PPMVC Brewery
The Cubley Brook brewery was a significant part of Penistone’s history. It was founded as a beer brewery in 1848 by Joseph Brooke and sited on each side of Mortimer Road at its lowest point in Cubley Bottom. From about 1923, it moved to brewing malt vinegar. It later became 'Penistone Pure Malt Vinegar Company' and kept that name right to the end. The brewery used fresh spring water from Cubley Brook. The vinegar was of high quality and sold under a multitude of familiar labels including Sarson's and Heinz and under its own name. It was an important local employer. Many Penistonians will clearly remember the strong smell of vinegar as they walked past the dog-leg in the road.
Cubley Brook feeds a dam which was the brewery water supply and a source of power for the water-wheel, which might still be there somewhere. The brook flows through Cubley Wood, which Penistone people used to enjoy as a favourite beauty and picnic spot for many years before 'Private - Keep Out' signs went up. Just above the dam there is a short but pleasant public footpath leading down from Mortimer Road. It crosses the brook over a small wooden bridge, passing near the 'out of bounds' wood and emerging on to Chapel Lane near the bad bend. I often walk up there and, judging by the wear and tear on the path, I would say it's a popular route.
Following the brook down to the River Don, it flows under Mortimer Road and runs more or less parallel with Green Road until just after the end of Ward Street. Then it goes under Green Road where David Browns was and proceeds towards Spring Vale near where 'The Nibble' dam used to be (now a housing estate), which it more than likely kept topped up. The Nibble was visible after scrambling up a very high wall behind the row of houses opposite the Britannia pub. The brook continues under Sheffield Road somewhere near Jackie's and across a field behind the houses to finally disburse its contents into the River Don.
The Brook Family
Returning to Joseph Brook, here is a Guestbook message from Jill Bernadotte (my thanks to Jill), one of his ancestors:
"Hello, I am the Great-great grand-daughter of Joseph Brook who founded Cubley Brook Brewery in 1848. His Grand-son, (my Grand-father) was Joseph Brook Rhodes who, although born in Croydon, returned to Sheffield to Penistone College, (does that still exist?) and was in the Sheffield Yeomanry and was a member of The Odd Fellows. He died in the first world war."
She continued: "As for the family Brook, it is possible that the name run out despite there being about 7 children in the family, two of whom were boys. The only trace I have is through the girls who are named in rather a strange ’additional account’ to a will dated 1905, which must have been long after Joseph Brooks death. Their married names were Dickinson, Stones and Rhodes (my maiden name, also a Yorkshire name) there was also a Swift but not named in that particular part of the will."
Pictures
The first two pictures of Penistone's vinegar brewery were taken from Chapel lane and look south towards Cubley. The tall building on the left was the maltings, which was originally the beer brewery. The close-up view (third picture is a close-up from the fourth) clearly shows barrels being transported by horse and cart on the dog-leg in Mortimer Road at 'Cubley Bottom' or 'Vinegar Bottom' which was later straightened out. It was always exciting to travel down Cubley hill in a Baddeley's bus, to hit the kink in the road at speed. That was before drink-driving laws and there are stories about The Flouch and Baddeleys but - not here.
The road was straightened after the brewery was demolished in the 1970s and new houses sprouted up on either side. The vinegar smell was well known in Cubley Bottom but it quickly disappeared with the demise of the company. I'll bet the houses don't use the address of 'Cubley Bottom' or 'Vinegar Bottom' - but they should do.
Mr. Peter Lawford contacts me from time to time and has very kindly sent me pictures and information. In fact, he rescued the old picture (first and second shots above) from a skip in 1974. He says that the managing director in 1970 was Martin Nicholson from Thurgoland. Peter bumped into him by chance in Edinburgh whilst visiting the Royal Yacht 'Britannia' in 2001. The old MD remembered the brewery quite well. Peter has also noted that the office roof was rotated through 90 degrees but cannot discover why, having consulted various records. Peter also believes that the original road might have actually stopped at the brewery, with Chapel Lane being the route out.
The oval wood etch shows detail from the centre of a sign which mysteriously turned up in an antiques shop in Yeovil, a scan of which was sent to me by my cousin Betty. It shows much the same view as Peter's picture but as a wood carving. The sad demolition picture on the right is one of my own.
Regarding the bottles, PPMV bottled 'H.M.S. Cod' and '10 Downing Street' vinegar, produced for H.M.S. Cod Inc., Palos Verdes, California. Guestbook correspondent Stuart Turner found the bottles in his mother's cupboard from when she worked at PPMV Co. They were produced for the US market and special attention was paid to applying the metallic shrinks and the "netlon" covering. The bottles were also different from standard issue. The MD Martin Nicholson made a trip to the USA some time between 1970 and 1973, which led to vinegar being shipped there in 45 gallon wooden barrels. Peter does not know the details but recalls hushed whispers about how the barrels leaked on a UK dockside.
There was also a TV advert for the US market filmed at the Brewery. Vinegar aficionados might be interested to know that there is an International Vinegar Museum in South Dakota, USA. Many thanks to Peter for information and pictures.
Demise of the Old Horse Trough
Right up to recent times, the last remaining connection with this famous business was the old horse trough in Cubley Bottom. It might have been installed when the brewery was built, as horse-drawn wagons were the only way to transport goods in and out and they would need water. It could predate the brewery.
On the old picture at the page top it was just above the maltings building (near the second horse) and in the first picture below, from 2006, it is shown in good condition in the wide pavement area. In 2007 the trough was buried in builders' rubble as a prelude to its ultimate fate. A new house was being built in 2007/8 next to No. 11 and now the trough has been tarmacked over and some new walls (with 'curtilage' planning permission) have been built along the centre of the pavement to give the new house a bigger front yard.
The top-middle and top-right pictures, when the trough was concealed under rubble, were taken in 2007 and the bottom-left picture with some tarmac was taken at the end of August 2008. The last picture was taken in late June 2009, showing the complete eradication of the trough. No, it's not barrel distortion from the camera lens, I thought that at first, but the walls really do lean forward. Unless the house leans backwards.
I don't suppose that horse troughs are used much in modern times but it is always a bit sad when a small piece of history like this has been erased, be it milestone, monument, boundary stone or horse trough. It gives a place some local character and heritage.
