Discover Tower Brewery in Burton upon Trent, a unique independent brewery inside a restored 1870s water tower with a fascinating brewing heritage.
Tower Brewery | Where Burton’s Brewing Heritage Meets Independent Brewing
If there’s one place where Burton upon Trent’s brewing past and present come together in a truly memorable way, it’s Tower Brewery.
Tucked away at Walsitch Maltings on Glensyl Way, Tower Brewery is far from an ordinary brewery. It occupies a beautifully restored 1870s water tower, originally built for Thomas Salt & Co Ltd, one of Burton’s historic brewing names.
Today, the building has been given a whole new lease of life by John Mills and his family, who transformed the once-derelict tower into an independent family brewery in 2001.
The result is a fascinating piece of Burton upon Trent brewing heritage where historic architecture, traditional brewing and a modern independent spirit come together.
Look Up – This Brewery Has a Story!
Tower Brewery’s setting is what makes it particularly special.
The impressive water tower was built in the 1870s as part of Walsitch Maltings, associated with Thomas Salt & Co Ltd. Salt was one of Burton’s important brewing companies, and the wider site formed part of the infrastructure that supported the town’s booming brewing industry.
The tower originally had a very different job. A large steam pump drew water from the Walsitch borehole beneath the site, sending it up into a tank room at the top of the tower. From there, the water supplied the Walsitch Maltings.
That means today’s brewery isn’t simply located in a historic building, the building itself was once part of Burton’s brewing story.
And there’s an ingenious feature that still helps Tower Brewery today.
The height of the tower allows gravity to feed the grist case, allowing crushed malted barley known as grist,
to be moved through the brewery using gravity and helps provide water pressure during the brewing process. It’s a brilliant example of how historic industrial architecture can be adapted for modern use while retaining its original character.
From Thomas Salt to Bass | A Site at the Heart of Burton’s Brewing Story
The story of the building is closely connected with the rise of Burton upon Trent as a global brewing centre.
Burton was once home to more than 30 breweries, producing beers that were enjoyed across Britain and exported around the world. The town’s famous gypsum-rich water helped create the conditions that made it particularly suited to brewing.
The Salt brewing story was an important part of that history.
The Walsitch Maltings site was built by Thomas Salt & Co Ltd in the 1870s and later came under the ownership of Bass & Co in 1927. While the great breweries of Burton changed and disappeared over the decades, elements of their industrial landscape survived – including this remarkable water tower.
Today, the tower offers a fascinating reminder of the huge network of buildings, maltings, water supplies and engineering that once supported Burton’s world-famous brewing industry.
From Derelict Water Tower to Award-Winning Brewery
By the end of the 20th century, the old water tower had fallen into disuse.
Then came John Mills.
In 2001, with the help of his father Geoffrey and his family, John took on the challenge of transforming the handsome old tower into a working brewery.
It took around nine months of hard work to complete the conversion, with production beginning on 10 April 2001.
Rather than erase the building’s industrial character, the project celebrated it.
The restoration was recognised with a Burton Civic Society award for the restoration of an industrial building, highlighting the importance of giving historic buildings a new purpose while respecting their heritage.
It’s a brilliant example of heritage in action: a building created to support Burton’s brewing industry has become a brewery once again.
A Royal Visit for Burton’s Brewing Heritage
Tower Brewery made national headlines in February 2025, when King Charles III visited the historic brewery during his official visit to Burton upon Trent.
The King was given a tour of the building by owner John Mills, discovering how the former water tower had been transformed into a working brewery and learning more about Burton’s remarkable brewing heritage.
And, naturally, a visit to a Burton brewery wouldn’t be complete without sampling the beer! His Majesty pulled himself a pint of Tower Brewery’s Gone for a Burton, a traditional mid-strength ale, before raising his glass and declaring: “To your very good health.”
He also sampled The Spirit of Burton, a 41% spirit distilled from IPA, describing it as “supercharged”! The visit highlighted not only Tower Brewery’s fascinating history, but also the continuing importance of Burton upon Trent as a centre for brewing and innovation.
For Tower Brewery, having the King step inside its historic walls was a wonderful moment, and another chapter in the story of a remarkable building that has been connected with Burton’s brewing industry for more than 150 years.
Today, you can follow in royal footsteps and discover Tower Brewery for yourself, from its fascinating industrial heritage to its award-winning beers.
Burton Born & Brewed
Today, Tower Brewery proudly describes itself as an independent family brewery established in 2001, based in Burton upon Trent – the home of brewing.
Its beers include favourites such as Tower Bitter, Imperial, Gone for a Burton and Ale to the King, giving visitors the chance to enjoy beers brewed in a building with more than 150 years of industrial history behind it.
The brewery’s philosophy is all about creating balanced, great-tasting beers with that all-important quality brewers call drinkability, the sort of beer that leaves you wanting another sip.
And there’s something wonderfully appropriate about enjoying a Burton-brewed beer inside a former brewery water tower.
See the Brewery for Yourself
Fancy discovering more?
Tower Brewery offers brewery tours by arrangement, giving visitors the opportunity to explore the building, learn about its history and discover more about the brewing process.
It’s a brilliant experience for anyone interested in beer, industrial heritage, local history or Burton upon Trent’s brewing story.
The brewery also has a public bar, with Friday nights currently open to all, while the unique venue can also be hired for events.
So whether you’re a dedicated beer enthusiast or simply curious about the stories hidden within Burton’s historic buildings, Tower Brewery is well worth discovering.
A Building with a Past | A Brewery with a Future
What makes Tower Brewery so appealing is the way it brings together history and modern brewing.
Look at the tower and you’re looking at a survivor from Burton’s great brewing era.
Step inside and you’re experiencing a building that has been carefully brought back to life.
And raise a glass of Tower beer and you’re tasting a little piece of Burton’s brewing tradition.
From the steam-powered water system of the 1870s to independent brewing in the 21st century, this remarkable building has been at the heart of Burton’s brewing story for generations.
Add Tower Brewery to Your Burton Adventure
If you’re exploring Burton upon Trent, don’t just discover the town’s brewing heritage through its history – experience it for yourself.
Visit Tower Brewery, explore the fascinating old water tower, discover the story of Walsitch Maltings and find out how a remarkable piece of Burton’s industrial past became a thriving independent brewery.
History, heritage and great beer, now that’s a winning combination.
Ready to discover Tower Brewery? Find out more about brewery tours, beers, Friday nights and venue hire on the official Tower Brewery website.
Plan more of your brewing adventure:
Tower Brewery sits within a wider landscape of Burton’s brewing heritage, with other historic and modern breweries nearby, making it easy to turn your visit into a full Burton upon Trent beer and heritage experience.