51/234

Tiles like this covered the floor of the kiln in a malthouse. Barley grains, which had first been sweated in the kiln for 5-6 weeks, would then be spread out on these tiles and sprinkled with water until they began to sprout, and which point they were dried by a charcoal fire lit beneath the tiles. The holes in the tile allow heat or moisture to pass through without the grains of barley dropping to the floor. This tile comes from Chedworth, Gloucestershire.

1 malthouse tile: good condition

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'Mr. Massingham obtained this tile from Chedworth (Glos.). // At one time there were a large number of malthouses in towns and villages and maltsters were classed as skilled agricultural labourers rather than mechanics. The barley was first sweated in kilns for as much as 5 – 6 weeks and then put into water to soak for a couple of weeks. The grains were then spread out on the floor of the kiln, which was made up of a number of these flat tiles or bricks. They were then sprinkled with water, and turned over several times with a wooden shovel until they began to sprout. Then the charcoal fire beneath was made up and the malt heated for a day until it was completely dry. Mr. Massingham, however, says that the water lay beneath the tiles, up to the level of the perforated bottom, instead of water being sprinkled on the grains from above. When the grain sprouted, the water was presumably drained off, and the fire lighted underneath to dry the grain. // This tile is 10.5 inches square and 1.5 inches thick. The bottom is perforated with large holes which pass right through the tile, just stopping short of the top, which is closed in except for 7 much smaller holes, so that the grains of barley could not drop through the floor, but at the same time heat or moisture could pass through the tile.', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, October 1989] – 'ACC. NO.: 51/234 // NAME: MALTHOUSE TILE // NEG NO.: 35/156 // STORAGE: '

1800-01-01 - 1824-12-31

Early-nineteenth century