Newcastle, Leazes Brewery

HER Number:
4009

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
Newcastle, Leazes Brewery

Place:
Newcastle

Map Sheet:
NZ26NW

Class:
Industrial

Site Type: Broad:
Brewing and Malting Site

Site Type: Specific:
Brewery

General Period:
Early Modern

Specific Period:
C19

Form of Evidence:
Extant Building

Description:
Leazes Brewery. Established in 1837 by Christian Bruce Reid, who lived in Leazes House, which stood within the grounds of the brewery alongside offices, stables and a cooperage. Water from nearby Pandon Burn was used in the production of Newcastle Mild Ales. C.B. Reid retired in 1879 and his eldest son W.B. Reid & Co took over. In 1891 a public company, W.B.. Reid & Co. Ltd was formed to acquire the wine and spirits firm once owned by the Tyne Brewery Co. and William Younger & Co. The new company went on to own 61 pubs and lease another 82. W.B. Reid had offices and cellarge on the corner of High Bridge and No. 53 Grey Street until 1923. W.B Reid & Co. were taken over by William Youngers Ltd in 1955. Much of the property is now used by Newcastle University. Leazes House (or Transport House) is listed grade 2. It was built around 1782 as a dwelling-house associated with a water-powered snuff mill which was built on the Pandon Burn around the same date to a design by John Smeaton, designer of wind and water-powered industrial machinery and buildings. There was a fire at the snuff mill, which was owned by William Smith then Matthew Harrison, in 1788. The tobacco and snuff manufactory was rebuilt by 1801. In 1837 Christian Bruce Reid established Leazes Brewery on the site and he made Leazes House his home. The brewery remained in operation until 1968 when the premises became the Jones Marine Engineering Laboratories of Newcastle University. Planning permission has been granted for a new four storey office and lab building. An archaeological desk based assessment has been produced by Northern Counties Archaeological Services and Spence and Dower. Leazes House and the former brewery buildings have been recorded. In April 2008 an archaeological excavation was undertaken by Archaeological Research Services Ltd. The fieldwork recorded the substantial sandstone remains of Smeaton’s snuff mill, the waterwheel pit and millrace. The wall was sealed with well-packed clay to make it water-tight. Walls and culverts of early brewery buildings were are recorded, along with a large brick-lined well. Corks and glass beer bottles were recovered from the in-filled millrace which had been diverted through a barrel-vaulted conduit and abundant hops seeds from the malting process. The results of the archaeological work will be published in Industrial Archaeology Review.

Easting:
2416

Northing:
6540

Grid Reference:
NZ24166540

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 4009 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey Map, 1864, 6 inch scale, Northumberland, 97; O. Taylor, 1993, Bygone Spital Tongues; Brian Bennison, 1995, Brewers and Bottlers of Newcastle upon Tyne From 1850 to the present day, p 49-50; Northern Counties Archaeological Services, 2008, The Old Brewery/Transport House, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Archaeological Assessment and Historic Buildings Recording; Northern Counties Archaeological Services, 2008, Former Brewery Buildings at Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Archaeological Assessment and Historic Buildings Recording; North of England Civic Trust, February 2009, Spital Tongues, Newcastle upon Tyne - Suggested Conservation Area Scoping Study, Draft Report, p 11; Baglee, C. & Nolan, J., 2009, John Smeaton's Snuff Mill, Newcastle upon Tyne: Building Recording and Excavations on the Site of the Former Leazes Brewery in Industrial Archaeology Review, XXXI:2, 2009; Archaeological Research Services Ltd., 2008, Medical Sciences Building - Evaluation