In the twelfth century the abbots of Burton began to produce beer. The dissolution of the abbey in the sixteenth century saw inns and alehouses appear, with many selling beer brewed on-site. The first recognisable brewery was Benjamin Printon’s, which was established on Horninglow Street around 1708. The Trent & Mersey Canal, built in 1774/75, allowed further expansion to the industry, but it was the coming of the railway in 1839 that led to massive growth – by 1888 there were thirty-one breweries employing over 8,000 men and producing over 3 million barrels a year.

In this collection of images, local author and historian Terry Garner illustrates the history of this famous east Staffordshire town and provides a fascinating insight into the many lost breweries that made Burton-on-Trent the brewing capital of the world.