Queen Victoria was on the throne and beer cost no more than three pence per pint when Wadworth opened the Northgate Brewery in Devizes.
For 135 years the imposing red-brick building has dominated the skyline of the Wiltshire town.
But the distinctive aroma of roasting barley could soon disappear from the centre of Devizes, with the brewery announcing its intention to move to an edge of town location.
It says that the town centre site, which was opened by founder Henry A Wadworth in 1875, is reaching the end of its "useful life" and a new brewery is a necessity for it to secure its long-term future.
The company, which employs about 110 people across brewing, sales and administration in Devizes, also has an estate of approximately 200 pubs across the West and further afield.
Its most famous beer, 6X, has been brewed at the site since 1923 and it is likely that it will notch up a century at Northgate before Wadworth moves operations to the new brewery.
The family-owned firm admits it could take three to four years before it commissions a new state-of-the-art brewery.
It is understood that it aims to build a new brewery in Devizes and that its popular Shire horses will continue to pull drays through the town to supply local pubs with beer.
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Chief executive Chris Welham was appointed in 2015 and is the first non-family member to run the business.
Henry Wadworth founded the business in association with his brother-in-law John Smith Bartholomew.
The business, which had a turnover of £67million last year, remains in the hands of the Bartholomew family, with great-grandson Charles Bartholomew being non-executive chairman.
'We are best placed building a new brewery'
Mr Welham said: “We are hugely proud of our Wiltshire roots and the great beers that we provide for our customers.
“In this modern world, we need to be ever more flexible as a brewer to meet changing market demand and also ensure that we are geared up for the long-term development of the company.
“After a thorough review of our 1885 brewery and our plant and equipment, we have determined that it is coming to the end of its useful life.
“The building itself poses a number of challenges and we need our plant to be set up to be much more agile to brew beer in a variety of production sizes.
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“Wrapping all of this up has led us to the conclusion that we are best placed building a new brewery that will enable us to safeguard our brewing legacy for years to come.”
Few major brewers still operate from Victorian premises, with West competitors such as Dorset’s Hall&Woodhouse and Bath Ales being among those to have invested in modern breweries in the last few years.
The firm is likely to sell most of the site, with conversion to housing being a possible outcome.
Mr Welham added: “There remains a great deal to do, to tie things down more accurately in a host of areas in terms of location, cost and resources.
“The plans for a new brewery will take some time and we will continue to brew as normal until a new facility comes online.
“We would ideally like to have commissioned a new facility within three to four years from now. Rest assured, our future remains as a brewer and a regional pub operator.
“As a key Wiltshire employer, this is an exciting time in the development of Wadworth and the future of the business.”
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