# Tolly Cobbold Brewery



## Ether (Feb 3, 2007)

Myself, Fieldym, Lightbuoy and Kongzi all decided on a trip to the Tolly Cobbold brewery in Ipswich! 

Information about the site is as follows:
In 2002 Tolly Cobbold became part of Ridley's and the Cliff Brewery in Ipswich closed ending 256 years of brewing at that site. The company itself claims a history dating back to 1723.

So we walked around for a bit and checked out some outer buildings slightly upset by being unable to get into the main building, then Kongzi and Fieldym made a daring roof top climb and a slightly comedy entrace through a door in the roof and we were all in! 

Anyway on with the picture!

Outside Shot




Outer Buildings




Old Case of Tolly Cobbold




Vats




Inside Vat




View out of the little roof room




Old Fox Hotel pub sign




The Beer Stash!




Huge promo bottle of Tolly Cobbold




Found this logo painted onto the wall down in the basement.




Ah something i've always known! 




Its a pretty good explore with all the little out buildings and the main building is pretty good. 

The main building is fairly large in itself and has many different floors taking you right up to the roof, one of the vat rooms has all blue windows which is pretty cool. 

All in all i'd say the place is a good explore and its definatly worth getting down there if you get the chance


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## Foxylady (Feb 3, 2007)

What a great explore! Any more pics? 
Love the sound of the blue-windowed room. That logo on the wall is great & in the stash pic it looks as though they'd kept one of every kind of beer they'd ever produced. Amazing find. 
Oh yes, I agree, beer is best!


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## Reaperman (Feb 3, 2007)

Looks great. But what makes it a "comedy" entrance?


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## Ether (Feb 3, 2007)

Here's a picture of the blue windows, i have a few other pictures but i'll leave Lightbuoy, Fieldym or Kongzi to post some pictures! i don't want to hog all the glory.


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## Ether (Feb 3, 2007)

We tried every door possible to get into this place, every window, at one point lightbuoy was going to go down a drain. 

Were about to leave and fieldym and kongzi go up this rickety ladder above the security hut, across some dodgy roofing and down another slightly dodgy ladder. 

Fieldy walks upto probably the only remaining un-tried door door and it opens. 

I figure its always like that tho, always the last place you try. Still saved lightbuoy a trip down the drain!


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## Speed (Feb 3, 2007)

Nice one dudes! saw more then me


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## FieldyM (Feb 3, 2007)

Ether;10151; said:


> I figure its always like that tho, always the last place you try.



Yeah I tend not to try any other entrances once I found the one that I go through!


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## Ether (Feb 3, 2007)

I'm still confussed as to why they had life jackets in there!


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## Speed (Feb 3, 2007)

I dont think im going to be able to stop myself from drinking some more of that beer! 

PS. greetings to those of you i havent seen for ages!


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## FieldyM (Feb 3, 2007)

Some pictures from me.......























Lots more pics on my site, http://www.matthew-field.co.uk


P.S Ether that pic of me makes me look bad! I'm not a fan!


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## kongzi (Feb 4, 2007)

Weather vein on top of the brewery.





Upstairs in the attic type areas.





Looking out accross the river from the top of the brewery in a small viewing area.





Some of the fermentation tanks inside.





The room with 6 fermentation tanks with a blue sky light round the top, full of pigeons, cunts, lots of copper 





Fieldy on the very tippy top section with the flag pole, required a sketchy climb, good views though.





The egde of a abandonded barge in the river... un related but the brewery over looks it.





Control panel bird shit love.











Close up of display cabinet contents.





Display cabinet of various beers produced there.





Dab was with us in spirit 





Piccy of the brewery from inside the outer building complex.






 Super sweet explore.


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## Foxylady (Feb 4, 2007)

kongzi said:


> Dab was with us in spirit



 Lol Nice One, and really nice pics, too. Cheers.


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## graybags (Feb 4, 2007)

Cracking pictures

Tolly Cobbold has got to be the worst beer I ever tasted....mind you I was young at the time and any beer was welcomed

Incidentally, The Commanding Officer of my first ship was a Commander Cobbold of the same family...

Graybags


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## Abo (Feb 4, 2007)

Nice one dudes, shame I couldn't make it


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## Lightbuoy (Feb 5, 2007)

Hi Chaps!

Brilliant pics of a truely fantastic explore. Well done Fieldy for finding a way in (didn't fancy the look or smell of that hole in the ground!)  Thought I'd blown it when I jumped down from that high wall right in front of the little security office, and heard him shout "oi", jump into his van, orange lights flashing, and collared me! However, there is more than one way to crack an egg, as I found out! 
Think it would be safe to say we made the most of the daylight, and there sure was plenty to see. Will try to get a few pics posted sometime soon (including that piece of equipment that I'm sure Fred Dibnah would have been proud of!!!) 
Hmm, I hope they have internet access in HMP Chelmsford ............

Lb


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## smileysal (Feb 5, 2007)

what a lovely building (even more so as it was a brewery  ) love the blue windows and the windows in the small viewing area. the weather vane is a great pic too :thumb: 

didn;t realise they made so many different beers till i saw all the different bottle  what are they going to do with the place now? im guessing it will all be turned into even more upmarket apartments, like everything else. grrr!!!

looks like you had a good explore.


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## kongzi (Feb 5, 2007)

The building is listed so can't be changed around too much, from what I hear it can't be turned into apartments due to it being too close to an area used for storing rather toxic chemicals, yay!

Rumour also has it that the pigeons used to get into the blue fermentation room and sit around the top, this area was full of CO2 and they would become over come with the gas and pass out, falling into the open topped tanks, the old boys would fish them out, not knowing how long they had been in there. Urban myth? Probably


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## smileysal (Feb 5, 2007)

thats great news on the first part, but the second bit with the pidgeons falling into the tanks, yuck! omg, ive drunk some of that stuff years ago, when i used to get down to that part of the country.  hehe maybe thats what sent me dizzy lmao.


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## Lightbuoy (Feb 6, 2007)

As usual, I'm the last one to get some pics of this one sorted, but now have put some into the Gallery section, under INDUSTRIAL.

Lb


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## Foxylady (Feb 6, 2007)

Lightbuoy;10200; said:


> As usual, I'm the last one to get some pics of this one sorted, but now have put some into the Gallery section, under INDUSTRIAL.


Hi LB
Brill pics as always. Really love the window shot - it's superb. Was going to post a comment on the gallery but (& call me a daft besom if you like!  ) I couldn't find any way of doing so. Great stuff!
Cheers
Foxy


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## Lightbuoy (Feb 7, 2007)

kongzi;10187; said:


> The building is listed so can't be changed around too much, from what I hear it can't be turned into apartments due to it being too close to an area used for storing rather toxic chemicals, yay!
> 
> Rumour also has it that the pigeons used to get into the blue fermentation room and sit around the top, this area was full of CO2 and they would become over come with the gas and pass out, falling into the open topped tanks, the old boys would fish them out, not knowing how long they had been in there. Urban myth? Probably



Hmm, that's interesting KZ. Perhaps TC should have capitalised on this one and had a dedicated beer in memory of those unfortunate birds -I'm thinking "Pigeon Pop"? , though with all that pigeon droppings, should I call it Pigeon Plop?   

Lb 

P.s. -encouraging news about the future of the buildings. Would be nice if at least part of the site is preserved for the public.


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## Lightbuoy (Feb 7, 2007)

Foxylady;10204; said:


> Hi LB
> Brill pics as always. Really love the window shot - it's superb. Was going to post a comment on the gallery but (& call me a daft besom if you like!  ) I couldn't find any way of doing so. Great stuff!
> Cheers
> Foxy



Ta very much!
No, you're not daft, or at least if you are, I am too, as I haven't worked out how to comment on a gallery pic either! 
You got any explores in the pipeline?

Lb


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## Foxylady (Feb 7, 2007)

Lightbuoy;10206; said:


> You got any explores in the pipeline?



I'm hoping to go back to Racal's & Warner's again soon to get the pics I didn't manage the other times, plus I've been researching pillboxes in my area to go and look for. After that I'm hoping to go a bit further afield, maybe Taunton to see the derelict cider plant & Lyme Regis to check out an abandoned hotel. See how it goes!
Cheers
Foxy


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## Bishop (Feb 7, 2007)

I really like the look of the Tolly Cobbold Brewery, kinda reminds me of my own local brewery which has been derelict for a good few years (Courage, Bristol).

Foxylady wrote.



> Taunton to see the derelict cider plant



Not heard about that one. If you'd like a bit of company when you go then PM me.

B


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## Foxylady (Feb 7, 2007)

Bishop;10211; said:


> . If you'd like a bit of company when you go then PM me. B



Certainly will! I'll find out where in Taunton it is exactly, suss out buses, etc, & let you know. Cheers.


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## krela (Feb 8, 2007)

Foxylady;10212; said:


> Certainly will! I'll find out where in Taunton it is exactly, suss out buses, etc, & let you know. Cheers.



I know where it is, not sure it's worth the travel tho? It's pretty knackered from what I've read about it.


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## Foxylady (Feb 8, 2007)

krela;10216; said:


> I know where it is, not sure it's worth the travel tho? It's pretty knackered from what I've read about it.



Yeah I checked it out on Google last night but couldn't find out if it had been redeveloped yet (gave up after skimming 153 pages of a development report! ). Looks like it might be something I'll look at if over that way for other things. Cheers for the info, Krela.


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## kongzi (Feb 11, 2007)

After my last visit I realised I'd missed a few bits along with the fact I never had my tripod last time:crazy. Went back today with Ether to retake some photos and check out the bits I missed, like an entire floor and a room  Pics are in no order, some required a little light painting as the Head brewers office is dark and damp.

Click the pictures to enlarge them :thumb 











































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Enjoy


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## Ether (Feb 11, 2007)

Top pictures chap 

It was a good explore today and definatly worth going back 

I might have to upload the picture of me with the Beer Gun!


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## FieldyM (Feb 11, 2007)

Ether;10377; said:


> Top pictures chap
> 
> It was a good explore today and definatly worth going back
> 
> I might have to upload the picture of me with the Beer Gun!




Alright for some! some of us had to work!


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## kongzi (Feb 12, 2007)

> I might have to upload the picture of me with the Beer Gun!



Do it 



> Alright for some! some of us had to work!


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## Lightbuoy (Feb 12, 2007)

Ether;10377; said:


> Top pictures chap
> 
> It was a good explore today and definatly worth going back
> 
> I might have to upload the picture of me with the Beer Gun!



Hi chaps -pleased to hear that you had a sucessful explore!
So I assume you have to aim for the mouth with that gun?!! 
Look forward to seeing more pics of the brewery.

Lb


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## Lightbuoy (Feb 21, 2007)

Good evening!  

Working late, so it's given me the opportunity to pop on a few more pics of the Brewery.

Lb


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## Lightbuoy (Feb 21, 2007)

Ooops forgot to say that the latest pics are in the Gallery & not here!


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## Foxylady (Feb 21, 2007)

Hi Lightbuoy
Just looking at your pics in the gallery when you posted. As always, really cool pics. I love the attention that you give to the smaller details. Great stuff m'dear! 
Cheers
Foxy


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## Lightbuoy (Feb 21, 2007)

Evenin' Foxy,

Ta very much! I'm also in the process of sorting out me mountain of pics, and am hoping to update me website soon (ish)!
Trust that all's going well with you?

Lb


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## Foxylady (Feb 21, 2007)

Look forward to seeing the updates to your website, LB. All's well with me, thanks, & hope t'is with you. Sounds like you're going to be rather busy!
Cheers
Foxy


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## Lightbuoy (Feb 21, 2007)

Things are fine here thanks, but am changing jobs soon, so I've got a feeling me spare time is going to be put under the squeeze until I settle in! 
Will let everyone know when I've updated me site.

Bye for now,

Lb


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## Barnstormer (May 9, 2008)

Yes, beer IS best.


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## pdtnc (May 9, 2008)

cracking pictures guys....
What a cool place.


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## Bryag (May 17, 2008)

Cracking explore and pics, guys. But, and I am not being funny, why not post your pics on photobucket so we can see them here, without waiting for "fileshack" to decide whether it is going to let us see your pictures or not? Just a thought


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## RedDave (May 17, 2008)

Nice pictures, enjoyed the lab shots and the beer collection. Looks much the same, except for the pigeon shit, as it did when I went on a tour of the brewery in the mid 1990s while it was still in use. This is possibly because it was so hard to get in unless you're a pigeon.

Tolly did some nice beers on special occasions, though their regular stuff wasn't as good as Adnams.


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## Mr Man (Nov 18, 2008)

Interesting news about this place - it's going to reopen as a pub & then a brewery once again (only as a microbrewery, but good news still)
see - http://www.cliffquay.co.uk/
Cheers to it's up-coming un-dereliction!
Mr Man.


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## Lightbuoy (Dec 2, 2008)

Mr Man said:


> Interesting news about this place - it's going to reopen as a pub & then a brewery once again (only as a microbrewery, but good news still)
> see - http://www.cliffquay.co.uk/
> Cheers to it's up-coming un-dereliction!
> Mr Man.



That sounds like great news. Cheers for the "heads-up" 

Lb:jimlad:


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