The Cirencester Brewery Ltd by Ian P Peaty
The Cirencester Brewery Ltd by Ian P Peaty
The brewery business formerly carried out in Cricklade Street was founded in 1798. The oldest documentation on record is a way-bill dated 29th November, 1803, for materials conveyed by barge from The Hawk's Wharf, Upper Thames Street, London, on the Thames & Severn Canal, to Mr Gibbs the landlord of The Bell Inn.
The Bell Inn was a late medieval building in Cricklade Street which had its own brewhouse supplying its own requirements and those of several local public houses. In the first local directory of 1820, the firm is listed as Croome, Cripps & Company, Cricklade Street. There were also two other brewers listed in the town, John Masters in Thomas Street and Francis Smith also in Cricklade Street.
By 1847, Cripps had terminated his partnership with Croome and was now in partnership with a Mr Byrch whose term had also ceased by 1861 in which year the company's title was Cripps, Demainbray & Co. Thirty-three years later Cripps were in total control trading as The Cirencester Brewery Company. Thomas Mathews of 104 Dyer Street, being listed as manager and secretary. In 1882 Cripps had acquired the nearby Cotswold Brewery in Lewis Lane of Edward Bowly with its estate of fifteen public houses. In 1888 the business was registered as a private liability company. Between the years 1861 and 1894 a neighbouring wine and spirit business trading as Shergold and Kimber had been taken over and also a large complex of malthouses were built in Cricklade Street. Malting had ceased here in the late 1980s. Still largely intact today, converted into multiple residential housing.
Mineral water manufacturing was commenced during this time and was advertised locally. In this same year Thomas Mathews died at the age of 78, having worked in a number of positions in the firm, including traveller (abroad cooper), brewer and general manager, all from his original lowly job as a clerk. His eldest son Ernest followed in his father's footsteps until 1935, being succeeded by Robert Mathews. In 1928 Mr W P Cripps joined the family business, Cirencester Brewery Limited, having gained a varied brewing experience at three other breweries. In 1934 he was appointed secretary and manager of the company, a post he held until 1937, when the firm was amalgamated with H & G Simonds Ltd of Reading, upon which he was made a director of Cirencester Brewery Limited.
In 1930 The Cirencester Brewery Ltd produced an illustrated price list which included the following draught beers listed as " Family Ales:- Mild Ale, Bitter Ale, Pale Ale, XXXX, Stout and No 1". The price range for the pin size cask was from 10/- to 16/-. Bottled Ales were Cirencester Pale Ale and Cirencester Extra Stout, with the bottling of Bass's and Worthington's Pale Ales, Guinness Extra Stout and Bass No 1 Barley Wine. On the front cover was a Phoenix rising from a bed of flames, although there is no indication that this was a registered trade mark.
The Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard reported on 5th June, 1937, that with effect from the 30th June, "the business would be controlled by Messrs H & G Simonds Ltd, the well known brewing firm of Reading, Bristol and Davenport, and that Capt. E T Cripps and Mr B J B Stephens will be associated with the direction and management of the company and will remain on the Board" . Included with the brewery and malthouses were 92 licensed properties. The report stressed that operations would continue largely unchanged under the parent company, W J Rogers Ltd of Bristol. The day to day running would remain under the direction of the Cripps family who "have been the proprietors for such a long time" . On the 30th June 1937, Sir Frederick Cripps retired as Chairman and Managing Director and his son, Mr W P Cripps was appointed Chairman as his successor. The company was finally liquidated in 1949 bringing to an end the long Cripps family connection with brewing in the town of Cirencester.
One of the original narrow accesses into the brewery from Cricklade Street remains, with an off-licence on one corner still trading today. From this pedestrian way to the Tesco supermarket and large car park known as Brewery Car Park, access is gained to new shops and what remains of the stone built brewery. In the cellars beneath this last vestige of a once large brewing concern was founded the short-lived micro-brewery, Cirencester Brewing Co, Cellar Brewery, founded in February 1983 by Martin Bland and Shirley Harris, but brewing had ceased by November 1985 when it was up for sale. The main brewhouse block and The Bell Inn were demolished prior to 1939.
Author's Note:
I am indebted to the Corinium Museum, Cirencester and reference has been made to the Hop Leaf Gazette and to The Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard.