BREWERY

On one side of a 15 x 39 cm piece of Whatman paper. A fragile survival: aged, worn and stained. Drawn to a scale of two inches to 30 feet. Central ground plan ('The Court 73 feet') showing, with size, 'Malting', 'Ale Tonhouse', 'Bear [sic] Tonhouse', 'Brewhouse', 'Milhouse', 'Hop Room' and 'Office', 'Spirit Cellar', 'Tender Trade'. The ground plan is flanked by two elevations. The first is captioned 'The Front of Malting &c to South 71 Feet', and the second, 'The Front of the Malting in the Court Side &c 47 feet'.

192pp., 8vo. In contemporary black calf binding, with brass clasp and marbled endpapers. Ownership inscription on fly leaf: 'Claude Clark | Jan. 1875'. The first entry reads: 'System of Brewing according to commenced in Brewery Tuesday Nov 2nd 1875. The charge for instruction was 50 guineas, which was repaid in profits in almost 5 weeks, it was found to act admirably and produced 4 1/2 brls per qr and 5 brls from good malt.' This is followed by a long 'Mashing example'. There follow recipes for 'Dressing', 'Stout', 'India Pale ale', 'XXX Stock ales' and 'Running XXX Ales'.

As Chorley is described in his entry in the Oxford DNB as a 'conservationist' with a 'deep attachment to and lifelong concern for the English countryside', it is a surprise that no mention is made of the matter to which this collection relates, which created some public interest at the time and involved a landmark legal action. The first item in this collection - a copy of typed letter from Chorley to the Clerk to the Hendon Rural District Council on 24 October 1932 - sets the scene neatly.

8vo, 249 pp. In original black leather blind-tooled binding, marbled endpapers. The text clear and complete, apart from a few leaves at the front and end which have faded through damp damage, and one leaf becoming detached and worn at extremities. The damp has also detached the book from the binding, the glue of which has dissolved. The only clue of the location of the brewery is the reference to 'Ramsgate', below. The volume consists almost exclusively of pages of closely-written dated calculations, with pages giving number of barrels of 'Stocks pumped up' and 'left for next brew[in]g'.