1754 – The Brewery was founded by the Robinson family and was known as The City Brewery. Copyright © Books of the North 2011
1804 – On December 9th 1804, Thomas Robinson, brewer, aged 71 years, was buried in St Michael & All Angels’ churchyard, Houghton.
1814 – J.Robinson, son of Mr Robinson, brewer, died aged 18 years. Nine months earlier “he had the misfortune to fall into a quantity of hot wort, since which time he unhappily lingered”. According to Wikipedia, wort is “the liquid extracted from the mashing process during the brewing of beer or whisky”.
1827 – George Robinson listed in the Gazette for Durham & Northumberland as a ‘Brewers’ and ‘Maltsters’ on Durham Road, Houghton-le-Spring.
1843 – George Robinson, brewer, aged 83 years, died.
1851 – Elizabeth Robinson, aged 57 years, was listed in Hagar & Co’s Directory as a ‘Brewers’ and ‘Maltsters’. She lived at Quality Hill with her son Thomas William Usherwood Robinson (who was known locally as the Squire) and her younger son Abbot Robinson.
1852 – Abbot Robinson passed away in December 1852 and was buried on Christmas Eve in the parish churchyard.
1854 – Thomas William Usherwood Robinson, churchwarden at Houghton Parish Church, opposed Rector John Grey’s plans to open up a church cemetery next to Houghton Cut. Co
1861 – T.W.U. Robinson lived at the Brewery with his wife, Margaret, his young family and five servants. Copyright © Books of the North 2011
1874 – Parts of the brewery were rebuilt. The brewery is made from the locally sourced magnesian limestone, with sandstone sills and arches.
1881 – At this time, Thomas William Usherwood Robinson, resided in Hatfield House [Imperial Buildings], Houghton-le-Spring, and gave his occupation as “brewer, employing 18 men”.
1888 – T.W.U. Robinson died and was buried at Houghton Hillside Cemetery; his burial service was performed by none other than Rector Grey, his former opponent. Copyright © Books of the North 2011
1894 – The Robinson Bros (Brewery) Ltd was registered.
1909 – The brew house was totally destroyed by fire.
1910 – The brewery was rebuilt by Gateshead architect James William Fraser, and was described as: “The five storey, red brick warehouse-like structure had 22Q capacity” [British Breweries: An Architectural History, by Lynn F Pearson, 1999]
1914 – Avery Norman Robinson (T.W.U. Robinson’s son) and John James Stokoe were listed as the managing directors of the Robinson Brothers Brewery in Kelly’s Directory. The business was listed as ‘Maltsters, brewers and wine and spirit merchants’.
1921 – The brewery was taken over by C Vaux & Sons Ltd and James Calder & Co Ltd of Alloa, Scotland. Five months afterwards, the brewery went on sale. [Possibly acquired by Calder in 1921 then Vaux in 1925 tbc]. The brewery had 63 licensed public houses (tied houses). Copyright © Books of the North 2011
1925 – The Brewery closed (according to Ken Richardson).
WWII – The brewery building Was used as emergency kitchens during the Second World War.
???? – At some point the building was used by Roughts (Skin Merchants) Ltd. Copyright © Books of the North 2011
c1969 – Bottle collectors today relay the tale of how when the new A690 dual-carriageway was constructed adjacent to the brewery building in the 1960s, the Imperial Garage in the grounds was demolished and revealed a trapdoor leading to a large cellar filled with thousands of bottles branded with the Robinson Bros logo. All were destroyed and thrown in the skip!
1971 – The old Brewery became a listed building on June 17th 1971.
1972 – Photographs from this era shows the wooden grain hoist (lucomb) and malt kiln were still present at the brewery. Internal photos show that the “floor tiles were perforated to allow the passage of warm air, from the heat source below, but the perforations were small enough to prevent the grains falling through. The tiles were supported on an iron framework” [SINE project]. Also shown, in front of the building, was the Imperial Garage alongside Durham Road.
1976 - The Brewery was converted into a night club on 2 levels, taking several names over the years, including: Aries &, Inn Cognito then Rafters & the Bird’s Nest which finally closed in 1990.
1992 - The old Brewery building caught fire in July 1992, causing damage to the southern end of the building. Children from the nearby School would often investigate the derelict building during the lunch break, only for the police to arrive and es**rt them out.
