Malting and Brewing in St Neots

Local historians, Charles Tebbutt and Rosa Young, have published extensive research into St Neots’ history. What follows has largely been gleaned from their work.

The Priory Brewery

When the first brewery was built in St Neots is uncertain. It is possible the monks at the Priory brewed their own ale. A new brewery may well have been built on the site of the priory when the navigation locks were completed in Little Paxton in the early 17^th century. Jeffrey’s map of 1768 shows a brewery by the river. Before 1780 the Priory Brewery was owned by Francis Atwood, then Edward Arnold who sold it to William Fowler.

Between 1780 and 1782 Fowler erected a barley drying kiln (now called ‘The Oast House’), a malthouse, stables for horses, and a storehouse (demolished in the 1960s). A large maltings was set up on Cambridge Street supplying local inns and alehouses with malt to make beer.

In 1814 Richard Fowler sold the Priory Brewery to John Day of Bedford At that time Fowler owned 24 licensed premises, five in St Neots, two in Eaton Socon and one in Eaton Ford. Day expanded the brewery by knocking down the gatehouse of the old Priory and building on the site. Between 1818 and 1839 Day bought a further 39, ten of them in St Neots. Barrels of his beer were sold in London. He also erected the first cast-iron lamp post in St Neots in 1822. At first it burnt oil but later used coal gas.

In 1824 he employed 18 men and two boys. The foreman was paid 18s. (£.0.90) a week and then men from 8s. to 14s. (£0.40 - £0.70). Day did not just brew beer. His business also included selling coal, salt, slates, barrel staves, clunch, timber, isinglass, sperm oil, Greenland oil and seal oil. A pair of whale’s jaw bones formed an arch by the entrance to the brewery yard. Day is also said to have owned the brickworks in Eynesbury.

Paine’s Brewery

The first large-scale brewery in St Neots is thought to have been established by Samuel Emery. He purchased The Bull Inn on the Market Square and the public house next door and combined their two brew-houses to brew in larger quantities. A well sunk into the gravel terrace provided ‘clean’ water. Having a wharf on Hen Brook allowed the import of barley and hops by boat. When Samuel died his daughters took over the inn and his son, Samuel, the brewery. He sold it to William Foster in 1792 who owned three licensed houses.

In 1831 William Foster sold his brewery on the south side of the Market Square to James Paine (1789 – 1855). He too was an entrepreneur. Over the next few years Paine set up a Stone Flour Mill and an office. He invested his profits from selling beer to acquire three more ‘tied’ houses (they could only sell Paine’s beer). He set up a maltings in St Mary’s Street, Eynesbury, owned five houses on South Street, corn shops in Bell yard, a house and shop in Eaton Ford, 16 acres of farmland in Eynesbury, farmland in Great Paxton, brick kilns there, at Riseley and Gamlingay.

A beam steam engine was installed in 1840 which was there until 1935 when it was replaced by electricity. When James died in 1855 four of his sons took over the business. One of the sons, probably James, opened the Eynesbury brickyard on Potton Road.

In 1865 William expanded the business, buying a flour mill on Nutters Lane (Bedford Street) and as well as brewing, flour milling and sawing he was buying and selling malt, hops, coal, malt calms, linseed cake, slates, bricks, tiles, building stone, salt, tar, hair, whiting, lath (single and double fir), cement (Portland and Roman) lime (burnt, slack, and clunch), deals and battens (Petersburg, Wyberg and Memel). To help in his business he also hired a yard and wharf on the east side of Eynesbury bridge, where he put another saw mill. By 1869 he had bought St Neots Railway Tavern’.

Needing more capital he went into partnership with William Atkinson in 1872. A new malting was erected in Nutters Lane for £2,400 and the old one sold to George Taylor of the Chequers Inn who converted it into a mineral water factory. In 1877 Atkinson sold his share in the partnership and John McNish joined with the firm then trading as Paine & Co.

The building merchants side of the business was sold in 1879 to Charles Daintree and Fred Jewson. The yard behind the Dog and Duck Inn near Eynesbury Bridge was too small so they first hired, then bought, Navigation Wharf across the street.

In 1880 the Nutters Lane flour mill was pulled down and a new mill was built on the same site. A steam engine was used which worked until 1931 when a diesel engine was installed. When William Paine retired in 1882 the McNish brothers took it over until 1896 when the firm was launched as a public limited liability company as Paine and Co. Ltd.

The Bedford Street Nutters Mill was burnt down in 1903 causing damage valued at £15,000. It was rebuilt with more space. The brewery and Stone Flour Mill were burnt down in 1905 so the company bought the next-door premises and milling restarted. The brewery was rebuilt using more modern equipment.

In 1900 the Bedford Street maltings began production of malt extract (e.g. Bovril, OXO cubes) and it was traded worldwide. After the first World War (1914 – 1918) larger premises were needed so Paine & Co. Ltd bought and equipped the derelict Bower’s Gas Meter Works on Brook Street. These works were badly damaged by fire in 1947. They were rebuilt but burnt down again in 1955 so Paine’s used the Bedford Street premises again.

Licensed Houses

During the 18^th century there were 32 licensed premises (public houses) in St Neots, 11 in Eaton Socon and at least two in Eynesbury. Many of these were coaching inns. Local brewers either built them to be able to retail their ales or converted people’s houses to make public houses.

(Sources: Young, R. (1996), 'St Neots Past', Phillimore; Tebbutt, C.F. (1978), St Neots – History of a Huntingdonshire Town, Unwin Brothers)

List as many places in St Neots today where you can buy alcohol - beer, wine and spirits.

Public Houses Hotels Restaurants Off Licences

List as many places in St Neots today where you can buy alcohol - beer, wine and spirits.

Public Houses Hotels Restaurants Off Licences

List as many places in St Neots today where you can buy alcohol - beer, wine and spirits.

Public Houses Hotels Restaurants Off Licences