New home approved for famous brewery shire horses

Sam and George will be moving from Devizes to a nearby village

A new home for the iconic Wadworth brewery shire horses has been given the go-ahead by Wiltshire Council.

The well-known brewery horses, Sam and George, will be moving from Devizes to a nearby village, next to a pub alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal.

The horses are a familiar sight around Devizes, and are the longest in a long line of shire horses to have served Wadworth over the past 125 years.

The decision came after the relocation of Wadworth & Co to the new Folly Road Brewhouse and the proposed re-development of the Northgate Street site.

The planning application stated: “The land is in Wadworth’s ownership and provides a suitable location for the shire horses and sign shop," according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

"Both have important historical associations with Wadworth and their re-location adjacent to the popular destination bar and dining establishment alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal provide added local and tourism appeal."

Following the relocation of the brewery from the centre of Devizes to Folly Road, Sam and George will be housed in a paddock next to the pub at Seend Cleeve.

“The shire horses will be visible from the footpaths and the Barge Inn, providing an attractive and welcoming site for customers, locals and visitors to the area," the application added.