Founded 1820. Registered June 1886 to acquire Arnold & Co., and E.& B. Trimmer of Gloucester as Arnold & Co. Ltd. Name changed to Arnold Perrett & Co.Ltd in 1887 when H. & A. Perrett of Wotton under Edge was acquired with 325 tied houses,. 40 public houses sold to Bristol Georges & Co. Ltd 1917. Merged with the Cheltenham Original Brewery in 1924 and brewing ceased. Premises used as a cider factory until 1969/1970. Wickwar Brewery moved their brewing operations into the old Arnold Perrett brewery, but sadly the brewery at Wickwar is no longer operational.
Arnold, Perrett & Co., Ltd. Wickwar
Awarded 2 Prize Medals
Arnold & Co’s
Celebrated Gold Medal
Wickwar Ales & Stout
Brewed expressly for family use
By Arnold, Perrett & Co., Ltd., The Brewery, Wickwar
Recommended by the Faculty
Price List
India, Pale & Bitter Ales:
No 1 Brand East India Pale Ale. 27/- per kilderkin, 13/6 per firkin, 6/9 per pin
No 2 Pale Ale. 24/- per kilderkin, 12/- per firkin, 6/- per pin
AKA Bitter Ale. 21/- per kilderkin, 10/6 per firkin, 5/3 per pin
AK Bitter Ale. 18/- per kilderkin, 9/- per firkin, 4/6 per pin
Mild Ales:
No. 3 Mild Ale. 15/- per kilderkin, 7/6 per firkin, 3/9 per pin
No. 4 Mild Ale. 18/- per kilderkin, 9/- per firkin, 4/6 per pin
No. 5 Burton Ale. 21/- per kilderkin, 10/6 per firkin, 5/3 per pin
No. 6 Rich Mild Ale. 24/- per kilderkin, 12/- per firkin, 6/- per pin
No. 7 Strong Ale. 27/- per kilderkin, 13/6 per firkin, 6/9 per pin
No 8. Strong Ale. 30/- per kilderkin, 15/- per firkin, 7/6 per pin
Stout:
BS Brown Stout. 21/- per kilderkin, 10/6 per firkin, 5/3 per pin
DBS Double Brown Stout 24/- per kilderkin, 12/- per firkin, 6/- per pin
Advertisement 1895
The Gloucestershire Cider Company Limited. from ‘200 Years of Brewing. West Country Breweries. 1960’
The Premises at Wickwar
Cider has been produced at the Wickwar factory of the Gloucestershire Cider Company for more than 36 years, but the origins of the company go back to 1800. It was in that year that Mr. Thomas Arnold opened a brewery in the High Street, later being succeeded by his three sons, Thomas, Stephen and John who carried on business under the name of Arnold & Company.
As the business prospered it was soon necessary to build a new brewery, and this was erected on the present site of the Gloucestershire Cider Company near Wickwar railway station. By 1876 Stephen and John Arnold had left the company and in that year Thomas was joined in partnership by a Churchdown farmer named Halsey.
After investing considerable capital in the business Mr. Halsey eventually gained control, and in 1884 he transferred the brewery to his two sons, Arnold and William, and to his future son-in-law Mr H. Wiles. From that time the brewery flourished, and two years later the firm of Arnold & Co. Ltd. was floated to acquire the existing company and also E. & B. Trimmer of Gloucester.
The following year Perrett’s Brewery of Bournstream was also taken over, Arnold, Perrett & Co., being registered. During the next four decades the company took over a number of other companies among them the Gloucester wine and spirit business of J. & H. Hills. This was an important acquisition because it provided Arnold, Perrett & Co. Ltd., with bonded warehouses in Quay Street, Gloucester.
Arnold, Perrett & Co. Ltd., was eventually absorbed in 1924 by the Cheltenham Original Brewery, and at the same time it was decided to devote the entire resources of the Wickwar brewery to cider making. Trading continued under the name of the Wickwar Cider Company, a title which was finally changed to the Gloucestershire Cider Company in 1931.
The change over from brewing beer to cider involved a tremendous amount of reorganisation. The old brewing plant was stripped out, and the buildings converted to hold huge storage tanks. Since the war, with an increasing demand for the company’s cider, these storage facilities have been considerably enlarged, and new bottling plant has also been installed. Today the cellars, sixty feet underground, have some of the largest reinforced tanks in the country, with a total capacity of 1,500,000 gallons.
In 1959 H.P. Bulmer & Co., of Hereford acquired a 51% interest in the Gloucestershire Cider Company Ltd., and following this agreement the company handles Bulmer’s ciders in addition to a full range of its own ciders, all of which are obtainable in Cheltenham & Hereford and Stroud houses.
Theakston’s Wickwar Depot
Chas Wright, who later went on to brew his own beer at the Uley Brewery, was the local representative of Theakstons Brewery in the mid 1970’s. At that time Theakstons beers were brewed at both Carlisle and Masham. Theakston’s traditional draught beer in wooden casks were transported from the Carlisle Brewery to the old Arnold Perrett & Co. premises in Wickwar. The Theakston’s Wickwar depot served around 50 outlets from Devon to Herefordshire. The cellarage of some 4,000 square feet was built into a former quarry, giving a constant temperature of 53 degrees farenheit.
Below Theakston’s depot were more cellars extending to a depth of some 60 feet which were used for H.M. Customs as bonded cellars for sherry.
The wooden casks used by Theakston’s at the time were proving to be temperamental. Nearly 20% of casks arriving at Wickwar were deemed undrinkable. Each empty 18 gallon cask weighed 40 lbs. When the casks were full they weighed over 200 lbs. Aluminium casks, on the other hand, were considerably lighter and could be throughly cleaned effectively and quickly. The production costs of making a traditional wooden cask were far in excess of the metal alternative.
According to the Tippler in September 1979, Theakston’s planned to transport their Best Bitter in bulk containers from Carlisle to Masham so that barrelling could be carried out in the cool cellars of the old Arnold Perrett Brewery. It was thought that this would improve the quality of the beer whilst substantially reducing costs.
Arnold Perrett & Co., Tied or Leased Pubs (from 1891 and 1903 licensing books)
Albion Inn, Viney Hill
Anchor Inn / Vaults, Warwick Place, Cheltenham
Anchor Hotel, Central Lydbrook
Anchor Inn, Thornbury
Aurora, High Street, Tewkesbury
Bakers Arms, High Street, Wotton under Edge
Barley Mow, Hawkesbury
Beaufort Arms, 14 St. Aldate Street, Gloucester
Beaufort Arms, High Street, Wickwar
Bell Hotel, Tewkesbury
Bell Inn, Ruardean
Bird in Hand, Berkeley
Bird in Hand, Blakeney
Bird in Hand, Chaxhill, Minsterworth
Black Bear, High Street, Tewkesbury
Black Dog Inn, Church Street, Newent
Blackfriars Inn, 10 Commercial Road, Gloucester
Black Horse, Berkeley
Black Horse, North Nibley
Blue Boys, Kingswood, Wotton under Edge
Bull Inn, Bull Lane, Gloucester
Bull Inn, Church Street, Newent
Butchers Arms, Aylburton
Carpenters Arms, Tumpkin Ayles, Hewelsfield
City Arms, 9 Bell Lane, Gloucester
Coach and Horses, Gloucester
Codrington Arms, Iron Acton
Crown Inn, Coombe Hill
Crown Inn, Stone
Crown Inn, Parish of West Dean (location unknown)
Dolphin Inn, St.Georges Street, Cheltenham
Duke of Beaufort, Hawkesbury Upton
Dukes Head, Brookend, Woolastone
Engine Inn, Yate
Fleece Hotel, High Street, Cinderford
Fleece Hotel, Newerne Street, Lydney
Fleet Inn, Twyning Ferry
Foresters Arms, Bream Road, Lydney
Foresters Arms, Tewkesbury
Fox Inn, Woodford
Fox and Goose, Halmore
Fox and Hounds, Inglestone Common, Hawkesbury
Full Moon, Synwell, Wotton under Edge
Gate Inn, High Street,Wickwar
Gardeners Arms, Twyning
George Hotel, High Street, St. Briavels
Gloucester House Inn, 20 Gloucester Place,Cheltenham
Gloucester Hotel, Station Approach, Gloucester
Golden Heart, Pittcourt, North Nibley
Happy Return, Tewkesbury
Hare and Hounds, Cheltenham Road, Churchdown
Hope Inn, 62 Barton Street, Gloucester
Horseshoe Inn, Alkington
Horseshoe Inn, Chipping Sodbury
Huntsmans House Inn, Falfield
Jolly Waterman, Walham, Longford, Gloucester
Kilcot Inn, Kilcot, Newent
Kings Head, Bank Street, Coleford
Kings Head, North Nibley
Kings Head, The Flat, Chaxhill (Birdwood?)
Kings Head, Barton Street,Tewkesbury
King William Inn, 32 Alvin Street, Gloucester
Lamb Inn, Berkeley
Lamb Inn, Cam
Leopard Inn, Southgate Street, Gloucester
Lion Inn, 27 High Street, Cinderford (Golden Lion)
Lower George Hotel, High Street, Newnham on Severn
Magnet Inn, Union Street, Gloucester
Masons Arms, Kingswood, Wotton under Edge
Mariners Arms, Salter Street, Berkeley
Midland and Royal Hotel, Gloucester
Miners Arms, Whitecroft
Miners Rest, Parish of West Dean (location unknown)
Nags Head, Lower Westgate Street, Gloucester
Nelson Inn, 20 Barton Street, Tewkesbury
New Inn, Arlingham (Old Passage Inn)
New Inn, Cam
New Inn, Broad Street, Chipping Sodbury
New Inn, Berry Hill
New Inn, Parkend (Woodman Inn)
New Inn, High Street, Wickwar
Old Bear Inn, Westgate Street, Gloucester
Old Dial Inn, 93 Westgate Street, Gloucester
Pear Tree Inn, Charfield
Pear Tree Inn, Wanswell, Berkeley
Pelican Inn, St.Marys Street, Gloucester (College Arms)
Pheasant Inn, Columbia Street, Gloucester
Pier View Hotel, Newtown, Sharpness
Pilot Inn, Purton
Plough Inn, Charfield
Plough Inn, Gloucester ?
Plough Inn, Hamfallow, Berkeley
Plough Inn, Tresham
Plough Inn, Quedgeley
Plume of Feathers, Hinton, Berkeley (Lammastide Inn)
Porter Stores, Thornbury
Prince Arthur Inn, Park Road, Gloucester
Prince of Wales, Station Road, Gloucester
Princes Plume, Tirley
Queens Arms, Ashleworth
Queens Head, High Street, Lydney
Railway Inn, Bullo (Bullo Cross Inn)
Railway Inn, Charfield
Railway Inn, Parkend
Railway Inn, Tewkesbury
Ram Inn, Potters Pound, Wotton under Edge
Red Lion Inn, Cromhall
Red Lion Inn, Gloucester ?
Red Lion Inn, Huntley
Rising Sun Inn, Braxley Road, Wotton under Edge
Rose and Crown Inn, Iron Acton
Rose and Crown Inn, Pucklechurch
Royal Forester, Lower Westgate Street, Gloucester
Royal Forester, Parish of West Dean (location unknown)
Royal Oak, Cromhall
Royal Oak, Parish of East Dean (location unknown)
Royal Oak, Lower Westgate Street, Gloucester
Salutation Inn, Ham, Berkeley
Salutation Inn, Coombe Road, Wotton under Edge
Salmon Inn, Wanswell
Severn Bridge and Railway Hotel, Sharpness
Severn View Inn, Primrose Hill, Lydney
Shakespeare Inn, 33 High Street, Tewkesbury
Ship Inn, Stock Lane, Berkeley
Ship Inn, Quay, Gloucester
Squirrel Inn, Southgate Street, Gloucester
Star Inn, Heathfield, Berkeley
Star Inn, Kingswood, Wotton under Edge
Star Inn, Pucklechurch
Stag Inn, Yorkley
Stonebench Inn, Stonebench, Elmore, Gloucester
Swan Inn, High Street, Berkeley
Swan Inn, Chipping Sodbury
Swan Inn, Pillowell
Swan Inn, Parish of West Dean (location unknown)
Swan Inn, Yate
Travellers Rest, Aylburton
Upper George Inn, High Street, Newnham on Severn
Wheatsheaf Inn, Ashleworth Quay
Wheatsheaf Inn, 132 High Street, Tewkesbury
White Hart, Maisemore
White Hart, Coombe, Wotton under Edge
White Horse, Buckover
White Horse, Cromhall
White Horse, Lydney
White Horse, Sandhurst, Gloucester
White Lion, Slimbridge
White Lion, Barton Street, Tewkesbury
White Lion Hotel, Long Street, Wotton under Edge
Wyndham Arms, The Cross, Clearwell
Yew Tree Inn, Stinchcombe
York Hotel, York Passage, Cheltenham
