Spalding Gentlemen’s Society shares the story of the former brewery on Cowbit Road

In the latest ‘What’s The Story?’ column, Spalding Gentlemen’s Society explores the fascinating story of a former town brewery…

It seems as though almost every area has its own micro-brewery these days, with enthusiasts busy concocting craft beers in pursuit of a taste of real ale like it used to be.

Go back more than 200 years, and Spalding had its own thriving brewery on Cowbit Road.

The brewery has been demolished and housing now occupies the site. Only the brewery house, Westbourne House, survives. But beer brewing began there in about 1809.

It began with a partnership between Spalding businessman Henry Bugg and the aptly-named Thomas Brewerton, of Market Deeping, trading as brewers and liquor merchants. That partnership ended in 1804.

Bugg continued as a sole trader and opened the brewery on Cowbit Road in 1809. Over the next 80 years Bugg’s became the predominant brewery in town, with management passing through the hands of several family members. With interests in banking as well as brewing the family moved into the elegant Georgian residence which fronted the brewery.

Joseph Bugg, grandson of the founder, took over in 1872. He changed the family name in 1877 to Burg.

Joseph died in 1887, possibly from meningitis, and shortly after his death Soames and Co became the brewery’s new owner.

Stephen Soames was a London barrister and his son Francis was installed as the new owner and manager of the Spalding brewery and began buying up licensed premises in the Spalding area, including the Victoria Brewery, Spalding, Albion Brewery, Sleaford, and a brewery at Market Deeping.

Francis died in 1903 after a hunting accident when he was thrown from his horse.

Soames and Company Limited was formed in 1909 with Francis’ relative Captain Robert Soames as chairman. Robert was then 71, so fellow director Hugh Peacock played a more active role.

Hugh Peacock died in 1916, leaving Robert Soames to run the business, who was then nearly 80. Charles MacLeod was taken on to run the business.He owned a brewery in Manning Road, Bourne, which he named Bonnie Brewery as a reference to his Scottish ancestry.

After the war Soames stood by a promise to re-employ any who had left for war service and was proud of those employees who had served with distinction, paying a gratuity to one who was awarded the Military Medal.

Spalding solicitor Leopold Harvey became company secretary.

Soames was now developing brand awareness and had a distinctive pub sign with branded colouring designed. Beer brands were developed too - Strong Ale and Bonnie Ale.

Soames continued to expand, taking over pubs including, in 1921 the quirkily-named Plank, Hook and Shovel at Holbeach Bank.

Soames pubs were quite widespread through Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire. Many have now gone - the Bull Inn, Crowland, the Cleaver, Moulton, Crown and Woolpack at Gedney Dyke, Fishermans Arms at Pode Hole, the Robin Hood on Bourne Road, Spalding, the Steam Whistle at Fleet among them.

In 1924 Soames bought Horry’s Rout Green Brewery in Boston. Business boomed through the 1920s with dividends reaching 35 percent in 1928.

Soames then diversified into the expanding mineral water business, buying Lee and Green Ltd, of Sleaford.

Many staff were loyal to Soames. Assistant brewer Henry Thompson retired in 1927 at the age of 74 having worked for the company for nearly 38 years. He was given a gratuity of £100 and a £3 a week pension. He lived to 92.

By 1930 Soames had more than 200 houses.

With all board members now quite elderly Soames was sold to Steward and Patteson in 1949. Soames’ major shareholders did very well, earning millions at today’s prices from the deal. The initials S&P are built into the yard gates, which can still be seen next to Westbourne House.

The acquisition of Soames’ 240 pubs meant Steward and Patteson now had an estate of about 870 pubs. Steward and Patteson was bought by Watney Mann in 1963. Watneys closed the Spalding depot on the site of the former brewery in 1967. The last of the brewery buildings were demolished in the 1980s and is now the site of the housing estate Westbourne Grove.

Thanks for help from the Brewery History Society in producing this article.