'Barley to Beer'  -  Advance notice!

This exhibition will explore malting and brewing in Wallingford, as well as the history of its many pubs. 

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‘Barley to Beer, the Story of Malting, Brewing and Pubs in Wallingford’
The countryside around Wallingford has always been suitable for the growing of barley and
since early times the barley has been malted and used for the brewing of beer.
The production of malt has been a major trade in the town since at least the 17th century.
Brewing developed as a Wallingford industry at about the same time, reaching its heyday in
the 19th century when Edward Wells' brewery was particularly well known for its stout beer.
The business became Wallingford Brewery Limited in 1896 with the name continuing until
around 1960, although brewing in Wallingford ceased in 1928.
Associated with brewing was, of course, drinking. The retail outlet was the inn, beer house or
public house. More than 50 pubs are known to have existed in the town - many at the same
time in the 19th century. Approaches to regulating beer drinking have ranged from who can
sell it and where they can sell it to limiting the times people can drink it in public places.
Sometimes these regulations arose in response to groups, such as the 19th century
Temperance Movement, who campaigned against alcohol which led to the closure of many
pubs in the early part of the 20th century. Wallingford Brewery even produced in 1908 a
‘Temperance drink’ called Footer, a precursor to today’s move towards low/zero alcoholic
drinks.
This exhibition tells the story of malting, brewing and drinking in Wallingford through the
centuries using the results of recent research.

 

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