frame, A label from a bottle of Nicholsons' Brown Ale Nicholson's was a small

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of b ...

operating from 1840 to 1960 in

Maidenhead Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England. It lies on the southwestern bank of the River Thames, which at this point forms the border with Buckinghamshire. In the 2021 Census, ...

in the English county of

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

History

The brewery was founded in 1840 by William Nicholson (1820–1916), son of successful businessman Robert Nicholson. The brewery was based in the centre of town with an extensive frontage on the

High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...

. At their peak in the 1900s, Nicholson's possessed 150 tied pubs.

Courage purchase

Nicholson's was bought out by Courage, Barclay & Simonds in 1958, and the site was closed three years later. It was demolished in 1962. The Nicholson's Centre shopping complex now stands on the site, covering the 400 ft deep

artesian well An artesian well is a well that brings groundwater to the surface without pumping because it is under pressure within a body of rock or sediment known as an aquifer. When trapped water in an aquifer is surrounded by layers of Permeability (ea ...

that provided the brewery with its water.

References

{{reflist British companies established in 1840 Companies based in Maidenhead Defunct breweries of the United Kingdom History of Berkshire Food and drink companies disestablished in 1960 1840 establishments in England 1960 disestablishments in England Food and drink companies established in 1840 Breweries in England British companies disestablished in 1960