BEVOIS MOUNT BREWERY
89 Lodge Road (on the corner of Lodge Road and Cedar Road)
Aka Mount brewery, Bevois Tavern
Brewing started Circa 1878
Brewing ceased Circa 1885
This brewery operated from the Bevois Tavern at 89 Lodge Road. This is not to be confused with the Bevois Castle, at 3 Bevois Street, which also brewed, nor with the Mount Hotel at 67 Bevois Valley Road (which did not brew, as far as I know). Having said that, I myself have been confused as newspapers sometimes refer to landlords of the ‘Bevois Castle Tavern’ Bevois Road, and those references I have taken as meaning the Bevois Castle Hotel, rather than the Bevois Tavern! To make matters worse, Lodge Road was previously known as ‘Bevois Road’. The eagle eyed reader may wish to compare this page with the Bevois Castle brewery page and point out any glaring errors.
The 1870 map of Southampton does not show any buildings on this junction, and refers to Bevois Road. Tony Gallagher in his book ‘Southampton’s Inns and Taverns’ states that the beerhouse does appear on the 1878 drink map, so although I do not know when brewing started here, it was probably just prior to 1878.
Newspapers of July 1880, advertise the disposal of a “small brewery with retail off licence doing a good and profitable ready money trade in connection with grocery”. Disposal was “solely in consequence of age, the owner is unable to continue it.” There was scope to add the wine, spirit, and bottled beer trade, as there was no similar establishment nearby. The disposal included plant, casks, fixtures and fittings and goodwill all at valuation. It was said that “Parties with about £500 meaning business, enclose trade card and stamp, or call personally, at Mount Brewery, Lodge Road, Southampton. A Lease will be granted at a very moderate rent or the premises may be purchased.”
Two years later in newspapers of 21st October 1882, there is a further advert for disposal of a small brewery with off licence and grocery business due to “advanced age and long illness of owner” No premium required. Apply to C Dyer Lodge Road Bevois Mount. Charles Dyer is referred to elsewhere this year, and he appears in the 1884 Southampton directory, as ‘Chas Dyer Grocer & brewer Lodge Road Bevois Mount Brewery Lodge Road’. This may well have been the same Charles Dyer who was previously at Heathfield rewery (see the Heathfield brewery page).
There was clearly a lack of interest in these adverts as in November 1884, there was a short notice of sale of the well-built freehold brewery and grocery premises known as the Bevois Mount Brewery in Lodge Road Southampton, a dwellinghouse with 3 bedrooms etc., a grocers shop with good cellarage, newly built store room and yard. There was a side entrance leading to the unique 2 quarter brewery, (a brew of about 280 gallons a time) with an option to take brewery and shop plant and fittings at valuation. The sale was by Charles Dyer. The whole of the excellent grocery and brewery stock was to be sold at an early date. Having failed to sell at auction, on 29th November it was announced that he was open for private offers for the trade and plant.
Perhaps Charles retired from brewing and retained the grocers and off sales, as in newspapers of 11th February 1885, there is reference to a claim by George Watson of the Phoenix Brewery for the return of barrels from C Dyer, who was described as a retired brewer formerly of Lodge Road Bevois Mount. I have two reasons for suggesting that he sold the brewery, or granted a lease of that part of the premises to someone who continued brewing and who increased capacity. The first is that by 18th September 1886 there was an auction advert for the 3 quarter brewery (note a 2 quarter plant in 1884) plant, mash tun, hop back underback, wort back, iron cold liquor back, slate fermenting tun, cooler refrigerator, 2 coppers and settings, malt mill, wort pump, lead piping, beer stands casks staging etc. a weighing machine, a sugar chopper on stand complete, and a silver plated harness set.
The second reason is that in September 1887, Charles Dyer of 7 Bevois Mount Terrace Lodge Road applied for a licence to sell beer off the premises. This was opposed as there was an internal communication with an adjoining brewer. I assume this was the “side entrance” mentioned in the 1884 auction notice.
By 1887, directories show a Henry Dyer as a beer retailer at 9 Lodge Road, which may be a family connection and/or evidence of renumbering after the road name change.
According to Tony Gallagher in his book ‘Southampton’s Inns and Taverns’ the pub passed to Aldridge’s Bedford Brewery (so did they buy the pub/beerhouse business and lease it?) and by 1892, t was an off licence. Smeed and Smeed (wine and spirit merchants) took over the premises in 1928 and it later became a Thresher’s off-licence and then a kitchen shop.