Report - Hardy and Hansons Brewery - Kimberley - March 2012

[Derphouse]

Another oldie but goody, visited here back in March. A site that we definitely should have done sooner, but for some reason had kept putting on a back burner! its been covered alot for a before , but seems to have lay quiet for a while so i thought i'd post it up!

Here's the history:

The Kimberley Brewery was established and operated by the brewer Hardys & Hansons, and has a heritage dating from 1832. It was the oldest independent brewery in Nottinghamshire.
Brewery's Bridge across Hardy Street between two sections of the site
Samuel Robinson opened the first commercial brewery in Kimberley, Nottinghamshire, England in a rented bake-house using water from the Alley Spring in what is now called Hardy Street.
Stephen Hanson meanwhile built Hansons Limited on Brewery Street in 1847, also using water from the Alley Spring.
William & Thomas Hardy were successful beer merchants from Heanor who bought Samuel Robinsons brewery in 1857. The current brewery is largely based on the buildings erected by them in 1861 when they moved out of the old bake-house.
Also in 1861, Stephen Hanson died and the business was carried on by his wife Mary and son Robert Hanson.There was much friendly rivalry between the two brewing companies who proceeded to buy pubs throughout the area to supply with their own ales.
Both breweries began to run short of water. By agreement the water from the local Holly Well spring was shared between them. Having been attracted by the supply of excellent brewing water from the Holly Well, both breweries thrived independently until 1930, when under increasing pressure from larger brewing companies and lack of male successors to the Hardy's Brewery, the two companies combined.
In 2006, The Hardys & Hansons Kimberley Brewery and all of its public houses were sold in a multi-million pound deal to Greene King brewery, who decided to end the brewing tradition in Kimberley in "a cost effective move" and will sell the Kimberley site, moving its distribution centre to Eastwood. Brewing will switch to the main Greene King site at Bury St Edmunds.

Its a really good site! still alot of interesting features, we managed to goo on a bright day with good light, and it was really an enjoyable explore, even with all the pigeon shit! (never seen so much in one place in all my explores)
did go down in the basement, but didnt go looking for the well or spring unfortuantely!

Here's some pictures

Cheers!

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