Catterall & Swarbrick

An advert from 1915

1951

Catterall & Swarbrick's Brewery Ltd, Queen's Brewery, Talbot Road, Blackpool, Lancashire

Founded at Poulton-le-Fylde 1871. Registered July 1894. The Blackpool brewery was built in 1927. Acquired by United Breweries in 1961 (see Hammond's United Breweries Ltd) with 104 public houses. Closed 1971.

• Link to an Ordnance Survey map of the site, 1930-1931: https://maps.nls.uk/view/126516434#zoom=3&lat=10271&lon=15056&layers=BT

The Blackpool site has been entirely redeveloped for housing, and the estate features roads: Coopers Way, Catterall Close and Swarbrick Close.

• List of Catterall & Swarbrick pubs

James Richardson (Catterall & Swarbrick), Newton Springs Brewery, Staining Road, Hardhorn, Lancashire

James Richardson and over 12 houses were acquired by Catterall & Swarbrick in 1890. Used for bottling. Buildings remain as part of a camp site.

• Link to an Ordnance Survey map of the site, 1891: https://maps.nls.uk/view/126516548#zoom=4&lat=8263&lon=1676&layers=BT

Mike Brown writes:-

Catterall and Swarbrick, Queen’s Brewery

In 1858, Mrs Jane Swarbrick was running the Crown Inn, Birley Street and in 1876 James Swarbrick was running the Kings Arms, 99 Talbot Road (previously called New Road), which he ran until at least 1886. Friedrich’s Gazetteer also mentions J Walmesley brewing at New Road in 1884 (F476), but I have been unable to find any further details.

Catterall & Swarbrick were trading by 1880 and are thought to have been founded around 1871. In 1885, the business was shown as the Queen’s Brewery at Poulton le Fylde. In 1889, Richard Swarbrick & Co were wholesale bottlers at Railway Hotel, Talbot Road in Blackpool. This may be the site previously used by the Nicksons mentioned below.

In 1876, Hannah Barrett was brewing at the Victoria South Beach, but by 1879 it was shown only as a family and commercial hotel. The Barretts seem to have been at the pub from around 1869. They had also been involved with the Talbot Hotel, which may have brewed and was which later was run by the Nickson family. The latter were brewing at No 65 Talbot Road and bottling at No 44, the Station Hotel. However, by 1882, they were only listed as ale and porter merchants and bottlers.

On 6th July 1894, Catterall and Swarbrick became a limited company, with a share capital of £50,000 made up of 10,000 £5 shares (F473). The directors included:-

• William Catterall, Breck Road, Poulton
• John Swarbrick, Tower Lodge, Poulton
• Tom Lockwood, Golden Ball Hotel, Poulton

Known pubs included the following:-

• Bay Horse, Church Street, Poulton
• Pack Horse, Stalmine
• Saddle Inn, Marton (see below)
• Sportsman, Poulton
• Star Inn, Blackpool
• White Bull, Great Eccleston

There were also three beer houses in Fleetwood. In 1896 they bought two additional outlets in Blackpool:-

• Victoria Hotel, Victoria Street for £4,050
• Brewer’s Arms, Cocker Street for £7,100 (In 1851 Richard Laycock was running the Brewer’s Arms, North Shore)

In addition to Poulton, they had also acquired the Newton Springs Brewery. In November 1927, a new brewery was built on the corner of Devonshire Road/ Talbot Road, although they also continued to operate at Hardhorn (see below). They also had a bottling store on Kent Road, which later became the Central WMC. The Windmill on Preston New Road, near the M55 junction, was used as a store. In 1930, they opened the XL Hotel on the A6 near Garstang. This was named after one of their main products, but the hotel was renamed the Chequered Flag in the 1960s.

In 1961 Northern Breweries bought the brewery, with its 104 pubs. Hence, it later became part of the Bass empire and closed in 1973 for Runcorn. However, for many years it still had its own real ale brewed for some of its pubs.

Images of the Newton Springs Brewery

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Images of the Blackpool brewery

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  The brewery in 1975

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  The brewery in 1980

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  The brewery in 1980

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  The brewery in 1980

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  The brewery in 1980

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