Box Brewey After 1924 John Kirby August 2016
Above: The chimney of Box Brewery seen just below the cyclist sign and, to the right, in the centre of the photo, is Clock House,
now the site of the Co-op building (courtesy Box Parish Council).
now the site of the Co-op building (courtesy Box Parish Council).
John sadly passed away in November 2016. He had played a vital role in Box village life for decades, auditor of many local charities, trustee of the Bingham Hall Trust, friend and colleague to many. He will be sadly missed and, in honour of his memory, we publish his story of the history of the Box Brewery building. John gave this talk to Box NATS History Trail in August 2016 and permission for its publication has been kindly received from Barbara Kirby.
Box Brewery was built in 1864 by the Pinchin family who lived in the Brewery House, round the corner in the Market Place, now known as The Old Dairy.[1] It must have been built before the main road was constructed through the centre of Box as it lies substantially below the current road level of the High Street. Box Brewery wan't a single building but rather a mini area with store rooms, dray horse stables and, on the opposite side of the Market Place, a large maltings store in what is now the Jubilee Centre car park.
Sale of Brewery
In the depression of the inter-war years, Pinchins sold the brewery to Ushers of Trowbridge in 1924 for £10,000. The brewery was advertised as Highly Important Sale of six licensed houses, fully equipped Brewery Premises, four stone-built cottages and garage.[2] The six houses they acquired included The Bear Hotel (Box) with 3 cottages, stabling and garage. The other houses were The Green Dragon Inn (Calne), The Old Fox and Hounds (Colerne), The Northend Inn (Batheaston), The Smiths Inn (Bathford) and The Horseshoe Inn (Combe Down). Ushers were highly acquisitive of small, independent breweries and they quickly closed Box Brewery's manufacturing process, selling the brewery plant in November 1924.[3] In closing Box Brewery they acquired contracts with independent houses that Box Brewery had previously supplied, including the Chequers and the Lamb.
The premises were put up for sale in November 1924 but failed to reach its reserve and were offered for private treaty.[4]
Sale of Brewery
In the depression of the inter-war years, Pinchins sold the brewery to Ushers of Trowbridge in 1924 for £10,000. The brewery was advertised as Highly Important Sale of six licensed houses, fully equipped Brewery Premises, four stone-built cottages and garage.[2] The six houses they acquired included The Bear Hotel (Box) with 3 cottages, stabling and garage. The other houses were The Green Dragon Inn (Calne), The Old Fox and Hounds (Colerne), The Northend Inn (Batheaston), The Smiths Inn (Bathford) and The Horseshoe Inn (Combe Down). Ushers were highly acquisitive of small, independent breweries and they quickly closed Box Brewery's manufacturing process, selling the brewery plant in November 1924.[3] In closing Box Brewery they acquired contracts with independent houses that Box Brewery had previously supplied, including the Chequers and the Lamb.
The premises were put up for sale in November 1924 but failed to reach its reserve and were offered for private treaty.[4]
After the Brewery
In 1927 Ushers sold the buildings in Box to a consortium led by Thomas Vezey, solicitor of Bath, who had family connections with Box and the consortium owned various properties in and around Bath for periods of time.[5]
The buildings were so central in the village that they were soon coverted for other purposes. The store rooms were converted into two cottages in 1935 and the remaining buildings were sold to Murray & Baldwin, who made tennis racquets, a year later.
The Second World War interrupted the manufacture of leisure products and in 1948 Murray & Baldwin, having fallen on hard times, took out a mortgage of £5,000 secured on the property from five individuals. In 1954 Murray & Baldwin went bust. The premises were put up for sale advertised as Re Murray and Baldwin (Bath) Limited in voluntary liquidation To Cabinet Makers, Joiners and others requiring factory premises or storage, Box, comprising Stone-built factory known as "The Lycetts" of approximately 6,250 feet of covered floor space, office block, machine and assembly shops, stores, glue shop, boiler house, 5-room cottage let at £27.6s per annum and three self-contained flats producing £97 per annum.[6] There was also a double-fronted Shop Property, fronting the main road ... let as a Cafe at £104 per annum. By this time four of the mortgage holders had died and the whole mortgage of £5,000 was owed to Mrs Hallowell Carew of Weymouth who took ownership of the property in settlement of the mortgage.
In 1959 Mrs Hallowell Carew split the property up and sold the Brewery building to John Dodd and his father who had an engineering business in London and moved it to Box. The two cottages were sold separately to Ray Banks and his brother-in-law, Bill Dancey. Also, somewhere along the line, the butchers was sold to Jim Hill and is still run as a shop by his son, Dave.
In 1927 Ushers sold the buildings in Box to a consortium led by Thomas Vezey, solicitor of Bath, who had family connections with Box and the consortium owned various properties in and around Bath for periods of time.[5]
The buildings were so central in the village that they were soon coverted for other purposes. The store rooms were converted into two cottages in 1935 and the remaining buildings were sold to Murray & Baldwin, who made tennis racquets, a year later.
The Second World War interrupted the manufacture of leisure products and in 1948 Murray & Baldwin, having fallen on hard times, took out a mortgage of £5,000 secured on the property from five individuals. In 1954 Murray & Baldwin went bust. The premises were put up for sale advertised as Re Murray and Baldwin (Bath) Limited in voluntary liquidation To Cabinet Makers, Joiners and others requiring factory premises or storage, Box, comprising Stone-built factory known as "The Lycetts" of approximately 6,250 feet of covered floor space, office block, machine and assembly shops, stores, glue shop, boiler house, 5-room cottage let at £27.6s per annum and three self-contained flats producing £97 per annum.[6] There was also a double-fronted Shop Property, fronting the main road ... let as a Cafe at £104 per annum. By this time four of the mortgage holders had died and the whole mortgage of £5,000 was owed to Mrs Hallowell Carew of Weymouth who took ownership of the property in settlement of the mortgage.
In 1959 Mrs Hallowell Carew split the property up and sold the Brewery building to John Dodd and his father who had an engineering business in London and moved it to Box. The two cottages were sold separately to Ray Banks and his brother-in-law, Bill Dancey. Also, somewhere along the line, the butchers was sold to Jim Hill and is still run as a shop by his son, Dave.
References
[1] See Box Brewery
[2] Contributed by Verity Jeffery who located details in The Wiltshire Times, 28 June 1924
[3] The Wiltshire Times, 8 November 1924
[4] The Wiltshire Times, 29 November 1924
[5] See Box Brewery
[6] The Wiltshire Times, 8 May 1954
[1] See Box Brewery
[2] Contributed by Verity Jeffery who located details in The Wiltshire Times, 28 June 1924
[3] The Wiltshire Times, 8 November 1924
[4] The Wiltshire Times, 29 November 1924
[5] See Box Brewery
[6] The Wiltshire Times, 8 May 1954