Arkell's Brewery was established in
Swindon, England by John Arkell in 1843, and has been owned by members of the Arkell family since its establishment. It is Swindon's oldest company, built initially on the massive expansion of Swindon in the Victorian era with the arrival of the railways and the decision by
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel (; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was a British civil engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history," "one of the 19th-century engineering giants," and "one ...
to site the
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 mill ...
Works in Swindon in 1841.
Brewery
Originally a steam brewery,
with the engines now being powered by electricity, Arkell's is a
tower brewery which works on the principle that raw materials are fed into the top of the building and beer comes out in casks at the bottom.
The brewery building is a Grade II listed building
and the site has been designated an Urban Conservation Area by
Swindon Borough Council
Swindon Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Swindon in Wiltshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. As such, it is administratively separate from ...
.
Distribution
The brewery owns 92 pubs in the Swindon area and surrounds, including locations in
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...
,
Newbury,
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
,
Cheltenham,
Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east of t ...
and
Ascot; and sells its products to
free houses in the
Thames Valley
The Thames Valley is an informally-defined sub-region of South East England, centred on the River Thames west of London, with Oxford as a major centre. Its boundaries vary with context. The area is a major tourist destination and economic hub, ...
and
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
.
In 2005, the brewery entered into a contract with rail company
First Great Western
Great Western Railway (GWR) is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that operates the Greater Western passenger railway franchise. It manages 197 stations and its trains call at over 270. GWR operates long-distance inter-cit ...
to have its beer stocked in their buffet cars.
Promotion
Arkell's have sponsored events at
Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse and events venue in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat ...
since 1979.
The brewery has been visited by the Duke of Kent and politicians including
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne (born Michael Hecht; 7 July 1941) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005. He previously held cabinet posit ...
and
William Hague
William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conq ...
.
House Beers
*''Honey Pale Ale''
*''2B''
*''3B''
*''Wiltshire Gold''
*''Kingsdown Ale''
*''Moonlight''
*''Mustang Black''
*''Hoperation IPA''
*''1843 Craft Lager''
Most recently, Arkell's Kingsdown ale was named champion beer at the 2016 Taste of the West Product Awards. It's Craft 1843 Lager won SIBA's BeerX celebration of British Beer Gold Award 'Champion' Beer 2014 & SIBA Pale and Golden Lagers Gold Award South Region 2014.
See also
*
Arkell, Ontario, Canada
References
{{reflist, 2
External links
Official Arkell's Brewery WebsiteGallery of Arkell's images from Swindon Libraries
Buildings and structures in Swindon
Food and drink companies established in 1843
Companies based in Swindon
1843 establishments in England
Tower breweries
Breweries in England
British companies established in 1843