Beer is set to be made again at an historic Nottinghamshire brewery 16 years after production was moved from the site.
New owners have come in at the former Mansfield Brewery building, which has a 150-year history of brewing, and it is hoped production will begin again within the next few weeks.
The site has been taken on by Phil Scotney and David Vann and they have invested £150,000 in the business, which will be renamed Prior's Well.
The brewery was best known for its Mansfield bitter, the production of which was moved to Wolverhampton in the early 2000s.
Phil said: “I have lived here all my life so the area is very important to me. I went to school at King Edward’s Primary School just across the road so I know it well and any micro-brewery that could use this space would be happy.
Phil said he believes the business’ historic location will add “authenticity” to its real ale cask-conditioned beers and encourage people to visit.
He said he could not "resist the challenge" when he found out the building was available.
The move to Prior's Well marks an expansion in Phil and David's three-year-old brewing business, and they have moved from a small tasting bar in Old Mill Industrial Estate in Mansfield Woodhouse.
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Phil's brother, Steve Scotney, runs the office and admin side of the business. He said: “The beer takes a week and a day to make one brew.
"It sits in the fermentation tank for most of this time and then it's put into barrels for two weeks before it can be moved on.”
Phil added: “We do a selection of different tasting beers, including hoppy, fruity, zesty and dark malt.”
The beer will be sold in local, small retail outlets in Mansfield and eventually micro-pubs across the county.
David, 66, who is the head brewer as well as one of the owners, said: “I’m in charge of the brewing process and I chose to brew instead of retiring at the moment. It's a lovely and wonderful thing to do and I’d say we're about two or three weeks away from our first brew.
“It will be great to get back to brewing in a historical building. It will all generate interest and once we start brewing it will really help the business.
“I worked at the original brewery as well, but it’s a nicer environment this time and the building is a much more convenient place with the modifications we've made.”
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The new owners have installed a café and bar on the bottom floor, where you can see the beer being made.
Dave added: “It's great to have brought brewing in Mansfield alive again and I'm sure there was no brewery in the town centre until we moved in here.”
The brewery also has many features that keep in with its traditional industrial look, such as metal handmade tables and stools and a detailed display in the café that shows the beer-brewing process.
Once operations are up and running, the brewery expects to produce around 3,000 litres of beer a week.
Steve said: “It’s important to use the space for that purpose and bring it back to life. It stands out in the town and has lots of brilliant character too.
“We’re a significantly smaller operation than before when thousands and thousands of barrels were brewed a week. We won’t be anything like that."
The site also features many historical features such as the old brewery equipment and a sign near the beer garden.
The well-known Mansfield Brewery Company started making beer at the Mansfield site in 1855 and was also a major local employer in the town.
The bar also has a wooden finish made from reclaimed planks from the old John Player & Sons Factory in Lenton, .
Prior’s Well also has ambitious plans for the future.