Three Tuns Brewery, Bishop's Castle, goes through the floor

One of the welcome developments in Shropshire in recent years has been that the beers brewed at the Three Tuns Brewery in Bishop's Castle have become more widely available.

Now, reports the Shropshire Star, the brewery has come up with a novel way of expanding:

Bosses at the Three Tuns Brewery, in Bishop’s Castle, have been in talks with specialist engineers to make better use of its 370-year-old cellars. 

The idea came about after restrictions on the Grade II listed brewery building prevented any expansion upwards or outwards. 

The various beers produced at the Three Tuns, off Market Square, are brewed in a vertical Victorian tower where ale topples down a number of chambers into a fermenting tank. 

Director of the brewery Bill Bainbridge said the plan would allow a larger tank to be installed underground, meaning ale could be produced in greater quantities ... 

A brewing licence was first granted at the site in 1642 and some of the existing brewery dates back to the 17th century. Staff believe it is part of the original brewhouse, which they claim would make the Three Tuns the oldest working brewery in Britain.