The Northgate Brewery

The Northgate brewery was founded by George Knight, who was a brewer and maltster in Bridgwater with his own business from the early 1840s. By 1851, George Knight and his family were living at or close to the brewery at Northgate. Probably in North Gate House, a grand, early nineteenth century building. George’s sons Henry and George junior worked together in the family business.

The Northgate Brewery in the 1860s. The family lived in North Gate House on the right of this picture, which also served as offices.

In September 1880 a fire partially destroyed the roof of the brewery engine house (Frome Times, 15 September 1880).

In 1881, George Knight senior was still living at Northgate, although he was now retired. George Knight senior died in 1885, and his two sons Henry and George junior took over. It is thought that around this time the black horse trademark was developed (although it had initially been a stag).

The Knight brewery merged with Thomas Starkey’s company at end of 1887 and issued shares to the total value of £10,000, becoming a limited company called Starkey, Knight and Co. Limited. Soon after this Henry Knight’s younger brother George left the company and retired to Bristol, although still only in his 40s.

The Brewery site on the 1887 OS 25″ Map of Bridgwater.

The capital increase enabled the brewery at Northgate to be enlarged and updated. In 1889 a new tower brewery was constructed on the Northgate site.

For a time the brewery had its own carnival club.

  • 1895 – Starkey, Knight and Co. merged with the brewery business of T. Ford and Sons of Tiverton. The business was now called Starkey, Knight and Ford Limited, and although it continued to grow and acquire smaller businesses, this was the last change of name.
  • 1897 – Great Western Railway extended a branch line to the brewery at Northgate.
  • 1904 – Henry Knight died. His step-son Frederick Allen was already a director and secretary of the company.
Two views of the Brewery buildings taken by Douglas Allan in the 1960s. This view shows the 1890s tower building, while the earlier buildings on North Gate are shown to the right. Both Kindly supplied by the Blake Museum.
The Brewery Site in 1904, showing the railway line.
  • 1910 – Thomas Starkey, chairman, retired and handed over to Harry Banes Walker.
  • 1926 – H. Banes Walker, chairman and managing director, died. T.H. Ford appointed as chairman and MD of the Tiverton portion of the business and Frederick H. Allen, a director and company secretary, appointed MD for the Bridgwater portion.
  • 1939 – Frederick H. Allen retired on grounds of ill health.
  • 1949 – worker David Letherby, aged 50 collapsed and died while cleaning the brewery boiler (Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser, 1 October 1949)
The Brewery site seen from the north west in 1957. Note that the round chimney here is different to the square one of the 1860s picture above. Detail from Britain from Above EAW051174
1960s advert for the firm.
  • 1960 – an explosion is caused in one of the offices when Thomas Vickery was laying plastic floor tiles. Vapour from the bitumen adhesive was ignited by the fireplace in the room (Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser, 13 February 1960)
  • 1962 – Starkey Knight and Ford is taken over by Whitbread. At the time SK&F had 432 pubs. During the merger staff were told they had nothing to fear for in terms of their jobs. However, the following year they proposed closing the Northgate Brewery in favour of their Tiverton brewery (Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser, 27 October 1962, 13 July 1963).
  • 1964 – The Northgate Brewery closes down.
  • 1966 – the site of the brewery, along with the adjoining field and allotments, were earmarked for purchase by the council. However, the brewery company proposed housing and warehousing in the next year, before the council’s purchase was approved. In the end the council won and demolition was arranged (Western Daily Press, 5 October 1966; 1 March 1967; 21 June 1967).
  • 1968 – in February the 90 foot tall brewery chimney was demolished, along with North Gate House and the remaining buildings, to make way for a council depot and civic centre (Western Daily Press, 19 February 1968).
The Brewery being demolished in 1968. Kindly supplied by the Blake Museum.

In 2021 the site of the former brewery was cleared ahead of the ‘North Gate Yard’ development. A feature of the old buildings was uncovered.

Pictures kindly supplied by Brian Smedley.
Location of the remains as seen from the Angel Place Shopping Centre. The remains appear to have been a cellar from the tall 1890s building.

Adapted from notes by Clare Spicer and Jill Trethewey for their biographies on the Knight and Allen families, which can be read on the website of the Friends of the Wembdon Road Cemetery.

Also see The Journal of the Brewery History Society by Local brewery historian David Williams