The Trust has formed exciting partnerships with two major local attractions, as part of its work to preserve the heritage vehicles in the National Brewery Collection and continue to make them available to the public.
The Trust has transferred a motorised delivery dray, which was originally from Mitchells and Butlers Cape Hill Brewery, to the Black Country Living Museum. The dray is a Leyland Beaver and was built in 1949 at a time when breweries were moving away from horse drawn drays. It was one of a fleet delivering beer from Cape Hill in use up to the 1960s and became part of the Collection at the Bass Museum in 1992.
Working with the West Midlands Fire Service Heritage Museum, the Trust is transferring a Water Witch Victorian horse drawn fire engine, built in 1879 for Henry Mitchell & Co for the Cape Hill Brewery. The West Midlands Fire Service Heritage Group officially opened their museum in November last year in Aston Fire station, the oldest operational fire station in the West Midland Fire Service area.
Dr Harry White, Chairman of the National Brewery Heritage Trust, said: “As a Trust it is our responsibility to preserve the items in the Collection and we have had to give some careful thought about the future of each of the vehicles.
“By transferring these vehicles to the Black Country Living Museum and West Midlands Fire Service Heritage Museum the vehicles will be securely housed, well maintained and, more importantly, accessible to the public. I am pleased that vehicles that worked at the Cape Hill Brewery for so many years will be going back to their roots.”
Tim Shields, Transport Manager at Black Country Living Museum said: “We’re raising a glass to welcome the Leyland Beaver to our site. With two serving historic pubs, we’re delighted to give it another lease of life and show how beer made its way from brewery to the bar.
“The Leyland Beaver will be assessed and cleaned in the Museum workshop and will have treatment to help preserve exposed woodwork and the wooden barrels. Long term, the plan is to display the vehicle outside during the summer months.”
Ian Forrester is the spokesperson for West Midlands Fire Service Heritage Community Group. He said: “A purpose-built garage hosts our appliances and this is where the WaterWitch will be housed alongside our steamer, manual, trailer pumps and hose cart.
“We are pleased to receive the WaterWitch with its history at nearby Cape Hill Brewery. We thank the National Brewery Heritage Trust and Molson Coors Brewing Company for the transfer and looking after it up to now.
The National Brewery Heritage Trust, supported by Molson Coors Beverage Company and East Staffordshire Borough Council (ESBC), is working to preserve and protect the important National Brewery Collection and Archives.
In its role as majority owner of the collection, Molson Coors continues to provide significant funding to support the Trust in its vital work of managing the collection in readiness for the forthcoming brewing heritage experience, announced by ESBC last year.
