parker, who used to work nearby: “It is part of The Maltings. There are new stickers in the windows which show they are new flats. The roof is solid timber. I was dog walking at the Washlands when we saw the smoke and thought it must be a substantial fire.
“It is sad because all these buildings have been preserved over the years and once it’s gone it’s gone. It is such a shame. It is part of Burton’s history gone up in smoke.”
Brewing historian Ian Webster said of the building’s history: “The maltings that are currently on fire in Wetmore Road were built by Bass,
Ratcliff and Gretton between 1862-64 and were known as the Anderstaff Maltings.
“They were designated as blocks 16-21 and formed part of the vast series of maltings owned by the company throughout the town. The rest: Dehli, Scutari and Shobnall Maltings have long since been demolished.
“The fire is another in a long list of similar events; most recently the Goat Maltings which were once part of Peter Walker’s brewery on Clarence Street caught fire in June 2019. This is also not the first time the Anderstaff Maltings have been ablaze, block 21 burned in 1984 leading to its demolition. Hopefully, this fate will not be repeated for the buildings currently on fire.”
The cause of the fire has not yet been established. The ambulance service was not at the scene, but it is not yet known for certain whether there were any casualties.