IF you stand in Devizes Market Place and look north west, you will see facing you the imposing Victorian red-brick structure of Wadworth's Northgate Brewery.

The family firm survived the 1960s and 1970s when many small local breweries were taken over by national conglomerates. As the "real ale" revolution gathered momentum, Wadworth's ales became increasingly in demand.

Wadworth's began in 1875 when Henry Alfred Wadworth, at the tender age of 22, bought the old Northgate brewery, now the headquarters of Gaiger Brothers builders.

Wadworth and his lifelong friend and brother-in-law, John Smith Bartholomew, perfected a method of brewing and soon outgrew their first premises.

A new brewery was built over a small sweet water well and completed in 1885.

The firm is still brewing beer in accordance with Mr Wadworth's design.

In part the firm still uses the original equipment installed in 1885.

Henry Wadworth died in 1929 and John Smith Bartholomew's son John became chairman.

Another John Bartholomew,

affectionately known as Major Jack took over as chairman in 1952 and, as a PR exercise, reintroduced horse-drawn drays.

Today Wadworth's shire horses have become an integral part of the local scene.

Wadworth's remains in family ownership, the current chairman and managing director being the founder's great-grandson, Charles Bartholomew.