PPMVC Vinegar
Cubley Brook beer brewery was founded in 1848 by Joseph Brooke. From about 1923, malt vinegar was brewed. It later became 'Penistone Pure Malt Vinegar Company' and kept that name right to the end. The vinegar was of high quality and sold under a multitude of familiar labels, including Sarson's and Heinz, and under its own name. Many Penistonians will clearly remember the strong smell of vinegar as they walked past.
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 a beer brewery. The close-up view clearly shows barrels being transported by horse and cart - on the dog-leg in the road at 'Cubley Bottom' which was later straightened out. The third picture is a close-up from the fourth and show much the same views as the other pictures. The brewery used fresh spring water from Cubley Brook. This goes on to become a small stream that passes under Green Road to finish at the River Don in Springvale.
Mr. Peter Lawford very kindly sent me these old pictures. Peter says that there is very little trace of the brewery now, except for the horse trough just above the maltings building is still there (near the second horse). In recent times (2007) the horse trough was covered by builder's rubble from a nearby building project but it is still in good condition (picture - right).
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. Many thanks to Peter for the information and pictures.
The oval picture shows detail from the centre of a sign which turned up in an antiques shop in Yeovil, Somerset, a scan of which was sent by my cousin Betty. It shows much the same view as Peter's picture but as a wood carving. The two bottles might have been produced by PPMVC but I cannot confirm it. The sad demolition picture on the right is one of my own.
The road was straightened after the brewery was demolished in the 1970s and new houses built either side. The brook flows through Cubley Wood, which was a favourite beauty spot and much used by the public for years as a pleasant picnic spot. Someone fenced it all off and it became out of bounds to the public, along with the pond. The brook continues under the road, under Green Road near to Ward Street, under where David Browns was and eventually meets up with the River Don at Spring Vale, not far from the Cricket Club.
