Hook Norton Brewery

A working Victorian brewery

Where the building is the story

There are plenty of breweries that run tours, but very few where the building itself does half the talking. Hook Norton is a genuine tower brewery, six storeys of Victorian ironwork and timber standing in the middle of the village, and it has been brewing on the same spot since John Harris founded it in 1849. It is still owned and run by the same family, six generations on, which is rarer than it sounds and shows in the way the place is looked after. From the cottage it is a straightforward fifteen to twenty minutes through the lanes, and we tend to treat it as a proper afternoon out rather than a quick errand.

The tour itself lasts around two hours and takes you up through the tower, where the whole process flows downward by gravity, floor by floor, from the malt lofts at the top to the coppers and fermentation rooms below. The thing everyone remembers is the steam engine on the ground floor, a 25 horsepower survivor from 1899 that is believed to be one of the last in the country still doing the job it was built for. The guides know the place inside out and are clearly fond of it, and the last half hour is spent back in the visitor centre at the sampling bar, tasting the range. Tours run seven days a week but must be booked in advance, so it is worth ringing or booking online before you set off rather than turning up on spec.

What a visit takes in

• The tourA booked, ticketed guided tour of the tower and steam engine, roughly two hours, finishing with a beer tasting at the sampling bar. Essential to book ahead by phone or online.
• The shire horsesThree shires still deliver beer to the local pubs the traditional way, and you can meet them in the stables. They are not part of the tour and the stables are open separately, so ask when they are in residence if the children are keen.
• The museum and shopA small free museum tells the brewery's story, and the shop stocks the full range of beer alongside deli bits, wines, spirits and gifts. Easy to browse without a tour booking.
• The Malthouse KitchenThe on-site kitchen does breakfast, lunch and lighter bites through the day, so you can build a whole visit around it rather than rushing off for lunch elsewhere.

Making an afternoon of it

We rarely go just for the tour. Hook Norton is a handsome ironstone village worth a wander before or after, and the lanes around it are some of the prettiest in this corner of the Cotswolds. A common shape for the day is a late-morning tour, lunch at the Malthouse Kitchen or in the village, and then a slow drive home through Great Tew, where The Falkland Arms makes a good final pint. If you would rather turn it into a bigger day out, Chipping Norton is close by for shops and a proper high street, and there is more in the same vein in our wider guide to things to do in the area.

Knowing before you go

Tours book up, especially at weekends and during school holidays, so reserve in advance. The tour involves climbing several floors of narrow staircases, which is part of the charm but worth knowing if that is a consideration. Opening days and times shift with the season and with off-site events, so check the brewery's own site for the current schedule and to confirm the horses will be in the stables on the day you plan to come. For prices, tour times and booking, the official site is always the last word.

“Book the tour, stay for the shire horses, and pick up a case of Old Hooky on the way out. One of those afternoons that feels properly well spent.”

Visit the official site →

Also nearby

• Whichford Pottery · Pottery · Whichford
• Hook Norton · Village guide
• The Bell at Charlbury · Pub · 15 min
• The Killingworth Castle · Pub · Wootton