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Kemp Town Maltings 1970

Kemp Town Brewery Maltings: undated photograph

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The photograph above shows the Maltings and Stores, at the corner of Sutherland Road and Eastern Road. William Hallett of Marine Parade, founded the Brewery about 1850. Later he took into partnership Henry Abbey (after whose family Abbey Road was named) and in 1860s the Maltings were built adjoining Brighton College.

The Brewery was successively named Hallett and Abbey’s, Abbey and Sons, Abbey’s Kemp Town and finally, Kemp Town Brewery. After being acquired by Charringtons brewing ceased here and the sites were sold for redevelopment. The buildings were all removed during 1970.

Do you remember the old building or can you share your memories of this time? If you can help, please leave a comment below.

The Kemp Town Brewery site is now an extension of Brighton College

Comments about this page

  • I used to pass the Kemp Town Maltings, although I didn’t know it was called that, on the way to school at The Blessed Sacrament Convent about 1955. I remember bending down to look through the gratings and smelling the intoxicating aroma. Sometimes I saw men raking the laid out barley.

    By Barbara Lutterloch (26/06/2013)
  • Opposite the maltings, on the south side of Eastern Road, R White’s had a depot where we left every morning, except for weekends, to sell drinks off the trucks to shops all round Sussex. Happy days, much fun made work enjoyable. Tom Bourne, Derek Hayes, Dave Wright, George Gentle – all good lads who would always help out if needed. Pity some of the shopkeepers were not like that.

    By John Davis (12/11/2013)
  • My grandfather worked for the brewery for many years.  He lived at the top of Sutherland Road and every Christmas the workers were given a barrel of beer and my grandfather would roll the barrel home!   He passed away in 1962 aged 77.

    By Merise Virgo (24/02/2014)
  • I was a boarder at the Convent of Mercy in Bristol Road, and I was often poorly and had to stay in bed. I can remember the smell of the brewery coming in through the windows and always used to wonder what it was. It wasn’t until I was much older that I found out and now, whenever I smell a brewery on my travels, it reminds me of those miserable days in the convent.

    By Sandie Waller (16/12/2015)
  • In the early fifties, as a pupil at Hamilton Lodge School for deaf children, I recall running around Brighton College & Kemp Town Brewery as part of running exercise before breakfast. I always experienced a strange smell (hops?) when passed this brewery. Happy memories indeed.

    By Chris Ogden (25/07/2017)
  • My mother worked there prior to the Second World War.
    A bottle exploded and left her blind in her left eye, she could not work there after that.

    By M.Graysmark (25/11/2020)
  • When I was 7, I lived in Belleview Gardens and went to Blessed Sacrament and LOVED that smell that permeated Kemptown. I recall going to the sweet shop down from the convent and buying Man From Uncle cards with gum inside. I remember going shopping at the Sainsbury’s which was a big room with marble counters, one for cheese, one for bacon, one for meat, etc, and you’d be served at each counter. I remember the playground on the beach called Peter Pan where we’d get covered in tar from the fishing boats that covered the pebbles and burn our bottoms on the two huge metal slides! Great fun!

    By Lisa (15/01/2024)

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