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| Monument Name |
Grays Brewery |
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| SMR Number |
15047 |
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| Summary |
C18/C19 urban brewery and maltings, now converted into retail outlets. |
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| Media |
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| Associated Media |
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| Description |
Converted complex of brick built buildings includes two former malthouses. East building is of four storeys, six bays and is of yellow stock brick with pilasters. It has a Welsh slate roof, the walls are held by wrought iron ties and a kiln with a pyramidal roof stands to the South. There are two weatherboarded locums on W wall and gabled wings to North and South. On West end of South gable is a stone with the date 1801 and a carved phoenix. Internally the original floor levels have been lost and large windows inserted at ground level. West building constructed in a similar manner. The building is brick built and is of pier and panel construction. It is three storeys, has a clay tile roof and walls are held together by wrought iron ties; East wall has characteristic small windows and squat kiln to North. Building has also been converted. Other structures include various stores and former public houses. <1> Internal photographs. <2>
This is the site of the brewery run by the Gray family for almost 150 years from its founding in 1828 by Charles Stanton Gray to its sale in 1974 to cover family death duties. It was built alongside and partly upon the site of the Black Boy Inn and brewery. The brewery is a complex of a number of component parts built in a U-shape around a yard open to the south of the site onto Springfield Road and most of which remain and are identifiable from outside:
1.Malthouse- three storeys of yellow stock and red brick under a clay tiled roof. Taking-in door and hoist in-situ on south gable (Springfield Road) and pyramid kiln at north end
2.Malthouse- four storey, six bay structure of yellow stock brick under a slate roof with pilasters, weather-boarded lucam giving onto the yard and kiln at south end adjacent to the office.
(Both malthouses have been recorded by Essex CC in the malthouse survey of 1995, EHCR No 15047)
3.Malt Store- four storeys of yellow stock brick under a slate roof, with taking-in doors at 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor levels
4.Brewhouse- four storeys of yellow stock brick under a slate roof, with taking-in door at apex of west gable
5.Bottling plant- four storeys of yellow stock brick under a slate roof, with taking-in door at apex of west gable
6.Office- two storeys of yellow stock brick under clay tiled roof. Circular plaque with a Phoenix and date ‘1801’ on east gable
All structures have circular wrought iron tie-plates. Steam power was installed in 1860 to operate two well water pumps, the malt mill, mash tun rakes, beer pumps, bottle washers and a boiler force pump. There was also a gas engine used on site.
The site is now in use as retail outlets for a number of high street stores and although much of the external integrity of the structures has been retained, internally they have been converted for current use. Booker in 1970 described a wide range of equipment, technology and construction features of all the buildings, most of which have been lost. <3>. |
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| Monument Type(s) |
BREWERY (Dated 1828AD to 1828AD)
MALTINGS (Dated 1750AD to 1850AD)
BUILDING
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| Monument Class(es) |
BRICK
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Period
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1828AD to 1828AD Post Medieval
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| Status |
Listed Building (EH) |
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| Administration Area |
CHELMSFORD, CHELMSFORD, ESSEX |
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National Grid Reference
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Square: TL70NW
Ref: 710066 |
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| Finds |
None listed
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| Events |
Malthouses in Essex
Essex Breweries
Survey of the Brewery Heritage of Essex by Tony Crosby
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Sources
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Photograph : Grays Brewery Photo ref 1.6 and 1.7 (ECC) Dated : 1982
RECORD SHEET/FORM : AIA Index Record for Grays Brewery, Springfield Road, Chelmsford (Gould, Shane) EX/AAG/SG53 Dated : 1995
Desc Text : Essex Breweries (Crosby, Tony) Dated : 2002
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