Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, UK
info@capitalofthefens.org.uk

Cheers!

Cheers!

Elgood’s Brewery is often referred to as a “Hidden Gem”, so appropriate that I write about it here! It’s easy to find, you could walk from town, or drive – they have a car park – you’ll be able to carry home all your fresh, local produce! Go along North Brink, beside the river, follow the brown signs.

They are making some changes for visitors this year, opening the gardens up until Christmas: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday until end September; then Thursday and Friday until the 20th December. These are the days you can go on a tour of the Brewery at 2pm. Also open for garden visits only (no tour) on Sunday afternoons until the end of September.
Prices are £4 an adult and £3.50 a child (6-16) for the garden and £8/£5 for the tour which includes access to the garden too. This Sunday, they are open for the National Garden Scheme, 11.30-4.30, Adults £4, children free. See their website for details.

I visited on a very hot day and found the place beautifully cool, like all old buildings with thick walls. The gardens have plenty of shady areas and so it’s a perfect place to relax on a summer’s afternoon. Take your camera, as there’s some beautiful scenery to capture. My favourite is the willow tree. The photo was sent to me from Elgood’s as part of a selection for me to choose from, which was difficult as they were all lovely! I’ll put them all on CapitaloftheFens.org.uk.

With the Craft and Plant Fair 1st September, free access on Wednesday 18th September for Heritage Open Days, (when they’ll be on the map Wisbech Projects CIC is producing, available around town soon); then the Beer Festival 19th to 21st September, they’re pretty busy! Other events are being planned, too.

This is another Wisbech place described as “one of the oldest…”, Wisbech and Fenland Museum one of the oldest purpose built museums; the Angles Theatre also, and the brewery being established in 1795 is one of the oldest “classic Georgian breweries” to be built outside of London. Taking a note from their website: “Elgood’s has remained loyal to traditional brewing methods, whilst making important technical advances “. I think this epitomises the spirit of these Wisbech establishments – keeping faith with their past, but looking to their future to make sure they have a future: independent, and proud of their long history. As we should all be.

 

Having written the above for the Citizen, 31st July issue, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the other “possibly the oldest” or “one of the oldest” buildings across the town. There’s Ely House for one – sadly with problems now but hopefully will be sorted soon – it’s been called “possibly the oldest house in the town”. But, I have a contender – there’s a house with a warehouse built around in on North Brink, so that may well be older.

The building where Thomas Clarkson was born, which is now one of the conservative clubs, on Hill Street, was the Grammar School before that and has a blue plaque (see previous posts) with the details.

What about the Institute? Maybe the first Working Men’s club? This all goes to show that the town has been an established community for many hundreds of years, with organisations set up for the residents (eg a Grammar School, a Museum) that are amongst the oldest of their type of place. So interesting, and to be proud of if this is your town and your heritage!

Here’s some more photos from Elgood’s: