“A passion for Vaux”
‘A Passion for Vaux – Sunderland’s Lost Brewery’ is a documentary film which was premiered in Sunderland recently: ‘The story of the people of Sunderland & how the ‘City Financiers’ took away their beloved brewery.’
The film also mentions the closure of Sheffield Brewery S.H.Wards (owned by Vaux) in July 1999, 20 years ago. Included is an interview with Linda Hutton (who was Chair of Sheffield and District CAMRA when Wards closed). Sheffield CAMRA is also included in the credits as we supplied some archive material.
One of the themes in our 500th issue of Beer Matters next month will be how the beer scene has changed in Sheffield over the years. Stones Brewery closed less than a year after Wards, leaving no industrial scale breweries remaining in the City, something which hasn’t changed, however we now have a record number of ‘craft’ microbreweries producing a varied range of beers from simple easy drinking bitters & Blondes right up to lip curling sours and more – with all but one of those breweries producing real ale.
You can view a trailer for the documentary film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5uijw-orzY
A planning application was recently made to demolish The Plough Inn (Sandygate Road, Crosspool). The Plough was a Tennants pub for many years. In 1962, ownership changed when Whitbread took over Sheffield-based Tennants. In 2003, Enterprise Inns (Ei) took ownership. Since then, there appears to have been no serious maintenance work. Many would claim that the pub has been left to rot.
When the pub closed in 2015, a local community group obtained ACV (Asset of Community Value) status from Sheffield City Council (SCC). Ei then leased the building to Sainsburys. Sainsburys then waited until peak holiday time before, on 2nd.August, submitting a planning application to turn the pub into a ‘convenience store.’ This application was subsequently turned down.
Both the Plough and the adjacent football ground have ACV status with the nearby, Towers Lodge, Grade II listed. The Plough was rebuilt in 1929 and is an important example of an inter war public house which, according to Historic England, are ’rare and overlooked buildings’. National planning policy recognises the importance of protecting historic assets and their ‘setting.’ This was confirmed in the decision of the local authority to refuse the application from Sainsbury’s.
The pub is adjacent to the ground of Hallam FC (the 2nd.oldest football club in the world). Hallam occupy Sandygate, the oldest football ground in the world, the site of the first football game (Hallam v Sheffield FC) as recognised by FIFA. The Plough is important in the history of football (the first inter-club game was adjacent, the rules of football written in the pub ………). This is the venue whose historical value outweighs speculative commercial development. It is a cultural icon which should be protected.
In 2017, the building was sold to Spacepad UK, which outbid the Save the Plough campaign group’s £435,000 offer made after raising thousands of pounds by selling community shares. The Plough was recently relisted as an ACV. This protects its status as a public house. This decision was based on widespread support from the community, individuals, families and local organisations.
As reported in Beer Matters, in February 2019, a planning application was made to erect a mobile phone mast close to the site. The application stated: “The NTQ (Notice to Quit) site is the Plough Inn, which has recently been bought by developers who have plans to convert the pub into residential with parking. A new site is urgently required to replace the current one.” At this point, there was no planning permission to demolish the Plough. Rightly, the application for a mobile mast was recently withdrawn.
The application to demolish the Plough does not provide any evidence to suggest that it is not viable as a public house. The developer states that no offers were received to lease the pub. This was because it was offered for a completely unrealistic rent of £50,000 pa. Average rents in this area are between £24,000 and £29,000. This planning application would see the Plough replaced by eight houses on the site, none of which would be affordable for local people.
The campaign to preserve the Plough is about more than just saving a pub. It has been about gaining wider recognition of the historic role of the area in the sporting history of Sheffield. We believe that this planning application should be rejected and the Plough allowed to return to use as a community pub.
As part of Heritage Open days 2019, I’m leading a Pub Heritage Walk on Friday 13th.September and two walks on 20th.September. These will take in some of the entries in the CAMRA ‘Sheffield’s Real Heritage Pubs’ book.
On Friday 13th., in this new walk, we will commence at the ‘Fat Cat’ and proceed to the ‘Gardeners’ via a short stop in the ‘Wellington.’ Along the way, we will take a circuitous route through aspects of the brewing and industrial history of Sheffield before completing the walk at the Gardeners Rest, close to the now derelict, Stones Brewery.
The following week, we will commence at ‘Fagans’ and proceed to the ‘Dog and Partridge’ via a short stop outside the ‘Grapes.’ After a refreshment break, we will proceed past the ‘Red Deer’ and ‘Bloo88,’ before completing the walk at ‘The Bath Hotel.’
En route we will pass: ‘Stanch,’ (the statue of a Pointer dog), the building with three different date stones, and the then home of the company whose claim to fame is that the owner was the first man to climb Nelson’s Column.
In both walks there will also be Victorian tilework, terrazzo flooring, art deco glasswork, a mention of long-gone Sheffield Breweries and much more ….
The 13th.September walk will take place once: 15:00. Places are limited (to 15) and may be booked via Eventbrite: http://tiny.cc/93zx7y
The 20th.September walk will take place twice: 14:30 and 17:30. Places are limited (to 15) and may also be booked via Eventbrite:
14:30 start: https://tinyurl.com/y5249v8e
17:30 start: https://tinyurl.com/y3wjsmp8
If you can’t wait until September, you could try the Sheffield Pub Heritage book:
https://sheffield.camra.org.uk/rhp. A limited number of paper copies of the book will be available at the bargain price of £5.00.
– Dave Pickersgill, Sheffield CAMRA, Pub Heritage Officer 
The first is Pint Break, 5.0%, A blonde fermented with lager yeasts for a sparkling crisp taste with a fresh hop palate from a brace of US hops. The perfect ale for car chases, sky dives or a blaze of glory on the ultimate wave!
Easy vibes with LA Ride
If you’re into the laid back, low rider kind of life and dream of cruising down the Californian highway to your favourite soulful tunes, our new brew is for you.
LA Ride launches this July and is the newest addition to our craft ale Gravity range. LA Ride is a low alcohol pale (2.5%) making it the perfect companion to the low rider lifestyle.
Come and enjoy the virtues of a low alcohol ride on the freeway of good vibes, music and beer, this summer with the Sheffield Brewery.
P.s. Cycling in the great Let’s Ride event in Sheffield on 14 July? Have a word with your landlord now to make sure you end your ride with an easy LA Ride.
Been there, got the T-Shirt?
We’re reight excited about our new beer T’s, which you can now get your hands on to spread the love for your favourite Sheffield Brewery beers!
Available in GTSO (cut from Get Thi’Sen Outdoorz – you know what it means!) and Blanco Blonde prints, our t-shirts are made from organic, ethically sourced high-quality cotton and hand screen printed right here in Sheffield. They are just £25 each and you can order yours by emailing: 
Thursday 27th June saw CAMRA members and pub regulars head down to the Sheaf View at Heeley for their South Sheffield Pub of the Year certificate presentation, some fantastic beer and a much enjoyed buffet including hot pork sandwiches.
The Sheaf View has been operating under the current ownership for 19 years now, having been bought by James Birkett in 2000 as a failed, boarded up former Marstons pub. It reopened as a real ale freehouse and was a hit from the start. You can now always find beers from Neepsend brewery on the bar as it is under the same ownership, along with some great guest beers. The pub also hosts an impressive whiskey selection, usually has sandwiches available and there is a weekly quiz night.
Well done to Josh Hayton and team at the Sheaf View for running a great real ale pub and being voted the best in South Sheffield by CAMRA members. 
CAMRA members joined pub regulars, musicians and others at the Gardeners Rest for beer, food and music on the evening of Friday 21st June as our branch chairman presented their winners certificate. 
Originally opened as a Rawsons pub in 1797, the C20th.saw a series of changes resulting in the closure of the pub in 2010, the building becoming The Sleep Hotel. Recently, under the same management as the Rutland Arms, it reopened with the new name.
The porch has internal leaded windows and an impressive ceramic floor which features an image of a crown. Apart from the opening-out of the room on the right, the basic layout of the interior is relatively unchanged since the mid C20th. The fittings are of varying ages, with some recent renovation. Unusually, the off sales was approached via the entrance to the rear yard: purchasers entering through a small door to access the servery.
Historically, as the Crown Inn, or the Old Crown, the pub is mentioned as a key player in the 1840’s Chartist protests, the Sheffield Outrages and the 1920’s Sheffield Gang Wars. The outrages saw the 1859 murder of James Lindley: ‘saw-grinder, was sitting at the Crown Inn, Scotland Street.’ On February 17th.1925, there was a fracas outside the Crown, involving about 30 youths. A knuckleduster, a life preserver, two razors and a hammer were picked up after the incident. Bricks, cellar grates and other missiles were alleged to have been thrown. The crowd were dispersed but returned for another fight after midnight when the two lads were arrested and subsequently charged.
Thomas Rawson’s and Co. Brewery (Pond Street) was destroyed by enemy action on 12th.December 1940. The site was subsequently developed as Sheffield Polytechnic (now Sheffield Hallam University). The pub then came into the hands of Gilmours, then Tetleys. It is now an innovative, enterprising free house with an excellent range of beer – during opening week, the Corbeau Noir was not to be missed.
