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Lost Brewers
back to Wakefield CAMRA Homepage
Still listed in many publications, but no longer in operation are:
Tomlinsons
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Old Castle Brewery, Unit 5 & 6, Britannia Works, Skinner Lane, Pontefract, W. Yorkshire. Established 1993, reviving the Old Castle name used by Pickersgills, brewers Sean and Tracy Tomlinson (above) enjoyed some success for a time, and national fame with their Three Sieges 6% liquorice beer, also a string of beers commemorating local events in the Civil War. Click on pumpclip for a high definition picture. Much of the output was dependent upon the Tap & Spile chain. Ceased trading in 1999. Three Sieges was re-brewed to Sean's original recipe by Dave James at Fernandes Brewery for the 2004 Pontefract Liquorice Festival. In 2005 it was brewed again by Sean in Scotland and delivered to several Pontefract pubs for the festival. A cask was also made available at Merrie City 2005. Intriguingly casks were labelled with a Pontefract address:
Steam Packet
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The Bendles, Racca Green, Knottingley, West Yorkshire. Founded 1990 behind the pub. Among the beers were Gamekeeper Bitter, Chatterley Wheat Beer, Blow Job, Ginger Minge, and the unforgettable Craam Stout (anagram of Camra). Plant moved to Kent Garden Brewery, 1998, after the death of founder Jim Mellors. Pub sold to Marpletime, Autumn, 2000.
Whitley Bridge Brewery
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Immediate closure due to trading difficulties announced 4th July 2005. Link to this site's Whitley Bridge page, now reduced but the former very full entry available on request to website manager.
Once a major regional was
Beverleys Eagle Brewery
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Beverley Brothers, Harrison St, Wakefield. Founded 1861, with 173 tied houses from Lancashire to Teesside, taken over by Watney Mann's Wilsons operation in March 1967, with the usual promise of no redundancies, and closed October 1968. Read about the "Warm Welcome to the latest member of the Watney Mann Group" and see pictures. Its principle beers were Trinity Bitter and Eagle Bitter. Middlesbrough Bitter was brewed for twice weekly delivery to its own pubs, and also clubs, in the Hartlepool area, whilst DPA was brewed for its pubs in Lancashire, acquired through the takeover of John Baxter of Waterfoot in 1952. Also a 6% old ale was brewed in small quantities in the winter. In bottle were Golden Eagle Light Ale, IPA and Old Warrior Brown Ale. After the closure of the brewery, the Wines and Spirits Distribution Plant was kept going until 1971. Much of the site is now occupied by a new health centre, and Fernandes' Old Malt House was once Beverleys' malt house. You can still see original Beverleys glass in windows at the Queen's in Outwood. Take a look at some Beverleys beer mats. Also see a preserved Beverleys Leyland Boxer dray.(external site)
Long disappeared are:
Sylvester Atkinson, listed as a brewer in Slater's Directory of Knottingley 1847. His brewery operated out of the manor house which had originally been built by the Ingram family to replace the Old Hall of the Wildbore family. The Ingram mansion, which from the eighteenth century housed the Swan Inn was fully equipped for brewing.
William Bywater, listed as a brewer in Slater's Directory of Knottingley 1847. William Bywater was a local doctor where the Cow Lane (Ash Grove) surgery still survives in newer buildings The business is first mentioned in 1838 and was subsequently recorded in Slaters's but ceased trading some time before 1857 when Bywater died aged 69. With his demise the property passed to Francis Wride and although John Hall Bywater succeeded his father’s general practice and resided at the site, the brewhouse which had been established there was reported as 'pulled down' and the former brewery used as a lumber room at that time.
Calder Grove Brewery In 1834 Thomas Bayldon, farmer and maltster of Hollinhirst (Netherton) rented land at Broad Cut, Calder Grove, buying the freehold in 1840 to set up a brewery and maltings. The brewery was only in production until 1857 when it was converted into a paper mill, another process that needed plenty of water, but the maltkiln continued to supply other local brewers. 1857 then saw the setting up of another brewery by Thomas Hammond, John Garthwaite and George Spawforth, the Calder Grove Brewery alongside Blacker Beck from which it drew water. Today only a few foundations remain. The brewery's closure date is uncertain but it has a listing in Whites Directory “Professions & Trades” of 1887 "Thomas Hammond, Brewer, Calder Grove Brewery and Victualler, British Oak, Calder Grove". In 1870 John Garthwaite set up his own brewery in Calder Grove, The Oak Brewery, situated on Denby Dale Road on the opposite side of the road to where St John's Church was to be erected in 1893. Both breweries are recorded in White's 1887 with John Garthwaite as the Oak brewer. This was once the second largest employer in the area after the colliery and the last delivery entry in the barrel day book is recorded as 20th December 1926. Other brewing ventures by John Garthwaite are recorded for 1930 and 1936. The brewery's barrel day book for Sept 6th-11th 1919 shows deliveries to Thornhill WMC, the British Oak, Navigation Inn, York St WMC, Flockton WMC, Grange Moor Club, Clayton West Club, and Netherton Club as well as many individuals: Oak Brewery also had an off-license for the jug & bottle trade. Pictures and map .
Carter & Sons Victoria Brewery, Fairground Rd, Wakefield. Founded 1830 merged with Kirk, Matthews & Co of Leeds in 1889 to form Leeds & Wakefield Breweries Ltd with 67 tied houses. In the 1880s., owned by Mark Carter. Owned the Cattle Market Hotel on George Street, open as a pub 1887-1930, now known as Ploughland House. Picture at www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk key word: brewery.
Castle Brewery, Glasshoughton, started circa 1880 by Benjamin Mitchell son of William Mitchell of Mitchell Brothers where he had been the bookkeeper, Whitwood Mere. He married Ellen Castle. Link
Clubs Breweries (Wakefield) Ltd Only in existence from 1920 to 1925.
N.L.Fernandes & Co. Old Bridge Brewery, Doncaster Rd, Wakefield. The original Luis Fernandes Brewery. Founded in 1850. Sold with its 42 pubs to John Smiths in 1919.Fernandes' Bridge in Doncaster Road derives its name from the brewery of the Fernandes Brothers .
Gaggs, Carter & Co. Hill Top, Knottingley. Founded 1803. Vestiges of their yard can be seen with drain holes in the limestone walling from canal towpath. The Carters were an ancient family from Kempston in Bedfordshire. Mark Carter founded the family brewing business in 1803 and his son extended into shipping and pottery manufacture. John Carter was succeeded by George William a barnster who somewhere along the line sold off the brewing part of the business. Carter's were a large brewery for the time and had much property including well-known pubs in Pontefract, the Black Boy, Pineapple, Gardeners and Turks Head. They also owned the Sun in Featherstone and eleven nearby cottages. Two unusual things about The Carter family: They are distantly related to the former US President Jimmy and years ago before the Boothferry Bridge was erected a ferryboat carrying the family possessions across the Ouse sank. So somewhere at the bottom of that muddy river is the Carter family silver! Referred to sometimes as the Knottingley Brewery Company, a power struggle for control of the company in 1933, triggeed a protracted and expensive legal dispute which weakened the company leaving it vulnerable to predatory action by trade rivals. After take over battle between it and the Tadcaster Brewery Co, the brewery was bought and closed by Bentleys of Woodlesford in 1935, who acquired its 66 tied houses. Aerial picture at www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk
John Garthwaite Calder Grove, 1930 and Calder Row, Wakefield, 1936.
Herbert Glover Calder Grove brewery, 1921.
Robert Harrison Kirkgate, listed as a brewer in Pigot's Directory of 1829
Minnie & Laura Harrison 65 Northgate, Wakefield, 1921.
William Hirst is associated with a brewery at Hill Top, Knottingley which occupied a site adjacent to the White Swan Inn, the property having originally formed part of the mansion of the Ingram family. The premises may have been used by Silvester Atkinson (see above) as a brewery following Hirst’s retirement. When the brewery started is not known but Hirst is recorded living there by May 1825. At the time of the 1841 Census, Hirst was described as being sixty years of age and of independent means, living in a cottage at Hill Top with his wife Maria, who was ten years his junior, apparently retired, for in 1840 John Carter had obtained the leasehold of the property, which comprised five cottages, one of which had been "lately used as a beerhouse".
Edward Long's brewery in Knottingley has been identified as that situated on the Old Hall site formerly in occupation by Gaggs, Carter & Co. Long’s Brewery is not recorded before 1838 and by the mid-forties his name as a common brewer had disappeared, being replaced by that of Silvester Atkinson who is known to have lived at Racca Green.
John McGuinn 5-7 Silver St, Wakefield, 1906.
Mitchell Brothers Brewers & Maltsters Whitwood Mere, Castleford. Brewed for 10 years circa 1870, afterwards continuing as a maltsters only until 1950s, Surviving buildings still known as Lord Raglan's Maltings Link
W.Pickersgill & Co. Ltd Old Castle Brewery, South Baileygate, Pontefract. Founded 1907 sold with 14 tied houses to Bentleys of Woodlesford in 1932. Notice that Tomlinsons revived the name. The brewery occupied a site on South Baileygate that then became part of the CWS Fellmongery that gave a particular perfume to the lower end of the town, and is now a retail park with Focus and Aldi.
Oak Brewery see Calder Grove Brewery
Prentis James & Miles (Retail) Kirkgate, Wakefield listed in Pigot's Directory of 1829
Wakefield Spring Brewery Co. Ltd. Wild's Yard, Wakefield. 1894 - 1897.
Frederic William Walsh Duke of York Hotel, Westgate, Wakefield, 1923.
Walkers Fine Home Brewed Ales behind the Junction Hotel at Featherstone by Thomas Walker from 1898 until acquisition by Tetleys in 1913.Picture at www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk key word: brewery.
Walker & Co. Ltd. Crown Brewery, Providence Place, Kirkgate, Wakefield. Started 1854 with purchase of Phoenix Brewery by George Newton, moving to Kirkgate as Crown Brewery, bought by George Walker & Co. in 1884. Brewery closed and 19 pubs sold in 1922.
Young & Beckett, later Young & Peirson, Park Buildings, Wakefield, listed as brewers in Pigot's Directory of 1829
