Willow Brewery Wrexham

Willow Brewery Wrexham (Peter Walker) Tuttle Street, Wrexham, Clwyd

(The following information is from Wrexham Museums:)

In 1860 Peter Walker bought the brewery from Robert Evans. Walker had learned his trade as a brewer at the Cambrian Brewery back in the 1830s and he was ambitious. He rapidly expanded the Willow Brewery over a 7000 square yard site with a 140 foot tower. A sign of the times was that Peter Walker became mayor for two years running 1866-7 and 1867-8 and supplied the town with a ceremonial mace. He also got into a long running rivalry with another brewer, Thomas Rowlands.

In 1882 Peter Walker decided to move his brewing empire to Burton-on-Trent. Some say as he was slighted at not being picked as mayor a third time. More likely it was the better business opportunities in the Staffordshire town. The only link to Wales was a Welsh goat on the weather vane at his Burton brewery as he died soon after at his home in Coed-y-glyn in April 1882. He left £1000 to help build the National School on Madeira Hill, a sum of money roughly equivalent to £800,000 in today's money. Walker's Wrexham business closed down in September 1883. The Borough Council bought the site and it became home to the famous Tuttle Street Baths and a host of other activities. Gutted by fire in the 1970s, the site was cleared soon after.

See: Peter Walker & Co. Ltd, Clarence Street Brewery, Burton-on-Trent

The Willow Brewery, Wrexham

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  1870

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Peter Walker's 'Goat' trade mark at the Rainbow pub in Birmingham

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