LONG standing brewery in Devizes, Wadworth Brewery, celebrates brewing beer for Wiltshire and beyond for 140 years this year and still retains many of its original qualities.

The brewery, founded in 1875 by Henry Wadworth and brother-in-law John Smith Bartholomew, still uses some of the same brewing equipment that was installed in 1885 when the iconic Wadworth building was completed.

Another feature is that Wadworth is one of only a handful of breweries in the UK that still use horses to deliver ale.

The brewery currently has two shire horses, 11 year old Monty and 13 year old Max, who are the latest in a long line of Shire horses which, apart from a brief interruption, have served Wadworth for over 125 years.

In their heyday, more than 40 Shires were used by the brewery to deliver beers to local inns and hostelries but this reduced over the years as the use of motorised vehicles increased.

Wadworth previously used to have four shire horses but in 2011 this went down to three and then two in 2014.

Delivery by horse-drawn dray stopped in the 1960s but was re-introduced by the then chairman, Major John Bartholomew, in 1974 as a publicity feature, but they have proved a popular, cost-effective and eco-friendly way of delivering locally brewed beer.

Being two of the very few remaining working Shires in the British brewing industry, Max and Monty deliver beers, wines and spirits on weekdays to pubs and customers within a two mile radius of the Brewery.

Working as a together; they are able to transport a load of approximately two tons under the watchful eyes of head horseman Martin Whittle and horseman Callum Whittle.

The pair also makes promotional visits to Wadworth pubs and take part in county shows and other public events throughout the summer months, winning many prizes, most recently at the Shire Horse Society’s National Show back in March.

The brewery has five drays for the pair - two for everyday work and three that are used solely for shows and public relations events, one of which is a 1903 model that has been restored, and a modern dray which can be used with a single horse.

As a reward for all their hard work during the year, Monty and Max have an annual holiday, usually at the beginning of August, when they are put out to grass for two weeks, where they get the chance to rest their legs for two weeks and relax.

For more information about Wadworth and its horses go to www.wadworth.co.uk