Exhibition Honors Town’s Brewing Heritage

A new exhibition is commemorating Cockermouth’s former vibrant brewing sector. Jennings Brewery, a prominent feature of the town’s skyline, ceased its brewing activities in Cockermouth, Cumbria, in 2022, after nearly 150 years of operation. The brewery originated as a modest establishment in the adjacent village of Lorton before relocating to Cockermouth during the late 19th Century, a period when brewing transitioned from a small-scale cottage industry to a more widespread commercial enterprise. The exhibition, which is scheduled to run until December 16, was assembled by volunteers at the Kirkgate Centre in Cockermouth, who gathered various artefacts and personal accounts from individuals who previously worked at the brewery. Helen Johnston, a community projects officer, remarked: “Originally brewing was very much a cottage industry, people were doing it from their homes and many pubs would have been brewing their own beer to sell.” She added that “Then over time it became more industrialised, the processes of brewing became more sophisticated and you end up with a company like Jennings supplying quite a lot of pubs.” Jennings commenced operations in Lorton in 1828 and subsequently relocated to Cockermouth in 1874 to accommodate increasing demand, coinciding with the availability of the former Castle Brewery for purchase. Marston’s took ownership of Jennings in 2005, and brewing activities at the Cockermouth location ceased shortly after Marston’s merged with Carlsberg in 2020. By 2022, the manufacturing of Cumberland cask ale and bottled beer had been transferred to Marston’s Brewery, situated in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire. The Jennings premises, located on Brewery Lane, was put up for auction in March with an asking price of £750,000, but was subsequently removed from sale. Carlsberg Marston’s reportedly continues to utilize the property as a distribution hub. A company spokesperson stated that they are still working to “actively explore opportunities for the future of the site”. Ms Johnston mentioned that the current exhibition showcases numerous photographs and items contributed by former brewery personnel, including scrapbooks. She further commented: “I’ve quite enjoyed seeing all the beer bottles that people have been collecting, the bottle labels and beer mats.” She also highlighted “And also just talking to former employees about their passion for what they were doing, the beer they were brewing.”