The Brew House

The following building shall be added to the list:

ROMSEY STATION ROAD SU 3521 (north side, off)

3/253 The Brew House

• II

Malthouse, etc 1899 datestone, but parts may be earlier. Red brick, with Welsh slated roofs, some upper portions with sheet lead cladding. Mostly 3- and 4-storey: complex plan. Main east elevation of total 19 bays. Bays 1 to 3 project in 2- storey form with hipped lean-to roof, and behind is a 4-storey tower with hipped roof; a variety of metal and timber casement windows: the next 10 bays in 2-storey form with brick pilasters between bays, with large roof sweep to tower eaves height, having window or door units to each bay both levels, with added late C20 porch to southernmost bay; hipped dormer windows at high level over bays 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 - this last larger than the others; to bay 9 an unloading doorway in flat roofed dormer just above eaves level: next 3 bays northwards occupied by malthouse oast towers, with windows to ground, first and fourth floor levels (window to centre first floor bay now blocked); steeply sloping truncated pyramidal roofs, slated with metal ventilator terminals - a similar tower on west side of building, and between towers a fifth-storey unit with lead sheet-clad sides and hipped slated roof: final 3 bays a plain 4-storey unit, eaves level with oast towers, with hipped slated roof and random fenestration and with external metal staircase with part canopy to doorway, first floor bay 1. West elevation of similar character, but on south-west corner a tower which would seem to be earlier than 1899. Interior has cased metal framework (more probably steel than cast-iron - none visible) and an inserted floor and partitioning to the 10-bay block to form late C20 office suite; large open roof space with galleried walkway through the massive timber trusses. The oast towers virtually intact, with the barley floors still intact, together with much related equipment in situ. The Horsefair, the site of this brewery, had a well established brewery by 1778, when its owner was Mayor of Romsey; leased by Thomas Strong in 1858 and purchased by him in 1883, the successor firm Strongs of Romsey became an important brewer and one of town's principal industries. Strongs were absorbed by Whitbread in 1969; brewing here ceased and the site to be vacated in 1989. The building is one of the principal landmarks of the town, vying for prominence with Romsey Abbey from all viewpoints.

Listing NGR: SU3537221372