History
Standing on the opposite corner to Pilgrim House on the corner of Hope Street within Hope Square is the Red Lion public house. The building shows a date of 1878, but was known to exist in 1851 when Edward Newman was the landlord.
This whole area underwent quite a transformation some years ago and is now something of a tourist attraction in itself. The most notable change was in the use of the old brewery. Up until the 1980s Devenish were still brewing their beer here.
Since its closure in 1985 the building has been transformed and taken a tasteful step back in time in more ways than one. Now known as Brewers Quay, it stands opposite the Red Lion in Hope Square.
Beer was brewed on this site for hundreds of years, since at least 1252. It was the ideal site for a brewery as water was close by coming from a spring at Chapelhay and nearby at Radipole there were barley fields.
In 1462 John Devenish was appointed supervisor of all brewers in the King's realm. The Devenish family took over the entire site in Hope Square in the 1820's and they continued brewing beer here up until 1985.