The Old Brewery, The Broadway, Newbury

Oxford Archaeology (OA) has carried out a programme of historic building investigation and recording on two adjoining structures at The Old Brewery in Newbury, West Berkshire prior to their conversion to offices. The buildings have been disused for many years and although they are Grade II listed their condition is now very poor and only their shell survives. The internal floors and all the principal features relating to the building’s former use were removed prior to the start of the current investigation so it is not possible to gain a clear understanding of the historic form of the buildings from the physical evidence. Fortunately however an unusually detailed listing description was made of the buildings before the structures were gutted and this, together with other historical documents found in the current study, does allow a fuller understanding of the buildings’ history. The two adjoining buildings appears to have been constructed in late 18th or early 19th centuries and they originally formed the main brewhouse of the Speenhamland Brewery. The brewery was then sold to Adnams in 1885.