Former Island Green Brewery including Former Malthouse

Former Island Green Brewery including Former Malthouse

This is a former brewery complex built on a double courtyard plan. The maltings form the southern range of the outer courtyard, with the main brewery buildings occupying the western and northern ranges. A stable block closes the site to the west. All buildings are constructed of red brick with some stone dressings and slate roofs, though much of the slate has been removed. Most windows feature camber heads with brick voussoirs and stone keys, and the buildings are finished with dentilled eaves bands.

The maltings comprise two kilns to the east, each square in plan with distinctive swept pyramidal roofs ornamented with bands of scalloped slates. A lean-to against the east wall forms a passageway, and a wide doorway has been inserted in the north wall. Attached to the west is a three-storey, five-window range, the upper storey of which has partially collapsed. The windows, apparently originally four-pane sashes, have segmentally arched heads with stone keys and stone sills. A central doorway has been inserted, and there is a possible original loading door in the upper storey towards the left. The building sits on a rusticated stone plinth. The gable end facing the stable block to the west, beyond the archway, displays two blocked round-headed windows on each floor. The internal structure is supported by lateral timber beams, some encased in iron, carried on two rows of cast-iron columns manufactured by Eagle Foundry, Wrexham, with a king-post roof. Low floor heights and internal shutters to the windows suggest the building was originally used in the germination process.

At the northwest corner, a segmental brick arch carried on moulded stone brackets gives access to the rear courtyard and links this range with the brewery buildings. A segmentally headed window occupies the upper storey above the arch.

The brewery buildings mainly comprise a brewing tower to the north and a loading area to the south. The four-storeyed square tower has extensively patched brickwork, dentilled eaves, and a louvred roof. Two windows with double-ring segmental brick heads appear on each upper storey, though these are now blocked and may be later insertions. Remains of a chimney survive against the north wall, and a secondary block is attached to the north side, featuring a louvred roof and short chimney against the rear wall, possibly as an extension to the brewing area. Attached to the south is a two-storey, four-window range with an infilled arcade to the lower storey, indicating its use as a loading area. The floor level has been raised to form a platform. The arcade consists of four segmental arches with stone capitals, and a modern hooded loading bay has been inserted at the second arch. Above are camber-headed four-pane sash openings, now blocked except to the right. Parallel to the rear is a two-storey range with cellar and three windows dating from around 1890, featuring double-ring brick segmentally-arched heads. Various lean-to additions occupy the west side, apparently housing power equipment. A short range to the rear of the brewing tower, also dating from around 1890, has a pyramidal roof, and a single-storey building with roof louvres stands nearby. A range to the east of the brewing tower, in the front courtyard, has been rebuilt around 1900 and is single-storeyed over high cellars with a large central gabled dormer.

The stable block is a two-storey, five-window range situated in the rear courtyard with stone coped gables, stone sills, and segmentally arched ground-floor openings consistent with those elsewhere in the complex. It stands on a rusticated stone plinth. A wide central entrance with stone quoins is flanked by windows on each side, one of which has been replaced by an inserted doorway. Outer doorways are also flanked by windows. An entrance to the hayloft occupies the left side, and one original window remains at the centre; other openings have been renewed. At the extreme left end, probably added around 1890, is a lower range with a louvred roof terminating in a two-storey square block with pyramidal roof and apex finial. The structure features a king-post roof.

The complex was disused and in poor condition at the time of inspection.