Berwick Breweries Ltd

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Berwick label 002.jpg
Berwick label 003.jpg
Berwick label 001.jpg

Berwick Breweries Ltd

(1) Silver Street Brewery, 12-14 Silver Street, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland

(2) The Tweedmouth Brewery, Brewery Lane, Tweedmouth, Northumberland


The Border Brewery was linked to Mann Crossman & Paulin of London in the 1840s. Registered in July 1899 as the Border Brewery Co Ltd,Silver Street being the offices and malting.

Name changed to Berwick Breweries Ltd when they were acquired by Johnson & Darlings Ltd in 1924 with about 78 public houses.

Acquired by Johnson & Darlings Ltd in 1924 with 78 public houses and name changed 1925.

Acquired by Associated Breweries Ltd and brewing ceased almost immediately, but bottling continued until 1950.



THE BORDER BREWERY CO LTD TWEEDMOUTH, BERWICK UPON TWEED by PAUL JORDAN

First established in the 17th Century or earlier.

In its heyday at the turn of the century, the Border Brewery was famous for its fine ales, producing over 400 barrels per week. During the whole of its existence it formed a major feature of the town of Berwick Upon Tweed. The history of the company may, in fact, be considered an important part of the history of Berwick itself during that period (apparently the name Berwick is derived from Barley Town).

In the mid 1840s the manager was one Robert Crossman. By March 1846 he had been approached by James Mann junior, of the Albion Brewery, London, with a view to joining him in a partnership. This offer was the founding of the firm that became Mann, Crossman & Paulin Ltd. The business, however, developed at its most rapid rate when a Mr Henning assumed the practical management in 1887. Changing to a private limited company at the same time.

The brewery and mineral water factory were situated together across the River Tweed near the dock at Tweedmouth. The Silver Street Brewery at 14 Silver Street and the Tweed Brewery in Brewery Lane. Both had the great advantage of the unrivalled water supply which was abundant and always of the purest quality. This supply from St Cuthbert's Well still exists today in one of the original brewery buildings.

A very extensive trade was carried out with whiskies, wines, ales and stout being sent to London, Manchester, Glasgow and other distant centres. This trade culminating in July 1899 with the Border Brewery becoming a limited company.

In 1924 Border merged with near neighbours, Johnson & Darlings Ltd (the Peter Darling currently brewing at the Longstone Brewery, Belford, is a descendant of these Darlings), to form Berwick Breweries Ltd.

However, the new company was somewhat short lived. In 1937 it was taken over by Vaux with the almost immediate cessation of brewing being the familiar result. The company survived as a bottling plant until final closure in the 1950s.

Today, most of the original buildings still exist, and brewing, albeit on a much smaller scale, returned in 1992 as the Border Brewery Company; but this microbrewery closed by 2001.

Author's note:-

In the graveyard near to the Angel Inn is a tombstone splendidly inscribed "Lancelot Matheson, died 1801, aged 65 years, brewer, Tweedmouth Brewery"


An assortment of views of the brewery.