The Castle (2) - sign, 108 King Charles Road, Surbiton

Image: © P L Chadwick Taken: 18 Aug 2013

The pub has two signs, one on the frontage to Britannia Road and this one, which is on the frontage to King Charles Road. This is the more interesting because it has a further sign above the picture of a castle. From a distance the sign above looks like a clock but in fact it is a brewery sign. Around the edge it says: "Watney Combe Reid 1898". Watney Combe & Reid were an amalgamation of three brewers formed in 1898, and they based their brewing operations at Watney's Stag Brewery at Victoria, London. This explains why in the middle of the sign there is a picture of a stag which is very faded but can be seen when the photograph is enlarged. The firm became London's largest brewer for many years but the brewery closed in 1958 when they transferred brewing to the brewery of a company they had taken over and changed their name to Watney Mann. Watney Combe & Reid were particularly well-known for brewing Watney's Brown Ale and Hammerton Oatmeal Stout. An interesting historical relict, of which there are probably very few left, particularly as Watneys ceased to exist in 1979. Image

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