The Rise and Fall of Whittle Springs Brewery
A brief history of the rise and fall of the Spa and Brewery at Whittle Springs.
by J. Jackson.

WHITTLE   SPRINGS

The story of Whittle Springs, for it was at Whittle that the spring was discovered, has its own fascination and begins in the year 1836

The Decline of the Spa

Such was the popularity of Whittle Springs ales and mineral waters by 1883, that the brewery owners required further spring water to keep up with the demand. Several wells had been dug over the years but on this occasion they sunk a deep artesian well in the brewery courtyard and were rewarded with a flow of 4.000 gallons an hour, far more than they expected. They took what water they required and the surplus was allowed to drain away into the canal. All this would have been of no consequence were it not for the effect the new well had on the original Spring in the Round House. This, the source of so many past cures and the original of so much success and wealth, now dried up completely. Eventually, when it was obvious that the water would never return, a troop of monkeys was kept in the Round House and to future generations of children it became known simply as "The Monkey House."

Nobody in 1883 would have regarded the failure of the original spring as having any particular significance. Nevertheless, until this point in time, the Spa and Brewery had been considered of equal importance. Henceforth, the brewery and its needs were to take precedence.

Gradually, almost imperceptibly, the number of visitors to the Spa declined, particularly amongst those who had been accustomed to travel considerable distances to take the water. All the diversions to be found at the "Howard Arms", the pleasure grounds, the beautiful conservatories, and all the facilities previously described, could not compete with the more intellectual attractions of Harrogate, Buxton and Cheltenham.

There again, science was advancing. The efficacy of mineral water" cures" was being questioned by the medical profession. The latest fashion was for seabathing and special trains were carrying people to resorts along the Lancashire sea-coast. "The Howard Arms" could hardly match the appeal of the "Winter Gardens" in Blackpool or the rolling breakers of the Irish Sea.

The new attitude towards spa water is reflected in this slightly mocking extract from the Chorley Guardian dated 1889. The writer is describing the kind of people who now visit the Spa; "lovers and young people fond of hired traps -young men and maidens who relish tea and conversation and moon - shine and who think they are adding to there lives by pulling faces over curiously tasting water, visit the place in Summer. They go in for doses of Chalybeate, Alkaline and Alcohol, tea, gossip and kisses and return in the long Summer evenings determined to live forever."
Nevertheless the "Howard Arms" continued to attract local people well into the 20th century. There were swings for the children and a boating lake. The bowling green was very popular. Brass bands played in the grounds every weekend, the fair came each year on Good Friday and the "Wap" continued to provide drinks and refreshments. It was still a pleasant place to be on a Sunday afternoon.