The Britannia Brewery stood almost opposite Paradise Row. It later became Spreckley's Brewery. It was started by a Mr. Joseph in early Victorian times, but at first, Worcester did not take to large scale brewing, being content with home-brewed ale.But times were changing . Breweries began buying up public houses, which became 'tied houses'. The Britannia Brewery was the first public brewery in Worcester, and later it was brought by the Spreckley Brothers who came from London.
Of the brewery buildings, the tower has gone but the large malting house remains in Brewery Walk. More interesting because they are rare, is the half-circular gin-house which housed the horse-engine that pumped water up to the top of the tower from which it went through the brewing process by gravity. Several early breweries kept horse engines as a stand-by when the steam engine was out of action.
Next to the brewery, on the south side, was the Britannia Inn. When the building was demolished in 1938, skeletons were found under the floor.