{{Short description|Brewery in Swindon, England}} {{Infobox company | name = Arkell's Brewery | logo = Arkell's Brewery logo.svg | logo_size = | image = Arkell's Brewery, Kingsdown, Swindon - geograph.org.uk - 753002.jpg | hq_location_city = Swindon | hq_location_country = England | founded = 1843 | industry = Alcoholic beverage | products = Beer | revenue = | owner = | num_employees = | parent = | divisions = | subsidiaries = | website = {{Official URL}} | footnotes = }}
'''Arkell's Brewery''' was established in Swindon, England by John Arkell in 1843, and has been owned by members of the Arkell family since its establishment. It is Swindon's oldest company, built initially on the massive expansion of Swindon in the Victorian era with the arrival of the railways and the decision by Isambard Kingdom Brunel to site the Great Western Railway Works in Swindon in 1841.
==Brewery== Originally a steam brewery,<ref name="thisis">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/tiwtourism/thingstoseeanddo/wiltshirebreweries/|title=Wiltshire Breweries|access-date=2007-01-19|publisher=thisiswiltshire.co.uk|work=Things to see and do| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061206002430/http://thisiswiltshire.co.uk/tiwtourism/thingstoseeanddo/wiltshirebreweries/| archive-date= 6 December 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref name="diary">{{Cite web|url=http://www.swindondiary.com/arkells160.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040708131606/http://www.swindondiary.com/arkells160.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=2004-07-08 |title=Arkells 160th Anniversary Beer Festival |access-date=2007-01-19 |publisher=swindondiary.com |year=2003 |work=Swindon Events }}</ref> with the engines now being powered by electricity, Arkell's is a tower brewery which works on the principle that raw materials are fed into the top of the building and beer comes out in casks at the bottom.
The brewery building is a Grade II listed building<ref name="listed1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.swindon.gov.uk/listed_buildings_stratton_pdf.pdf |title=Listed Buildings: Stratton St Margaret Parish |access-date=2007-01-19 |publisher=Swindon Borough Council |format=PDF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107125659/http://www.swindon.gov.uk/listed_buildings_stratton_pdf.pdf |archive-date=2009-01-07 }}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England |num=1185439 |desc=Arkells Brewery House, Stratton St. Margaret}}</ref> and the site has been designated an Urban Conservation Area by Swindon Borough Council.<ref name="listed2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.swindon.gov.uk/stratton_kingsdown-2.pdf |title=Urban Conservation Areas in Swindon |access-date=2007-01-19 |publisher=Swindon Borough Council |format=PDF }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==Distribution== The brewery owns 92 pubs in the Swindon area and surrounds, including locations in Oxford, Newbury, Reading, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Ascot; and sells its products to free houses in the Thames Valley and London.
In 2005, the brewery entered into a contract with rail company First Great Western to have its beer stocked in their buffet cars.<ref name="fgw">{{Cite web|url=http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=98 |title=Wiltshire food and drink now on First Great Western trains |access-date=2007-01-19 |publisher=First Great Western |year=2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060926032849/http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=98 |archive-date=2006-09-26 }}</ref>
==Promotion== Arkell's have sponsored events at Newbury Racecourse since 1979.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.racenewsonline.co.uk/newslink/archive/300/210300.htm |title=Racenews Newslink Archive - Tuesday, March 21, 2000. |publisher=www.racenewsonline.co.uk |access-date=2010-11-21 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101229051330/http://racenewsonline.co.uk/newslink/archive/300/210300.htm| archive-date= 29 December 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>
The brewery has been visited by the Duke of Kent and politicians including Michael Howard and William Hague.<ref name="politics">{{Cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/politics_show/4461463.stm|title=West: Swindon's swings|access-date=2007-01-19|publisher=BBC News|author=Dave Harvey|work=Politics Show West | date=2005-04-22}}</ref>
==House beers== *''Honey Pale Ale'' *''2B'' *''3B'' *''Wiltshire Gold'' *''Kingsdown Ale'' *''Moonlight'' *''Mustang Black'' *''Hoperation IPA'' *''1843 Craft Lager''
== See also == * Arkell, Ontario, Canada, established by John Arkell
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website}} * [https://www.flickr.com/photos/swindonlocal/sets/72157624287136145/ Gallery of Arkell's images from Swindon Libraries]
Category:Buildings and structures in Swindon Category:Companies based in Swindon Category:Food and drink companies established in 1843 Category:1843 establishments in England Category:Tower breweries Category:Breweries in England Category:British companies established in 1843 Category:British brands