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The West Berkshire Historic Environment Record (HER) is the primary index of the physical remains of past human activity in the unitary authority of West Berkshire Council. Limited elements of the West Berkshire HER are available online via the Heritage Gateway, therefore it is not suitable for use in desk-based studies associated with development, planning and land-use changes, and does not meet the requirements of paragraph 194 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021: 56). Please read the important guidance on the use of the West Berkshire HER data. For these purposes and all other commercial enquiries, please contact the Archaeology team and complete our online HER enquiry form.


This site is designated as being of national importance and is afforded additional protection. Consult West Berkshire Council's Archaeology team if more information or advice is needed.



HER Number MWB15902
Record Type Building
Name 25 Northbrook Street and the former Castle Public House, Newbury

Grid Reference SU 470 673
Map Sheet SU46NE
Parish Newbury, West Berkshire
Map:Show location on Streetmap

Summary

Grade II listed late 18th century building formerly 'The Brewer's House' and later 'Newbury Brewery', also the brewery tap and a public house

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

  • Listed Building (II) 1365724: The Castle Public House - ERROR IN NAME AND DESCRIPTION (Parkway changes)
  • Conservation Area: Newbury Town Centre

Other Statuses and Cross-References

  • National Monuments Record No.: SU 46 NE 257
    SU 4710 6736

Monument Type(s):

  • MANAGERS HOUSE (Jacobean to Mid to Late 19th century - 1608 AD to 1870 AD)
  • PUBLIC HOUSE (18th century to Late 20th century - Present - 1796 AD? (pre) to 2006 AD? (pre))
  • BREWERY (Late 19th century to Early to Mid 20th century - 1892 AD to 1932 AD)

Full Description

25 Northbrook Street is a Grade II listed buildng, described as late 18th century and altered <3>. It was formerly the Brewer's house of the Satchell and Somerset Brewery (circa 1600-1870) and later the Newbury Brewery Company (1892-1932). Two storeys. Two windows. Little now remains of the ancient brewery (originally known as the Castle Brewery) except for the Castle Inn and some of the brewery out-buildings <1><3><5>. The brewery moved to Cheap Street in the late 19th century <5>.

The Ordnance Survey late 19th century Town Plan marks the Castle public house on Northbrook Street <11>: the 5th Epoch OS mapping of 1967 labels the pub separately on the rear section of No 25 <12>. The rear of 25 Northbrook Street (then renamed 'Uncle Henry's Pub) was demolished as part of the Park Way redevelopment, but was subject to a Level 1 building recording and watching brief <7>. The main Uncle Henry’s public house, formerly The Castle, was outside the development and the original scope of recording but it was included following a fire in 2006. This structure appeared to be of later 19th-century date but it incorporated a set of older first floor joists which appear to be from an earlier building. The easternmost section of 25 Northbrook Street was a later 20th century extension.

Historical pub research indicates that a public house with this name was in operation in 1796 (from Berkshire directories), and that it was called Castle Tap in the 1871 Census <13>. This had changed to the Castle Taven in later 20th century Kelly's Directories <13>.

Sources and further reading

<01>Goodley, K R. 1981. Bygone breweries of Newbury. p2. [Monograph / SWB13241]
<02>Hawker, C. 1920s. Newbury Brewery Co. Ltd. Not aerial photo. [Photograph / SWB13242]
<03>Department of the Environment. 1974-2000?. DOE List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. [Unpublished document / SWB10006]
<04>Bristol and Region Archaeological Services. 2003. Archaeological Desktop Assessment of a site at Park Way, Newbury, Berkshire for Elise Developments Ltd. Report No 1178/2003. 2021 WBC Network. [Unpublished document / SWB14276]
<05>The Borough Museum, Newbury. 1973. Newbury Buildings Past and Present. p4-5 The Newbury Brewery. [Monograph / SWB12937]
<06>Historic England (previously English Heritage). ?-present. NMR Buildings Files on Historic England Archive. BF105373 (The Castle Public House and Shops, 24-37 Northbrook Street). [Index / SWB147173]
https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/photos/ (Accessed 21/04/2020)
<07>Oxford Archaeology. 2014. Newbury Parkway, West Berkshire - Gazetteer of Historic Buildings. WBC Network. doi.org/10.5284/1031451. OA03. [Unpublished document / SWB148752]
https://library.oxfordarchaeology.com/1970/10/NEWPPI05_Newbury_historic_buildings_gaz_part1_200614_pdfA.pdf (Accessed 11/05/2020)
<08>Ditchfield and Page (eds). 1906. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks I 1906. Vol 1. p408, 410. [Monograph / SWB10017]
https://archive.org/details/victoriahistoryo01ditcuoft (Accessed on 22/12/2021)
<09>Dearing, J. 2013. A Directory of Berkshire Brewers. 4th edition. 2019 WBC Network. [Unpublished document / SWB149933]
https://reading.camra.org.uk/history (Accessed on 15/06/2021)
<10>Oxford Archaeology. 2005. Newbury Park Way, Newbury, West Berkshire: Historic Buildings & Conservation (Listed Buildings) Statement. OA Job No 2733 (or 2851?). [Unpublished document / SWB147769]
<11>Landmark. 1880-81. Digital OS Mapping Epoch 1, 1:500 - Newbury Town Plan. Digital. 1:500. Marked 'Castle (P.H.)'. [Map / SWB146990]
<12>Ordnance Survey. 1962-1981. Ordnance Survey Epoch 5, 1:2500. 1:2500. Marked '25' at front and 'The Castle (P.H.)' at rear. [Map / SWB14665]
<13>Wilding, K and Harris, S. Public Houses, Inns & Taverns of Berkshire. https://pubwiki.co.uk/Berkshire/. 18/12/2013. Newbury, Castle. [Website / SWB148574]
https://pubwiki.co.uk/Berkshire/ (Accessed 08/02/2021)
<14>2008. Report on Visual Structural Inspection of 25 Northbrook Street, Newbury. [Unpublished document / SWB147516]

Related Monuments

MWB3442NORTHBROOK STREET, NEWBURY (Monument)
MWB1625026 and 26a Northbrook Street, Newbury (Building)
MWB22147Site of brewery building, at the back of 26 and 27 Northbrook Street, Newbury (Monument)
MWB16256Site of brewery range, at the back of 27 Northbrook Street, Newbury (Monument)
MWB16255Site of former malt house, Marsh Lane, Newbury (Monument)
MWB21267Site of the Cheap Street Brewery, Newbury (Monument)

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

EWB1028Report on Visual Structural Inspection of 25 Northbrook Street, Newbury (Ref: 08/01491/FUL)
EWB1093Newbury Park Way: Historic Buildings & Conservation Statement (Ref: OA Job No 2733)
EWB742Archaeological Desktop Assessment of a site at Park Way, Newbury (Ref: Report No 1178/2003)
EWB743Park Way, Newbury - Geo-Environmental Assessment
EWB1416Newbury Park Way - Gazetteer of Historic Buildings (Ref: NEWPK08, OA Job No 3904)