Donnington Brewery facts for kids
The Donnington Brewery is a small place where beer is made. It is located near the village of Donnington, close to Stow-on-the-Wold in Gloucestershire, England. It's known for making traditional beers in the beautiful Cotswolds area.
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A Look Inside the Brewery
About ten people work at Donnington Brewery. They use one lorry (a large truck) and a van to deliver their beer. In winter, they deliver about 2,000 gallons of beer each week. This amount goes up to 3,500 gallons in the summer!
What Kinds of Beer Do They Make?
Donnington Brewery makes two main types of beer that are served from taps, called "draught beers." These are named SBA and BB. They used to make another beer called Mild XXX, but they stopped a few years ago.
They also make three kinds of bottled beers: Light, Brown, and Double D. These bottled beers are special because they are "non-pasteurised." This means they are not heated to kill germs, so they keep changing and developing their flavour in the bottle for up to five weeks.
Where Can You Find Their Beer?
Donnington Brewery sells its beers through 18 "tied pubs" around the Cotswolds. A "tied pub" is a pub that is owned by the brewery, so it mainly sells that brewery's drinks.
They used to own two more pubs. One, called The Merry Mouth, is still open but is no longer owned by Donnington. The other, The Bell in Winchcombe, was sold and turned into houses.
The Brewery's Long History
The Donnington Brewery has a very long and interesting history.
When It All Started
A man named Thomas Arkell began brewing beer at this exact spot in 1865. Later, his relative, Claude Arkell, ran the brewery until he passed away in 2007. After Claude, his cousins, Peter and James from Arkell's Brewery, took over the business.
The Old Building
The brewery building itself is very old and special. It is made from "cotswold stone," which is a type of stone found in the Cotswolds. The building has a large "overshot waterwheel" attached to it. This waterwheel is powered by the water from the River Dikler.
The building is so important that it is a "Grade II listed building." This means it's officially recognized for its special historical or architectural value and is protected.
From Mill to Brewery
The first record of a mill (a building that uses water power to grind grain) on this site was way back in 1291. This original mill was used for grinding corn. By the 1500s, it was changed into a cloth mill, where fabric was made. The building was rebuilt around 1580. The buildings you see today were mostly built in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
The Donnington Way
There's a fun challenge called a "Donnington run." This means trying to visit all 15 of the Donnington pubs in one evening! There's even a special walking path called the "Donnington Way" that connects all these 15 pubs, making it easier for people to visit them.
