Stroud Brewery Co. Ltd Square Tin

Stroud Brewery Co. Ltd tin tray dating from the late 1950s.

Stroud Brewery Early Years of Trading

The Stroud Brewery was established by Peter Leversage at Middle Lypiatt in 1760.
Peter Leversage was joined by Mr Grazebrook and Mr Burgh and the firm traded as Leversage, Glazebrook & Burgh until Grazebrook and Burgh retired.
The business moved to a site in Rowcroft in 1793 after the opening of the Thames and Severn canal.
Joseph Watts joined the business in 1800 and following the death of Peter Leversage he became its sole proprietor in 1819.
Under Watt's leadership the brewery became a prosperous concern.
When Joseph Watts died in 1855 the brewery was bequeathed to Joseph Watts-Hallewell, one of his grandsons.
The brewery business was carried on by the partnership of Watts-Hallewell, Biddell and Stanton and later traded as Watts & Co.

Stroud Brewery Co. Ltd Registration & Acquisitions Trail

In 1888 the Company was registered as the Stroud Brewery Co. Ltd.
James Watts-Hallewell became the Company's chairman.
The brewery was re-modelled and modernised in 1895 and in 1901 an impressive high chimney was added.
In 1897 the Company began its acquisitions journey.
Purchases included Playne & Sons of Minchinhampton with 30 tied houses in 1897, Carpenter & Co. of Gloucester in 1909, Charles Richard Luce of Malmesbury in 1912, Warn & Sons Ltd of Tetbury in 1913, and N. & W.Cook of Tetbury with 33 public houses in 1913.
Many small Gloucestershire breweries closed due the challenges of trading during the First World War but the Stroud Brewery Co. Ltd survived and moved forward continuing to acquire other businesses.
It purchased Smith & Sons Ltd of Thrupp in 1919, Duck & Co. of Malmesbury with 22 public houses in 1920, and William Stephen Butler of Avebury with 11 public houses in 1920.
The most significant acquisition was its established local rival, Stroud brewer Godsell & Sons Ltd with 172 public houses in 1928.
By 1929 the Company had amassed a tied estate of over 400 houses.
This number increased further when it purchased the Alton Court Brewery Co. Ltd of Ross-on-Wye with 19 public houses in 1956, and a significant number of public houses from Frome & Lamb Ltd in 1957.

West Country Breweries Ltd

The Stroud Brewery Co Ltd, with 643 public houses, merged with Cheltenham & Hereford Breweries Ltd to form West Country Breweries Ltd in 1958.
The Company was acquired by Whitbread & Co. Ltd in 1963.
Brewing at Stroud continued until 1967, however the brewing of traditional draught beers was transferred to Cheltenham and the old Stroud Brewery was used as a production centre for bottled beers and one keg beer. At the end of 1967 Whitbread & Co. Ltd closed the Stroud Brewery.
The site was used as a Whitbread depot until 1969.
The Stroud Brewery buildings were demolished in 1973.
The site was purchased by a building society in the 1980s.

The manufacturer's makers mark states - Reginald Corfield Ltd Lombard Road, London. S.W.19. 5810