The Brewery History Society: Breweries
Hertfordshire - Watford, Lower High Street: Benskins Brewery Ltd - Cannon Brewery, High Street, Watford
Benskin's Watford Brewery Ltd: Cannon Brewery, 194 High Street, Watford
Founded by 1722 by John Pope at New Street. Moved by his great-grandson, John Dyson to 194 High Street in about 1820. Bought by Joseph Benskin in 1867 with 42 public houses for £34,000. Registered in July 1894. Acquired by Ind Coope Ltd in 1957, and brewing ceased in 1972 with 636 tied houses. The brewery buildings were demolished in 1978, but the offices were converted into the Watford Museum.
Reference:
A Century of British Brewers Plus - 1890 to 2004. Brewery History Society, 2005.
Several articles have been published about Benskins in the BHS Journal, as follows:
- Journal 051 (November 1987): Benskins of Watford - Heritage engine returns home (Martyn Cornell)
- The following articles were published in Journal 110 (Winter 2002):
- The Popes and the Dysons: Five generations of Watford brewers (Ken Smith)
- Benskins of Watford (Martyn Cornell)
- Early memories of life at Benskins of Watford 1948 to 1953 (John Perry)
- Benskin's House (D A Tomsett)
- Lamented beer is best yet (Oliver Phillips)
- Benskin's Watford Brewery 1867-1967 (C J M Bradbury)
- The collectibles of Benskins of Watford (David Dines)
- Benskin's new Bottling Store (from the Brewing Trade Review, August 1958)
Contributor BHK sends this picture of the surviving Benskin's window at the former brewery offices (May 2008):
