A valve assembly (1) controls the flow through a fluid pathway. The valve assembly (1) comprises a valve body (2) having a bore, and a spindle (20) received within the bore which is actuatable to open and close the valve. The spindle (20) has an axially upstream end arranged towards the fluid pathway and an opposing downstream end. A first seal (50) is provided about the spindle between the spindle and the bore and a biasing element (64) is arranged to impart an axial compressive force to the sealing element (50). The biasing element (64) is located within the valve body (2) between the spindle (20) and the bore on the downstream side of the seal to enables a more direct compressive force to be applied to the seal to improve sealing efficiency.
