Book Review - Devon Country Town Breweries and Public Houses – Tavistock 1752 – 2020

Hot on the bookshelves of Tavistock, this is a must-buy publication for those who love pubs and the breweries which brewed the beers for them, starting in 1752 to the present day. Why start from 1752 – it is simply the date of John Wynne’s Field Book to the plan of Tavistock of 1751 and 1752.

It is jointly published by the Tavistock Heritage Trust and the Tavistock Local History Society, both Registered Charities, and compiled by Alex Mettler.

It is packed full of information on 548 pages about the history of brewing beer, the town and parish of Tavistock, plus chapters detailing the common brewers and a very extensive chapter on all known alehouses, coaching inns and public houses within the parish. For those who wish to abstain from alcohol, there is even a chapter detailing all the known Temperance Hotels of the town in the nineteenth century!

There are very many photographs, both black and white and in colour, plus reproduced newspaper advertisements for inns, hotels and breweries, town plans and Sale Notices of various premises.

Discover how many known breweries have been operating in the town, find out who owned them, and when; find out how much they were sold for when they changed hands. Discover who owned the land they were built on and how much rent innkeepers paid. Discover which brewery was started by a grocer, and whether any had a joint venture with a bank. Find out everything there is to know about the Bedford Brewery, Brook Street Brewery, Gill & Rundle, Hilton & Son, Johnstone & Soltau, White & Skinner and the Tavistock Brewery, and others. And don’t forget about the Bere Brewery, Dartmoor Brewery, Morwell Brewery and Stannary breweries of today.

It chronicles the trials and tribulations of brewing beer for just the one inn, to the mass production of today, including the competition of brewers from Cornwall, Devonport, Plymouth and Stonehouse, the effects of the Temperance Movement lobby and from the sometimes-unwelcome involvement of the local magistrates and the Dukes of Bedford.

The Pubs chapter details over 80 known public houses (as we know them today) in the town and parish of Tavistock. When I say public houses, I also mean licensed hotels. Did you know that there were up to 33 licensed public houses or inns at one time – compare that to today? Find out when they were trading as such, for how long, who were the innkeepers/licensees, who owned the building (and land they stood on), how much rent they paid and much, much more. There are a few where all that is known is the name, such as the Duke of Wellington and the Seven Stars.

Are there any former public houses still in use today as an ordinary house or as a shop of some description? Which former hotel is now trading as a fast-food establishment? Which of today’s pubs have been trading as a pub for over a hundred years?

For those interested in facts and figures, there is a record of tariffs for the Bedford Hotel over the years: in 1916, a double room was 8/6d (8 shillings and sixpence), but visitors servants board was 5/- ! By 1955, this had increased to between 21/- and 22/6d, and then to £25.00 by 1988. Also included are the census returns of all those involved in brewing beer from 1841 to 1911 – is there a relative of yours listed?

An extensive chapter gives an insight into the rise of the Temperance movement lobby in the early 1830’s and details the rise of the Mechanics Library and Institute from 1836. The Temperance movement abstained from alcohol consumption. The library was well stocked with many books donated by the Duke of Bedford, and opened in May 1838. It was decided that “A Temperance coffee shop would be a better associate of the Mechanics Library than a drinking room of any description”. And what would they say now that one of them has been serving alcoholic drinks since 1981?

This is a truly remarkable book of reference showcasing a remarkable period of social history in Tavistock and will have something for everyone.

Book Reviewer Ian (Dickie) Dickinson, Plymouth CAMRA

The book is available at the Tavistock Guildhall Visitor Information Centre (gro.llahdliugkcotsivat@seiriuqne), Book Stop in Tavistock (moc.liamg@kcotsivatpotskoob), Tavistock Heritage Trust Tavistock Heritage and Tavistock Local History Society (ku.oc.yrotsihkcotsivat@yraterces) . Softback £24.99, Hardback £34.99 plus p/p £5.50.