A photograph of the Castle Brewery, seen from the brewery yard looking west towards Bridge Road. The brewery was opened in 1858 by WK. & J. Kirk and closed c1930 although it was not demolished until 1969. The site was later part of the Swallow Hotel.
Can anyone remember that next to the Labour Exchange in Bridge Road, and between it and Victoria Bridge there was some partly hidden undergound arches which circa 1960 Camerons Brewery used to store huge stocks of beer and wine in? These arches were under the Victoria Bridge road supports and access to them was through some green painted wood doors facing Bridge Road. At the side of these arches was a small parcel of land which adjoined the River Tees.
My brother Tom Wilson worked for Cameron’s Brewery then was a storeman, and with him being partial to a pint or two you could say it was a ‘providential appointment in a way for him’. I know if some enterprising person was to dredge the river at this point, facing the old flour mills, this person will find hundreds of beer bottles to take back to the shops to claim the threepence (3d) refund on. I have my own suspicions who may have emptied the contents, but it might be best to keep it to ourselves, Tom died 2 years ago taking his little secret with him to the grave.
The louvred windows to the first floor suggest that this may have been the germination room, where the water soaked grain was left to germinate for several days before being used in the brewing process.