Brewing Barley

At the entrance to The Brewery complex is this striking piece of art, entitled Barley, by Sophie Marsham. The brushed steel sculpture stretches and twists up to one of the cut outs in the roof of the development, as if reaching for the light. The Brewery is built on the site of the form Whitbread (yes, you've guessed it) brewery. The brewery was founded in 1760 and was then known as Gardeners Brewery. In 1888 it was registered as The Original Cheltenham Brewery and in 1963 became Whitbread Flowers Brewery. Brewing of beer stopped on the site in 1998. The Whitbread Brewery was tied in with over 1300 public houses and many pubs in and around Cheltenham still have the Whitbreads glazed pottery tile displayed by their front doors. Whitbread no longer exists as a company, selling to Interbrew in 2000/01. Plans for the empty site divided Cheltonians, but after lying derelict and in serious disrepair, a mixed use leisure and retail plan was decided upon. To the North and West sides of the new construction the old Malthouse walls have been kept and create a facade to what lies behind. The Brewery is now home to a cinema, gym, restaurants and a few shops (including Habitat, as previously posted). As the site is off the beaten track retail units aren't being snapped up but it is filling up slowly. In commemoration, of what once was, I think they should open a Whitbread pub!