Doris Pardoe, Old Swan Brewery

Doris and Fred Pardoe

Courtesy Roy Denison

Courtesy Roy Denison

Doris C Pardoe, Old Swan Brewery, 89 Halesowen Road, Netherton, West Midlands

Popularly known as 'Ma Pardoe's'. A home-brew house founded in 1835. This was one of just four historic home-brew houses which survived into the 1970s (the others being: Three Tuns (Bishops Castle); All Nations, Madeley; and Blue Anchor Inn, Helston).

Fred Pardoe took up the tenancy in 1932, and after his death, his widow Doris ran the pub and brewery until her death in 1984.

After a short period at arms-length ownership by CAMRA; the pub was acquired by Hoskins Ltd of Leicester in 1987 and was by 1990 in the ownership of the Wiltshire Brewery, Tisbury. Brewing ceased 1993 but restarted in 2001 following extensive refurbishment by Punch Taverns.

The Pardoes owned one other pub: the White Swan, Holland Street, Dudley, which they rebuilt in 1969.

Various images of the brewery:

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  The brewery in 1972. Courtesy Roy Denison

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  The brewery in 1972

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  The brewery in 1972

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  The brewery in 1973

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  The brewery in 1973

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  The brewery in 1984

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  Courtesy Roy Denison

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  Courtesy Roy Denison

Views of the brewery taken in 2003 by Jeff Sechiari:

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A BHS visit in May 2011:

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The Bridgtown local history group have marked the birthplace of Doris Jones, later famous as "Ma Pardoe". The plaque is displayed at 19 North Street in Bridgtown, just south of Cannock. Photos from Mike Brown, 2021.

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