Dreamland designer commissioned for Shrewsbury Flaxmill Published duration 4 June 2019

image copyright Historic England image caption The building fell into disrepair before being bought in 2005 by Historic England

The design company behind the redesign of Margate's Dreamland has been commissioned to develop a Shropshire heritage site.

Hemingway Design will work to restore and rebrand Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, which was built in 1797.

The Maltings is thought to be the first iron-framed building and is considered a forerunner to the modern skyscraper.

Designer Wayne Hemingway said it was a "nationally significant project" that would be "future facing".

image copyright Historic England image caption Historic England is crowdfunding to pay for restoration work to a cast iron coronet

Historic England secured £20.7m of Heritage Lottery funding to develop the Flaxmill site and is crowdfunding a further £26,000 to restore a cast iron coronet placed at the highest point to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

It bought the derelict site in 2005 and a major renovation is expected to be completed in 2021.

image copyright Historic England image caption The 1797 mill was the first iron-framed building of its kind

Duncan Wilson, Historic England's chief executive, said the Flaxmill "embodies creativity, change and innovation" and hoped Hemingway Design would "bring to life the spirit and atmosphere of this unique place" and "put it back on the world map".

The mill, now a Grade II listed building, was Shrewsbury's largest employer during the Industrial Revolution with more than 800 men, women and children manufacturing flax into linen cloth before it closed in 1886, Historic England said.

image copyright Historic England image caption Once restored, there are plans for the Maltings to house creative industries

The heritage organisation said it wanted the Maltings to become a "visionary brand that reflects the revolutionary spirit of the site".

It also hopes it will become a new "learning and enterprise quarter" in Shrewsbury, with offices to house creative industries.

Hemingway Design were behind the £18m redesign of Margate's Dreamland, which features vintage fairground rides.

image copyright Dreamland image caption Hemingway Design helped re-launch Margate's amusement park Dreamland