Wadworth Brewery

Wadworth Brewery is a historic brewery based in Devizes, Wiltshire, England. Founded in 1875 when Henry Wadworth acquired the Northgate Brewery, the business developed from a local brewing operation into a regional producer associated with traditional cask ale, tied-house pubs, brewery tourism and the 6X brand. Its identity is strongly connected with Wiltshire and with the continuing use of traditional brewing and delivery practices. The company initially operated from the Northgate Brewery in Devizes. As production expanded beyond the capacity of those premises, Wadworth moved in 1885 to a new tower brewery close to the original site. The tower-brewery format became an important part of the company’s historical identity and helped sustain production for many decades. The original Northgate Brewery subsequently closed in 2023, when brewing operations moved to a new facility on Folly Road on the northeastern edge of Devizes. Plans were submitted in 2025 to redevelop the former Northgate site for housing. Wadworth is best known for 6X, a beer whose name refers to a traditional grading system for strong beer. The beer was first brewed in 1923 and remains the company’s signature offering. The range also includes Henry’s Original IPA, Horizon golden ale, Bishop’s Tipple, Swordfish, Corvus stout and rotating seasonal ales. These beers span lower-strength session styles, golden ales, IPA, stout and stronger specialty products. Swordfish is described as a stronger interpretation of 6X made with the addition of Pusser’s Navy Rum. Seasonal products form another part of Wadworth’s portfolio. They include St George & The Dragon, Lily The Pink, Red, White & Brew, Farmers Glory, Malt & Hops, Blunderbuss and Old Timer. Their availability is associated with particular periods of the year, and some were developed around seasonal ingredients or occasions. Red, White & Brew was initially brewed to commemorate the Jubilee and the Olympics, while Malt & Hops uses fresh hops straight from the bine and Blunderbuss is an autumn ale flavoured with elderberry. The brewery has also been associated with local pub supply and heritage presentation. Until 2025, it used traditional shire horses to deliver cask ale to local pubs in Devizes, with ale transported in metal or wooden barrels. The horses were kept at the brewery and became a visible part of the company’s public image; they included Monty, Max, Archie and Sam, and appeared in television programming such as Countryfile. Wadworth operates a visitor centre and gift shop beside the Three Crowns pub on Maryport Street. Its business therefore combines regional brewing, branded beer production, local hospitality relationships and heritage-oriented visitor activity. Wadworth’s documented profile is primarily that of a regional English brewery rather than a globally distributed consumer-goods corporation. Its principal points of differentiation are its long Devizes history, association with traditional English ale, the flagship 6X brand, seasonal brewing and links with local pubs and brewing heritage. The move from the Northgate site to Folly Road represents the latest major operational change recorded in the available reference material.

Wadworth Brewery was established in Devizes, Wiltshire, in 1875. Its origin is associated with Henry Wadworth’s purchase of the Northgate Brewery, which provided the premises for the company’s first period of operation. The business expanded sufficiently that the original brewery could no longer accommodate its activities. In 1885, Wadworth moved to a new tower brewery located close to the former site. That move established the physical and historical setting with which the brewery was associated for much of its subsequent history. The tower brewery supported Wadworth’s development as a regional English brewer. The company’s identity became linked to traditional ale production, local distribution and relationships with pubs in and around Devizes. Its beers were supplied in casks as well as in other packaging formats, and the brewery maintained practices intended to emphasize its connection with traditional British brewing. The company also developed a public-facing heritage presence through its visitor centre and gift shop beside the Three Crowns pub on Maryport Street. Wadworth’s most recognized beer is 6X. The product was first brewed in 1923, and its name refers to a traditional grading system for strong beer. 6X became the brewery’s signature brand and the central reference point for its wider portfolio. Alongside it, Wadworth produced a range of year-round beers, including Henry’s Original IPA, Horizon golden ale, Bishop’s Tipple, Swordfish and Corvus stout. The brewery also maintained a seasonal program covering beers such as St George & The Dragon, Lily The Pink, Red, White & Brew, Farmers Glory, Malt & Hops, Blunderbuss and Old Timer. The seasonal range reflects a mixture of calendar-based brewing, traditional ale styles and occasional ingredient or commemorative themes. Malt & Hops uses fresh hops straight from the bine, while Blunderbuss is an autumn red ale with elderberry flavouring. Red, White & Brew was initially made to commemorate the Jubilee and the Olympics. The range gave the brewery a way to vary its offer beyond the permanent 6X-centered portfolio. A distinctive part of Wadworth’s heritage was its use of shire horses for local beer deliveries. Until 2025, the horses delivered casked ale to local pubs in Devizes, using metal or wooden barrels. The brewery kept the horses at its premises, and they became part of the company’s public image. The horses named in the reference material included Monty, Max, Archie and Sam; the operation also appeared in television programming such as Countryfile. The major recent operational change was the closure of the Northgate Brewery in 2023. Brewing was replaced by a new facility on Folly Road, on the northeastern outskirts of Devizes. This change separated current brewing operations from the historic Northgate site while retaining the company’s base in the same town. In 2025, plans were submitted to redevelop the former Northgate premises for housing. The move and proposed redevelopment mark a transition from Wadworth’s historic tower-brewery setting to a newer production site. Wadworth’s documented history therefore combines local industrial continuity with operational modernization. The company began as a nineteenth-century Devizes brewery, built a larger tower brewery in the late nineteenth century, established 6X as a long-running flagship in the twentieth century, and later moved brewing to a new site while maintaining a portfolio of traditional and seasonal beers. Its heritage activities, local pub deliveries and visitor facilities remain important elements of its public profile, although the shire-horse delivery practice is recorded as continuing only until 2025.

1. 2025Redevelopment plans submitted for Northgate site

   Plans were submitted to redevelop the former Northgate Brewery site for housing.

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2. 2025Shire-horse delivery tradition ends

   The brewery’s traditional shire-horse deliveries of casked ale to local Devizes pubs continued until 2025.

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3. 2023Northgate Brewery closes

   The historic Northgate Brewery closed and was replaced operationally by a new brewery on Folly Road in Devizes.

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4. 1923First brewing of 6X

   Wadworth first brewed 6X, whose name refers to a traditional grading system for strong beer.

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5. 1885Move to a new tower brewery

   The company moved from the original Northgate premises to a new tower brewery nearby after outgrowing the earlier site.

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6. 1875Wadworth Brewery founded in Devizes

   Henry Wadworth purchased the Northgate Brewery in Devizes, establishing the brewery company that became Wadworth.

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A historic regional English brewery centered on traditional ale, local pub supply, seasonal brewing and the heritage-led 6X brand.

• 6XTraditional ale1923

  6X is Wadworth’s best-known beer and its principal flagship brand. It was first brewed in 1923, with the name derived from a traditional grading system for strong beer. The reference material lists it at 4.1% ABV on draught and 4.3% ABV in cans and bottles. It represents the brewery’s strongest connection between a long-running product, traditional English ale and its Devizes brewing heritage.

• Henry's Original IPAIndia pale ale

  Henry’s Original IPA is a year-round Wadworth beer in the India pale ale category. The listed strength is 3.6% ABV, placing it among the brewery’s lighter permanent offerings. Its inclusion alongside 6X, golden ales and stout gives Wadworth a year-round IPA expression within a portfolio otherwise strongly identified with traditional English cask beer.

• HorizonGolden ale

  Horizon is a year-round golden ale from Wadworth. The reference material gives it a strength of 4.0% ABV. It extends the brewery’s core range beyond the darker and more traditionally positioned 6X profile, offering a golden-ale format suitable for the company’s regional pub and packaged-beer portfolio.

• Bishop's TippleGolden ale

  Bishop’s Tipple is a year-round golden ale described as full-flavoured. Its listed strength is 5.0% ABV on draught and 5.5% ABV in bottles. The product occupies a stronger position within Wadworth’s golden-ale range and complements the flagship 6X with a more robust packaged and draught offering.

• SwordfishSpecialty ale

  Swordfish is described as a stronger version of 6X made with the addition of Pusser’s Navy Rum. The listed strength is 5.0% ABV. It builds on the brewery’s most recognizable beer while adding a rum component, making it a specialty interpretation rather than a straightforward variant of the standard 6X product.

• CorvusStout

  Corvus is a nitro-keg stout available in 30-litre format. It is described as having chocolate and coffee characteristics with a creamy head. The product broadens Wadworth’s permanent range into a modern dispense format while retaining the flavour profile and visual presentation associated with stout.

• Seasonal ale rangeSeasonal beers

  Wadworth’s seasonal program includes St George & The Dragon, Lily The Pink, Red, White & Brew, Farmers Glory, Malt & Hops, Blunderbuss and Old Timer. The beers are associated with different parts of the year, from spring and summer through autumn and winter. The range includes traditional ale styles, ingredient-led recipes and occasional commemorative products, allowing the brewery to supplement its permanent portfolio with rotating releases.

• 2025Proposed housing redevelopment of the former Northgate siteOther

  After the Northgate Brewery closed and brewing moved to Folly Road, the former brewery premises became available for a different use.

  What changed. Plans were submitted to redevelop the former Northgate site for housing.

  Aftermath. The reference material records the submission of plans but does not provide their approval status or details of construction.

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• 2023Relocation of brewing from Northgate to Folly RoadStrategy

  The historic Northgate Brewery in Devizes had been the company’s principal brewing setting for many years, but the site closed in 2023.

  What changed. Wadworth moved brewing operations to a new brewery on Folly Road on the northeastern outskirts of Devizes.

  Aftermath. The former Northgate site was no longer the company’s brewing location, and plans were submitted in 2025 for housing redevelopment.

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• 2025Plans submitted to redevelop the former Northgate site

  Plans were submitted for housing redevelopment on the former Northgate Brewery site in Devizes after the brewing premises had closed.

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• 2025Traditional shire-horse deliveries end

  Wadworth’s long-running practice of using traditional shire horses to deliver casked ale to local Devizes pubs continued until 2025, according to the reference material.

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• 2023Northgate Brewery closes as Wadworth moves brewing to Folly Road

  Wadworth’s historic Northgate Brewery in Devizes closed, and brewing operations were replaced by a new brewery on Folly Road on the northeastern outskirts of the town.

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1. Wadworth Brewery