Alloa, East Vennel, Thistle Brewery

NS89SE 50 centred 88825 92809

(Location cited as NS 888 927). Thistle Brewery, founded 1830 by James Maclay, rebuilt late 19th century. A neat complex consisting of a two-storey and attic, 7-bay office block (1896); a two-strorey, 5-bay malt store with a central hoist; a four-storey, 2-by-8-bay brewhouse with a tower, and various single-storey buildings. There is a single mash tun, two oil-fired coppers, a hop-back, ten wooden fermenting vats, and ancillary equipment. One of two surviving active small Scottish breweries.

J R Hume 1976.

NS 8882 9280 Due to its historic character, a programme of historic building recording was undertaken between October and December 2004 in advance of the demolition of the majority of the buildings on the site of Maclay's Thistle Brewery in Alloa.

Prior to redevelopment, four evaluation trenches totalling 93m2 were also opened in the open courtyard areas across the site. No significant archaeological deposits or artefacts were encountered.

Archive to be deposited in NMRS.

Sponsor: Palisade Properties.

D Sproat, L Dunbar 2005.

Visited by MKO on 12 May 2005, at which time demolition was complete.

NS 8880 9279 (centre) A standing building survey was undertaken in August 2005 on the site of the former malt store for the Thistle Brewery (NS89SE 50). The work entailed making a drawn and photographic record of the S and E elevations of the malt store and the N elevation of the adjacent office block. It showed that the malt store had undergone a radical change early in the original construction phase, but that otherwise the building had remained ostensibly the same (with minor changes) until the current phase of works. Relieving arches above the windows in the office block were recorded.

Archive to be deposited in NMRS.

Sponsor: Belhaven Pubs Division.

D Hind 2005.