Star Brewery
TheStar Brewerywas abreweryinRomford,England. For much of its history, it was a main industry[1]and a significant employer in the area.[2]It was closed in 1993.[3]
The site was redeveloped as a shopping centre namedThe Brewery,which opened in 2001.[4]The brewery producedJohn Bull Bitter,named after thearchetypal English farmer.[5]
History
[edit]The brewery was founded in 1708 by Benjamin Wilson[6]as an attachment to the Star Inn on the high street, then the main road to theCity of London,and beside theRiver Rom.[1]The inn and brewery were purchased by Edward Ind in 1799 becoming part of Ind Smith, and from 1845 the company was known asInd Coopewhen Octavius and Edward Coope joined.[7]
Romford railway stationwas opened to the south of the site in 1839 and in the 1860s a connection was made between the goods yard in South Street and the brewery via a tunnel under the railway line, the access to the railway enabling significant expansion. By 1908, with its own network of railway sidings, the brewery employed 450 workers and by 1970 it occupied 20 acres (81,000 m2) and had 1,000 workers.[1]
The brewery was closed in 1993 and demolished. The site was redeveloped in 2001 as The Brewery shopping centre, with one of the 160 ft (50 m) chimneys incorporated into the design. Part of the site is used to house theHavering Museum.
References
[edit]- ^abcBritish History Online- Romford Economic History, (1978)
- ^Havering London Borough CouncilArchived2007-06-30 at theWayback Machine- Romford Area Action Plan. March 2006. (PDF)
- ^Havering London Borough CouncilArchived2007-09-27 at theWayback Machine- A history of Romford
- ^Havering London Borough CouncilArchived2007-09-27 at theWayback Machine- Romford Town Centre
- ^beer-pages- John Bull Bounces Back
- ^Brewery History Society,East London Brewery History,(2000)
- ^Fryer, John (2004).Romford. A pocket album.Salisbury: Frith book company. p. 76.ISBN1-85937-888-9.
External links
[edit]- Romford Now & Then- Image of chimney