James Hole & Co. Ltd Round Alloy

James Hole & Co. Ltd alloy tray dating from the 1950s. Caparn Hankey & Co. purchased a site on Albert Street, Newark-on-Trent, in 1879 and built a large brewery which began operating in 1882. In 1885 the Castle Brewery was purchased by maltster, James Hole. The Company was registered as James Hole & Co. Ltd in 1890. Hole's quickly developed a reputation for brewing quality beers with its 'A.K. Luncheon Ale' one of the best known in the East Midlands. The Company acquired the Market Rasen Brewery Co Ltd with its 33 tied houses in 1926, and Lowe, Son & Cobbold Ltd St. Michael's Brewery of Stamford with its 34 tied houses, in 1935. The Castle Brewery and 220 public houses were acquired by Courage, Barclay, Simonds & Co. Ltd in 1967. The Company was renamed Courage Ltd in 1970. The business was acquired by the Imperial Tobacco Group Ltd in 1972 which built a vast new state-of-the-art Berkshire Brewery at Worton Grange, near Reading, in 1978. As a direct result, brewing ceased at the Castle Brewery in 1983. The brewery was redeveloped into luxury apartments.