IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Durnford Street, PLYMOUTH, PL1 3QJ

The buildings on the right are shown in Image The road is approaching a roundabout at the junction with the A374 at Stonehouse Bridge.

The name of Vosper appears in many locations around Plymouth and this is one building where it does not appear but the Regent Brewers company was owned by Samuel Vosper and formed as part of Plymouth Breweries in 1889 but was later taken over and absorbed into other larger companies. The Regent Brewery building seen here rotting away and probably waiting for redevelopment was last used by Courages the brewers before cost cutting and a drive for greater efficiency forced it to close this Regent Brewery part of its enterprise. This is a piece of Stonehouse history that is sure to disappear in the very near future. The photographer recalls an enjoyable visit to Courage's brewery to observe the brewing process and to sample its excellent products in the hospitality room. The brewery buildings behind this frontage have now all been removed. Courage ended brewing here in 1984. Image The view across the road from just to the left of this building can be seen at the link Image

A Marston's pub, and this is not in any real sense the brewery's taproom. Formerly the Diamond Queen Image

Roundabout at Stonehouse.

This shows the building formerly used as the brewing headquarters and brewery of Plymouth Breweries the company established in Stonehouse in 1890 through an amalgamation of 5 local brewering companies including Regent Brewers owned and run by Samuel Vosper. Samuel Vosepr went onto become the Managing Director of Plymouth Breweries. This street scene used to be part of Chapel Street and is now renamed and labelled as 5 to 11 Durnford Street. Close inspection shows a number of interesting features in respect of a building that has long since passed its sell-by date. The title of the old company can be seen in various locations. The shop front at No 5 at the left hand end of the building still has references to it being used as a winery and later as a shop with the name which can be faintly seen as 'The Five Loaves'. The other interesting feature is that the arched opening to the right of the lamp post was the access way into and out of the brewery and one can imaging the brewers drays trundling in and out of there and in the early day drawn by horses. Latterly, the brewery was owned and run by the giant company of Courage (part of Scottish and Newcastle) who were noted for having a freshwater well on the property deep into the limestone rocks .... one wonders if this was the reason why Samuel Vosper set up his original brewery at this location in 1890. Image Image There is an interesting link to one of the properties built by Samuel Vosper presumably with the profits from his brewery business interests. Image