Brewery tours thinned out badly over the last decade: insurance, staffing, and the simple fact that a working brewhouse is a bad place for a crowd. A handful of the historic sites still run them properly.
The Victorian ones
A tower brewery still working the way tower breweries were meant to, with gravity doing the moving.
Daily tours at 11am and 2pm, booked at least 48 hours ahead, with a cooperage still on site. Be warned: their page says several flights of stairs, nowhere to sit, and no under-12s. Parking is on Market Place, a couple of minutes' walk.
Tours and a tutored tasting at the Lewes tower brewery. Their own page is blunt that there is no on-site parking and the building is not suitable for wheelchair users or limited mobility.
Eighty minutes round Britain's oldest brewer at Faversham, finishing with a tutored tasting and the shop. Private tours run year-round for pre-booked groups, and there are dining versions.
The modern ones
A guided tour of the brewhouse, then four beers straight from the tank. Dogs and children in the taproom, though the tour is over-18s.
In the Palace of Arts in Exhibition Park, with a kitchen and private hire. Table reservations only for Sunday roast; the rest of the week takes no bookings.
Taproom, shop, food and tours at Bakewell, bookable.
A twenty-pound brewery tour including a tutored tasting, over-18s, pre-booked. The bar and kitchen below are dog friendly with a dog menu.
And two that will disappoint you
No tours, no tap, no shop. Their FAQ is unusually direct: “If you do visit the brewery and are not expected, we will unfortunately have to turn you away.” Go to a pub that sells it instead.
Tours stopped in 2024 and the Unicorn bar and restaurant is closed. The shop and museum still open weekdays, and the site takes private hire.
