Bygone Memories of Malton: Brewing
Brewing has been an important part of life in Malton for generations, making use of the local spring water from the hillside above Castlegate (then Low Street). Both the main breweries, Russells and Roses, met their ends with mergers and buy outs in the mid to late 20th century. Vivid memories remain of the brewery buildings on Castlegate. Russells and Roses branded items are sought after locally.
Sought after branded items
In the early 18th Century there were nine small unlicensed breweries in the area between Yorkersgate and the River Derwent. Later in the century the larger commercial breweries began business.
THE OLD BREWERY
Established 1767. First it was Walker and Dunlop, then W. Walker & Co., then John Walker & Co. who sold it in 1892 to Garbutt & Johnson of the Hovingham Brewery.
In December 1893 it became Chas. Rose & Co., and remained so until taken over by Tetley's in 1969.
Historic images of 'The Maltings'
The site is now known as The Maltings and is currently used as offices.
On 23 August 1991, the building was awarded Grade II Listed status and is described as:
Formerly known as: Nos.7-13 The Old Brewery CASTLEGATE.
Shown on OS map as The Old Brewery.
Maltings. Mid-late C19; C20 restoration. Pink and cream mottled brick in English bond, with dressings of cream brick; eaves course of orange-red moulded brick; half-hipped slate roof, with wrought-iron corner scrolls. Cast-iron lifting platform in timber housing. 3-storey 9-bay blind arcaded front of round arches on pilasters, and plinth with chamfered band. Segment-arched double board doors in centre bay. All other openings are segment-arched windows with stone sills, glazed on ground floor, open on upper floors, with diamond-lattice iron grilles. Moulded brick eaves cornice. Left return: 3-storeys; 4 arcaded bays, with similar window openings to those on main front. Border of stepped brick corbels to gable end beneath eaves cornice to roof hip. Right return: 3 storeys and attic; 3 arcaded bays. Detailing as for left return. Lifting platform with iron railings in attic, on scrolled iron brackets, in gabled housing.
The Maltings, December 2021
THE DERWENT BREWERY
Established 1771 by the Russell family. In 1823 they formed a partnership with Mr Witty, owner of the flour mill in Malton and sold both ale and flour – something they were to continue to do for many years. By 1840 it was James Russell & Son, and so it remained until 1897 when William Wrangham of the Crystal Brewery became a partner and a limited company. Russell & Wrangham was formed. It was taken over, first in 1958 by Melbourne Brewery Leeds Ltd and again in 1961 by J.W. Cameron & Co. Ltd of Hartlepool.
Historic Images of Russells
Brewing ceased in 1969 and the site was sold to make way for a supermarket. The brewery was demolished in 1984. The site is now occupied by Morrison's.
Russells site pre-demolition
It was reported that probably 400 folk in all gathered on the riverbank on a bitterly cold, windy Sunday morning in 1984 to watch the famous steeplejack Fred Dibnah execute a sucessful chimney demolition.
Demolition Day
All that remains of Russells, December 2021