More about Tirril....
If you take the A6 south from the A66 at Penrith and then turn towards Pooley Bridge you will come to Tirril and the Queen's Head Inn: the
original location of the Tirril brewery, now a Robinson's pub without a brewery.
It was set up in 1999 in the Queen's Head, exactly one century since the
last Tirril brewery (J Siddle's) closed in September 1899, after being bought out by Glasson's of Penrith. Glasson's was subsequently bought
out by Matthew Brown's, which as we all know was then taken over and closed down by Scottish & Newcastle.
There had also been a brewery at the Queen's Head so it was fitting that in 1999 Chris Tomlinson the owner and licensee decided to brew in
the pub instead of buying in ScotCo beers. Second hand equipment was squeezed into what had been a toilet area, and Chris took brewing advice
from John Lloyd at Barngates and Martin Stafford at Dent Brewery. The first beer was a single best bitter (John Bewsher's Best).
The small brewing capacity of 2 barrels per week meant that there has been little beer to spare after keeping the pub and beer festivals supplied
(on one occasion the pub ran out of
Charles Gough's Old Faithful because Chris had supplied a cask to CAMRA's Great British Beer Festival). As it was not possible to expand
within the pub, a listed building, Chris started to search for suitable premises – not an easy task during 2001 in an area which saw
one of the first Foot and Mouth outbreaks in Cumbria.
Two miles away off the A6 the ruined Brougham Castle, founded by Hugh de Morville around 1160, stands on the site of a Roman station, Brovacum;
the Hall was built in the castle grounds in early Victorian times. By accident or serendipity Chris's mother went along to ask about some
converted outbuildings; it so happened that the charitable trust which is restoring Brougham Hall was looking for crafts that were previously
practised there. It is the largest such project in the country.
A section of the Hall was rebuilt to house a new ten barrel brewplant and fermenting room. By amazing coincidence, later inspection of the
drawings by Gothic renaissance architect Cottingham showed that the rooms were the original 1823 brewery and bakery. A corner of the brewing
room retained the original fireplace and section of the water boiler. The brewery was accessed by a stone bridge – possibly making it unique.
The original plant was sold to the Loweswater brewery and brewing continued at Brougham for several years then, with demand continuing to increase,
Chris sold the Queens Head, purchased the New Inn at Brampton and in 2007 relocated the brewing operation to a converted barn at the
rear of his home in Long Marton. Again new and yet larger capacity plant was installed, with that at Brougham being sold to the Whitehaven
brewery
The original beers were named with Tirril connections: John Bewsher was the Licensee of the Queens Head some one hundred and seventy five
years ago; Charles Gough was unfortunate enough to have been blown off Striding Edge on Helvellyn two hundred years ago. It is reputed that
his faithful dog stayed beside his body for nearly three months before being found still alive. Mr Gough's remains, identified by the initials
in his hat band, are buried in the village; Thomas Slee was the Principal of a well known local Mathematical Academy in the early 1800s. A
date stone of 1823 at Brougham provided a further name.
Distribution tends to be confined to some 50 outlets in Cumbria and North Lancashire plus a few beer festivals most deliveries being made
directly from the brewery.
Regular Beers
John Bewsher's Best Bitter (OG 1038?5, ABV 3?8%)
A lightly-hopped, golden brown session beer.
Brougham Ale (OG 1039, ABV 3?9%)
A gently hopped, amber bitter.
Charles Gough?s Old Faithful (OG 1040, ABV 4%)
Pale gold, aromatic and well hopped.
1823 (OG 1041, ABV 4?1%)
A full-bodied session bitter with a gentle bitterness.
Thomas Slee?s Academy Ale (OG 1041?4, ABV 4?2%)
A dark, full-bodied, traditional rich and malty ale.
Red Barn Ale (ABV 4?4%)
A Ruby red bitter
Seasonal Beers
Graduate (ABV 4?6%)
Brewed during December
Balls Up (ABV 3?9%)
Brewed in Summer
TIRRIL BREWERY LTD.
Red House Barn, Long Marton, Appleby-in-Westmorland, CA16 6BN
Tel: 017683 61846
Email: enquiries@tirrilbrewery.co.uk
Website: www.tirrilbrewery.co.uk
Brewer: Chris Tomlinson
Capacity: 20 BBL
Compiled from information by Ros Berry and Alan Risdon