Wadworth is a regional brewery founded in 1875 in Devizes, Wiltshire, England. They are particularly famous for their 6X beer, but also are a major brewery in the South of England.
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Wadworth & Co. was founded in 1875 when Henry Wadworth purchased the old Northgate Brewery in Devizes. It was not long before they exceeded their capacity at the Northgate Brewery and in 1885 they moved premises to a new facility close to their original site. Since then, the brewer has been a major influence [1] on the economy of Devizes and a major provider of ale in the south of England [2].
The present Northgate Brewery was built in 1888 [3].
While 6X is the Brewer's best known beer, the company also produce other beers, including several seasonal ales.
6X is a popular beer in South West England, and the West Country, especially in Wiltshire where it is brewed. The "X" in 6X refers to a traditional grading system for strong beer; it was first brewed in 1921.[1] In 2007 6X won the Daily Telegraph and Cask Marque Best Of British Beer Award for Wales and the West Country.
Wadworths still use traditional shire horses to deliver their casked ale to local pubs in Devizes. The radius of the operation is roughly 5 miles square; beyond the 5 mile radius, vehicles are used. The ale can be delivered in metal or wooden barrels.
The brewery owns four horses which are stabled at the brewery and the horses receive 2 weeks holiday every year in a nearby village. As well as delivering ale, the horses also compete in shows and events throughout the country. The sight of the shire horses is well known in Devizes and has become a defining image for the town. They are featured often in local press and have featured in many programmes such as Countryfile.
Wadworth is one of only four breweries in the UK that still use horses to deliver ale, one of four that has an in-house cooper and the last brewery to have an in-house master cooper who makes nothing but barrels.
Wadworth recently unveiled a state of the art interactive Visitor Centre and gift shop at the brewery. Tours of the brewery can be taken and include a tutored tasting of the Wadworth range as well as coopering demonstrations and visits to the shire horses and sign writing shop (subject to availability).