Castle Rock Brewery, the largest independent beer maker in Nottingham, has confirmed plans to move its main production base from Traffic Street to a historic site on Percy Street in Basford after receiving planning permission for the new facility.
Historic site, continued brewing in city
The company said it will close its current brewery once the lease on the Traffic Street site expires next year and open at a 19th‑century Grade II listed building that once housed the Prince of Wales Brewery. The brewer — which also operates a number of pubs in Nottingham and elsewhere in the UK — intends to keep brewing at both locations while the transfer is carried out.
Castle Rock’s flagship pub, the Vat and Fiddle, located adjacent to the existing brewery, will remain in its current location despite the brewery’s relocation, the company confirmed.
Investment and continuity
Marketing manager Jessica Bailey said the relocation “represents a big opportunity for us,” noting the company will invest in new brewing equipment as part of the transition and that the Basford site’s own brewing history was an attractive feature.
“It's always been our priority to keep brewing, and to keep brewing in Nottingham, [and] this new site is only a few stops away on the tram away from where we are currently, so that was really important to us.”
Bailey acknowledged the company’s attachment to the Traffic Street premises and the memories tied to it but said that buying and remaining on the site had not been possible.
Roots and recognition
Castle Rock traces its origins to 1977, when Chris Holmes opened the Old King’s Arms in Newark. The company began brewing some 20 years later. Its beer Harvest Pale won the title of overall Champion Beer of Britain from the Campaign for Real Ale in 2010, and Castle Rock was named pub group of the year at the National Pub and Bar awards in 2024.
- Current site: Traffic Street, Nottingham (lease expires next year)
- New site: Percy Street, Basford — 19th‑century Grade II listed former Prince of Wales Brewery
- Transition plan: Both sites to brew while move is executed; Vat and Fiddle pub to remain in place
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1977 | Old King’s Arms opened in Newark by Chris Holmes |
| c.1997 | Company began brewing (about 20 years after 1977) |
| 2010 | Harvest Pale named Champion Beer of Britain |
| 2024 | Named pub group of the year at National Pub and Bar awards |
The move underlines two priorities Castle Rock has emphasised: maintaining production within Nottingham and modernising facilities. The new location, a short tram journey from the existing site, offers symbolic continuity as well as new capacity after planning approval.
Broader context
For regional brewers, relocations to larger or more suitable premises often involve balancing heritage and capacity. Castle Rock’s choice of a building with its own brewing past ties into wider trends where legacy industrial sites are repurposed for contemporary production while preserving architectural history. The company’s plan to invest in new kit indicates a focus on scaling operations and updating plant within the city rather than moving production out of the area.
Local news coverage noted that the company will keep the Vat and Fiddle open beside the current brewery, maintaining a community presence even as production shifts. The staged approach — brewing at both sites during the transition — suggests the company aims to minimise disruption to supply for its pubs and wider distribution while installation and commissioning of new equipment proceed.
As the lease on the Traffic Street site approaches expiry next year, Castle Rock will be moving into a site that simultaneously honours local brewing history and positions the firm for the next phase of its operations.
