Monument record 1160/399 - Site of The Ratliffe and Jeffrey Albion Steam Brewery (The Old Albion Brewery)

A brewery founded by Thomas Ratliffe and operating from Commercial Street from around 1861. Ratliffe was joined in partnership with William Jeffery in 1869 forming Ratliffe and Jeffery. The brewery was extended from 16 to 22 Commercial Street and right back to Foundry Street during the early 1880s. The brewery is thought to have dropped the word steam from its title by 1890 and Ratliffe and Jeffery became a limited company in 1895. When William Jeffery died 1899 the company was acquired by P. Phipps and Company and the brewery closed and from 1901 used as a store. A bottling plant was built prior to World War I. The brewery was sold in 1919 to wholesale grocers Messrs James and James, and was also used by confectioners Sarjeant and Company Limited until the 1940s. It was a clothing factory from 1960 to 1980, and from 1982 housed Northampton Auction Galleries. The building was demolished in 2007 to make way for a casino which was completed in 2008. The new building had been designed to resemble the brewery.

{1} Thomas Ratliffe founded this brewery by 1862, but it was four years before the first reference to it being called 'The Albion Steam Brewery'. On 24th June 1869, he was joined in partnership by William Jeffrey. It appears that the Albion closed around 1903. It was sold in 1919 for £8,000 and was bought by Messrs James & James. However the sale of the whole site was only finally completed in 1929.
The only part of the original fascia remaining is the bust of Bacchus above the entrance archway. A band of carved stonework, proclaiming the building to be "Ratliffe and Jeffreys Albion Brewery" had to be taken down in 1970. It had started to crumble and fall into the road below.

{2} A comprehensive scheme of building recording was undertaken prior to the demolition of the former brewery. The site initially appears to have been the site of a foundry from at least 1830- some elements of this first building survived in the west range; the first mention of the brewery appears in 1861. During the 1920s and into the 1940s the factory was a confectioners and a clothing factory by 1960. The front section of the works became an auction gallery in 1981. Plans; sections & photographs;

{7}Albion Brewery on Commercial St; buildings later used as auction rooms.

{4, 5, 9} The brewery was founded by Thomas Ratliffe and was operating from Commercial Street from around 1861. Ratliffe was joined in partnership with William Jeffery in 1869 forming Ratliffe and Jeffery.

The brewery was extended from 16 to 22 Commercial Street and right back to Foundry Street during the early 1880s. The brewery is thought to have dropped the word steam from its title by 1890 and Ratliffe and Jeffery became a limited company in 1895. When William Jeffery died 1899 the company was acquired by P. Phipps and Company and the brewery closed and used as a store. A bottling plant was built prior to World War I.

The brewery was sold in 1919 to wholesale grocers Messrs James and James, and was also used by confectioners Sarjeant and Company Limited until the 1940s. It was a clothing factory from 1960 to 1980, and from 1982 housed Northampton Auction Galleries. The building was demolished in 2007 to make way for a casino which was completed in 2008. The new building had been designed to resemble the brewery.

<1> Ellison, M., 2001, The Ratliffe and Jeffrey Albion Steam Brewery, Commercial Street, Northampton, (unchecked) (Letter). SNN103360.

<2> Burton, R. Martin, F. & Richmond, A., 2003, Report on a Programme of Building Recording and Investigation: Ratliffe and Jeffery, Albion Steam Brewery, Commercial Street, Northampton, (unchecked) (Report). SNN105139.

<3> Cadman, G., 2010, Former Albion Brewery building, Northampton, (unchecked) (Note). SNN107108.

<3> Cadman, G., 2015, Note on Phipps NBC Albion Brewery-Albion & Yard, (unchecked) (Note). SNN114650.

<4> Aspers Group Ltd, 2008, Press Release: New Casino in Northampton, (unchecked) (Note). SNN107109.

<5> 2009, A History: P. Phipps, Northampton Brewery Company, Phipps NBC and Beyond, (unchecked) (Website). SNN107110.

<6> Aerial Close-Up Ltd, 2001, Ratliffe and Jeffrey Brewery, (checked) (Photographic prints (COL)). SNN107479.

<7> STARMER G., List of Industrial Sites in Northamptonshire (Various, Including N.R.I.M.), (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN1444.

<8> Brown M.; Willmott B., 1998, Brewed In Northants: A Directory Of Northamptonshire Brewers 1450-1998, p. 127-129 (Directory). SNN100669.

<9> Anderson, L, 2010, Strategy for the Historic Industrial Environment: The Brewing Industry, p. 37 (Report). SNN110363.

<10> West Northamptonshire Council, 2024, Local Heritage List, November 2024, p. 27 (Report). SNN116732.

Record last edited

Mar 5 2025 12:44PM