Demolition underway at Victorian brewery site

The listed section of the site will remain standing but the old industrial buildings have been demolished

A large, historic brewery site remembered for its shire horses and the smell of hops has been mostly demolished.

Wadworth in Devizes has moved production to the edge of the Wiltshire town, selling off a large chunk to developer Backhouse.

The iconic red brick Victorian building is listed and will stay standing, with plans yet to be confirmed on its future use.

The rest of the site was mostly industrial buildings, now pulled down for Backhouse to build housing on the site.

It is "quite sad" to see the demolition, says former worker Gordon Snook

Gordon Snook worked at the brewery for almost 20 years, starting in the bottling hall and eventually becoming head horseman.

He said it was "one of the best jobs I've ever had".

"It's quite sad. Part of my life is still entrapped in there I think. Lots of memories."

Mr Snook remembers the famous horses fondly.

The brewery had used them to deliver to pubs since the 1800s, but decided to retire them for good earlier this year.

Mr Snook remembered also taking them out for weddings, funerals and even as far as the houses of Parliament.

"Everyone used to say how nice they looked. I don't know they appreciated how much work goes on behind the scenes before you got out on the road," he said, adding it was "jolly hard work".

Wadworth's shire horses were well-loved in the area

"It is sad to see it go," said Helen Cross, who grew up in the area.

She is pleased, however, the iconic Victorian building will still be there.

Ms Cross remembers the smell of the brewery and the horses and the carts passing by with the barrels on.

"A good memory from when I was younger."

Matt Bishop, head of construction at Backhouse, explained the scheme would create more than 100 new homes, including 60 apartments.

"We commenced demolition back in early September. The demolition process is well underway. The site is looking quite flat," he said.

Next, the developers will start testing the ground and working out what needs to be done to make it safe for house building.

The developer wants to start construction in spring next year, with the first people moving into homes in 2027, and the project finished by 2029.