H.E.Thornley Round Copper

H.E.Thornley copper tray dating from 1921.

Henry Edward Thornley Builds the Radford Hall Brewery

Henry Edward Thornley was originally a farmer, however by 1898 he had broadened his business interests and commenced brewing at his home, Radford Hall, in Leamington Spa.
In 1902 he built the four storey Gothic, baronial style, Radford Hall Brewery, at Radford Semele, and employed an agent, H.Bradshaw, in Leamington Spa.
The business traded as Thornley & Co., and was described as 'Brewers and Wine & Spirit Merchants'.
An impressive Malt Kiln was added to the brewery in 1911.
Thornley & Co.'s range of beers included, 'Diamond Pale Ale AK' and 'Mild Ale' in casks, and 'Special Dinner Ale', 'Special Pale Ale', and 'Nourishing Stout', in bottles.
These ales and stouts quickly gained a strong reputation, and with increasing sales, the Company was able to acquire its first public houses.
Liked by the community, and well respected by his workforce, Henry died at Radford Hall, in 1916.
Ownership of the business was retained by the Thornley family.
In 1920, when trading as H.E.Thornley, one of its ales was awarded 'Champion Beer' at the Brewing & Allied Trades Exhibition.

H.E.Thornley Ltd & Benjamin Kelsey Ltd Merger

In 1933 the Company was registered as H.E.Thornley Ltd, and in the same year, it merged with Benjamin Kelsey Ltd, of Birmingham, to form Thornley Kelsey Ltd.
During the Second World War, the top floor of the Radford Hall Brewery was requistioned for use by the Women Royal Navy Service (WRNS), for decoding and the production of blueprints.
In addition to bottling its own beers, the firm also bottled Guinness stout.
The Company continued to brew quality beers and was awarded a Silver Medal at the Brewing Bottling and Allied Trades Exhibition held in London, in 1960.
Kelsey's Henry Street Brewery closed in the early 1960s, whilst the Radford Hall Brewery continued to brew until 1968, when it was sold to the East Midlands Electricity Board.
Most of the Company's 68 tied houses were sold to John Davenport & Sons Ltd.
Some of the Radford Hall Brewery site remained until 1977, where the firm's wholesale and retail wine & spirits business continued to operate.
The last parts of the Radford Hall Brewery were demolished shortly afterwards.