Greengate Brewery
Greengate Brewery is located in in Middleton, which is in Greater Manchester, England. This building has been standing since 1828 and has been extended over the years. A number of accidents are known to have occured here. These accidents range from what has been described as a 'waterfall of beer' to a man being pronounced dead on the site after falling into an empty vehicle tanker. As for the site's hauntings, a few seperate spirits are said to haunt the brewery. Workers feel like they're being watched, and people have reported seeing women wearing dresses along with men wearing cloaks. One report says a watchman was frightened out of the building after being slapped by an unknown force.
History
The owner of Greengate Brewery is J.W. Lees; a 7th generation, family run, Manchester based brewery company. This brewery was founded by John Lees. John was a well-known cotton manufacturer, but he retired from that business and sold his Manchester and Oldham mills to buy land at Middleton Junction. This is where he then built Greengate Brewery during 1828. It's been said that there were cottages on the site at the time John bought the land. Some people have dated these cottages to the 16th century, also known as the 1500s, and others have dated them to being from the 17th century, also known as the 1600s. As I've found little on these cottages, I don't know where they dated to.
Sources have also referenced a 'Greengate House' which apparently existed on the Greengate Brewery site back during 1791. Apparently, the buildings which were on the site were bought by John Lees from William Hilton, on the death of Thomas Hilton, who was a weaver. An interesting detail about the location of the land is that it was originally classed as a rural area of Lancashire. It was later that it became a part of Greater Manchester, specifically it's located to the north-west of Manchester. It's been said that tragedy at this site began during the 19th century, also known as the 1800s, with the sinking of the brewery well. It's said workmen died during this event, but I haven't been able to find any further details. During 1876, John Lees grandson took control of the brewery and changed it's name to J.W. Lees & Co. John's grandson was called John Willie Lees, and it's the change of the brewery name reflects his initials.
Also during 1876, John Willie invested in the business by building a new and improved brewhouse to cope with demand. Despite the official website for the location citing 1876 as the date John Willie took control of the brewery, a paranormal-based website called Higgypop has said John Willie took the helm and the brewery changed it's name during 1878. Perhaps John Willie took control of the brewery during 1876 and then changed it's name during 1878. However, as the official brewery website lists both events as occuring during 1876; I'm inclined to believe the official website. Plus, Higgypop said the grandson was called 'John Willy' and not 'John Willie'; a small detail, but another reason to believe the official website over Higgypop.
Other sources, and not the official website, have discussed the 1878 date. These sources have slightly contradicting information to one another. One has said the brewhouse was rebuilt fifty years after it was built during 1828, putting the rebuild as occuring during 1878. The other source has said an extension to the original 1828 brewhouse occured fifty years after the original build, which again lines up with the 1878 date. So, some sources say the location was rebuilt and others say it was only extended. Plus, some say this all occured during 1876 and others say 1878. The official website says the following on the matter:
"1876"
"As the business began to grow, so did public demand. With this in mind, John Willie decided to invest in the business by adding some major developments, including building a new and improved brewhouse"
As you can see from the above quote, the above website mentions nothing about demolishing, only adding. This implies to me that the new and improved brewhouse was not a 'knockdown and rebuild' situation, but was rather a 'build something new next to the old' or renovation-type situation. As for the differing dates, it is possible that construction on the new and improved brewhouse began during 1876 for it to then be open and operational during 1876. Another possibility is that the sources saying 'fifty years later' could all actually mean 'roughly fifty years later'. The official website is vague, so I can see why there is miscommunication amongst sources here. It's also been said that the arched Greengate Brewery sign runs from the original building to the extension.
It was during 1888 that John Willie became the second Mayor of Middleton. He maintained this role for two years and was elected twice. When World War One hit during 1914, the brewery experienced shortages of ingredients such as barley and hops. This was due to the disruptions in both trade and agricultural production at the time. Many members of the workforce enlisted and joined the Manchester Regiment. This had an impact on the brewery's capacity for production. Despite these struggles, J.W. Lees continued making beers by adapting recipes, and sometimes they lowered the alcohol content to comply with government regulations which aimed to conserve resources.
It was during the 1930s that another tragedy occured on the site. During this decade, it's said a supervisor went missing and was found several days later in the bottom of a well. Again, this story is vague and I haven't been able to find any further details on this. Sources also say many workers have died over the years by falling into vats and drowning in beer. I haven't found anything on these incidents either and so am reluctant to believe their credibility. Going back to the company, I've found it was registered in 1936 to acquire J.W. Lees & Co. A reconstructed company was registered during the November of 1955.
With the outbreak of World War Two, during 1939 rationing effected the brewing industry along with the entire food and beverage sector. J.W. Lees navigated these restrictions while maintaining their quality. The brewery contributed to the war effort by supporting local initiatives along with providing supplies to military personnel. The Blitz in Manchester during World War Two killed over 600 people and injured thousands of others. The brewery's focus on community combined with their commitment to quality helped J.W. Lees to solidify it's reputation in the brewing industry.
During 1954, the chairman was John Lees-Jones. Within this year, John was inclined to accept an offer from Hammonds United Breweries due to the many difficult years which the brewing industry had faced post-war. John's brother, Dick, could not agree to this offer. Due to this, Dick bought out his brother during 1955 and J.W. Lees & Co. Limited was encorporated in Manchester, England, when R.W.T Lees-Jones bought back the company's share capital. This act re-incorporated it under a single ownership and placed the brewery back as being a family-run business.
It was during 1957 that Richard Lees-Jones joined J.W. Lees Brewery, and he went on to play a significant part in the company's history. Richard was part of the 5th generation of the Lees-Jones family and he played a key role in modernising the brewery and expanding it's operations. Richard served as the chairman for many years and his leadership helped to maintain the brewery's commitment to quality and tradition while also embracing new developments in brewing and distribution. As I haven't found when he stepped down as the chairman, it's possible that Richard was the chairman when J.W. Lees bought Willoughby's during 1969. Willoughby's is their wines and spirits company which stocks over 500 wines from all over the world.
During the year of 1990, William Lees-Jones joined J.W. Lees after spending a number of years in advertising. This meant he joined the family business at the age of twenty-nine. Upon joining, he was tasked with setting up J.W. Lees first marketing department. At this time, J.W. Lees were still presenting themselves in a very traditional manner. Due to this, the following quote has been said: "Although people loved the heritage of J.W. Lees, they saw it as an old man's drink. We had to position the brand way over on the other side of the spectrum to give young people permission to drink our beer". William led many successful campaigns and played a huge part in standardising the J.W. Lees brand across all of their managed pubs, including the growing part of the business which included inns and hotels.
It was within the 1990s that Simon, Christina, and Michael Lees-Jones also joined the family business. These family members, along with William, were part of the 6th generation of the family. There is a building called 'Knox's Cottage' which is the brewery tap and visitor centre at Greengate Brewery. It was named after Bobby Knox, an old caretaker who used to live in the cottage. The cottage was turned into an on-site pub when Bobby died during 1992. His granddaughter, Coronation Street's Suranne Jones, opened the refurbished pub during 1998. Most of the time, this pub is not open to the public. However, you can get a few drinks here as part of the brewery tour, on opendays, or at private functions.
During 2003, William Lees-Jones secured his Managing Director role. Within the same year, the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles, visited Greengate Brewery to celebrate it's 175th anniversary. It was on the 28th of August 2024 that a slightly more well-documented tragedy occured on the site. On this date, BBC News reported that a man had died after falling into an empty brewery tanker. They said the emergency services were called at roughly 15:45, that the victim was thought to be in his 30s, and that he was pronounced dead at the scene. They also said he was found inside a vehicle tanker.
More developments occured for the brewery during 2018. This is the year they added a ten-barrel micro-brewery called 'The Boilerhouse'. This small batch brew kit allowed for further experimental beers to be produced. It was during 2023 that it was put into full swing with 52 different beers being released. Collaboration with partners such as Cloudwater, Thornbridge, and Salt had played a huge part in the Boilerhouse's development. Another accident, although one where no one was harmed, was reported on during 2019. In an article published by The Daily Mail at 21:09 on the 19th of March 2019, it was said a 'river of ale' had occured after a mishap had occured at the brewery. This river was also described as a 'waterfall of beer'. The article detailed that the ale poured from one of the highest points of the building and that the steam looked like smoke. One of the tanks had malfunctioned, and this forced huge quantities to overflow out of the building. According to a J.W. Lees spokesperson, it wasn't a major incident and many employees weren't even aware it had happened.
During 2022, William Lees-Jones was awarded with the Family Business United 'Family Business Top 100'. This recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work in a family business. As for recent times, 2024 saw a huge renovation project planned for Greengate Brewery. This project has been said to soon come into effect and that it will secure the location for at least the next 200 years. J.W. Lees owns J.W. Lees Brewery, J.W. Lees Pubs, The Alderley Edge Hotel, The Trearddur Bay Hotel, and Willoughby's Wine Merchants. 153 people are employed at the brewery and site in Middleton Junction. The business employs over 1,590 people and over 1,437 of those staff members are employed in 43 managed pubs, inns, and hotels. The company let 100 pubs to pub partners and they have pubs ranging from close to Greengate Brewery in Manchester, to North Wales. It's also been said that J.W. Lees have won 'countless awards'. Finally, their Greengate ale is named after Greengate Brewery.
Hauntings
At base level, workers have reported the feeling of being watched at least once or twice during their time there. Apparantly a staff member was eating their lunch when they thought someone had come through the door, walked up behind them, and stood next to them. When this staff member turned around, there was no one there. It's said other workers have reported similar events. Spanners and a kettle are said to often move around in the tank room, and moans and odd noises are heard at all times of day. Footsteps have also been heard in the tank room.
Regarding apparitions, a few have been sighted. A figure in a long white coat has been said to reside in the tank room and when it's challenged, it disappears. Apparently there is also a dark figure that appears in the attic. A lady sits in the boardroom looking away from the table, possibly with her back against the table; but it's definitely with her back to the table. A woman in a black dress has been seen floating down the halls. Another spirit is that of a man in a white cloak who hovers before disappearing through cracks in doors. It's unclear if this white-cloaked man is the same as the figure in a long white coat.
There is also said to be a woman in a long brown dress who has been glimpsed coming through the staff kitchen door. A tall and slim figure in a brown cloak, who has also been described as a tall dark-cloaked figure, has been seen by a clerk at the brewery. They've said the figure was hovering and moved between her and the filing shelves. Before it got to the end of the shelving; it moved away to her left, through the solid shelving, and out of sight. Tour groups have seen a barrel moving up and down in the cellar. Finally, a watchman was walking past the boardroom when he felt his face be slapped by an unknown force. He was found outside the gate at 6am at shift-change. It's implied that he was scared out of the building.
Summary Of Hauntings
1. A lady - boardroom
2. A woman, dark dress - the halls
3. A woman, long brown dress/dark cloak, tall, slim - filing shelves
4. A man, white cloak, disappears through doors
5. A figure, long white coat, disappears when challenged - tank room
6. A dark figure - attic
7. Feelings of being watched
8. Footsteps - tank room
9. Moans
10. Odd noises
11. Spanners and kettle move - tank room
12. A watchman was slapped in the face by something unseen
13. A barrel moves up and down - cellar
My Thoughts
I think there is potentially misinformation out there about deaths which have occured on the site. I could be very wrong with this point of speculation, but I find it odd that I haven't found any sources discussing events of death during the 1900s and earlier in detail. This isn't to say these pre-2000s deaths didn't happen, but it's odd that there are seemingly very few details about these events out there. This leads me to wonder if people have have speculated on deaths due to hauntings and word of mouth may have boosted both stories of deaths and stories of hauntings. Again, it's all speculators and so could be very wrong, but I can see it happening.
As for the hauntings of the building, I would expect family members and workers to haunt the location along with perhaps the old residents of the land. This could explain why the spirits are apparently wearing cloaks and dresses. I don't think there would be anything sinister here, and so I think the summary has potential of being fairly accurate. If there has been a lack of deaths, I would expect the location to be fairly inactive. With the confirmed recent death, there may be one or two spirits present here who are more capable of interacting with their surroundings. I definitely wouldn't trust the information about tour groups seeing a barrel move up and down. I could be wrong, but this seems like something put out there to sell more tour tickets.
Thank You!
Thank you for reading this article! I was quite surprised with how few sources there were discussing this location. As somewhere with lots of death which has apparently occured here, you'd expect more websites to cover it. The next article will be published on Friday the 31st of January. Originally, this was going to be a word list analysis article, however I want to get ahead of my schedule. As a result, Friday's article will be the next journal entry. The following article will be published on Monday the 3rd of February and it will document a haunted locaiton in the West Midlands.
A special thank you goes to Damain, Nicolette, Kerry, GD, Gran, Chris Willcx, Nicola Jada, Nita Raveling-Hamilton, David Lee Jones, theinoculator, 1141520851813892291920, Angeles Wernicke Zapiola, Ke v, Crispinfandom, Thiago Lima, Edgar Darnell, Megzii Hughes, SPIDEY/theronwhittet, Baptist Dsouza, Mike Olsvig, Karin Beasant, Jacqueline Dixon, Beth Beauxis, Andy Lindon, Tracy Lindon, Glen Hunt, Yvette Fielding, Rye Voss, Paul Anthony, Cambria A Sheridan, warIIikeparakeetiii, Perkeleen Rotta, archivistforager, Christa Hoelters, missluna70, chalswhoelse, Saun Evans from Lift Hills and Thrills, Jacks-and-graves, The Cornish Ghost Whispers, Beardo Gets Scared, Starlight Phoenix Paranormal, Paranormal Penny Pinchers, the Australian Paranormal Society, Codegas Codex of Curiousity, Phantom Detectives LLC, Shadow Walkers Paranormal Investigators, South Of Spooky, Don't Scare Claire, blogparanormalexpresso2stuff, Paranormal Connections, Phantom Seekers Paranormal, chatibelieveinghosts, Purbeck Paranormal Investigators, Ghost Investigations, ParanormalTruthNetwork, haunted, Kev Kerr Paranormal, Verona Ghosts, Conjure Quest Paranormal Investigations, Edge Paranormal Research, Soulsearchers Northumbria, Paranormal Among Us, Wolf Royalty Paranormal, Spirits Beyond, and Tamworth Castle for your continued support of The True Paranormal. If you want to be thanked in an article, or in the monthly appreciation post I make across social media, then please share my articles and tag 'The True Paranormal'. If I see that you've shared, then I will publicly thank you!
If you want to follow The True Paranormal you can do so on Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly known as Twitter), Tumblr, and Pinterest. You can also subscribe to The True Paranormal on YouTube, or directly to this website through the bar on the left which will give you email notifications. That bar also lists all of the links which will take you to The True Paranormal's various social media platforms. If you want to contact me about your own experiences, or about anything at all paranormal, you can email thetrueparanormal1@gmail.com
A Donation Message
If you've enjoyed this article, it would be massively appreciated if you could donate anything you can towards The True Paranormal. With your donations, I can continue to build up the database and document haunted locations, paranormal experiences, the individuals who are involved in the paranormal, plus more. If you are interested in donating, then you can do so when I am live on tiktok. If you donate, I will be sure to thank you across social media and in my articles. Anything donated is much appreciated. A new feature starting from 2025 is the ability to subscribe on tiktok. As of writing this, you can subscribe from £3 a month.
Thank you very much to b0nez67, enthusiastic_bum_muncher, ssjb.17, frankiesbarbers, niamh.gallagher10, leomowatt, preppy-chloe11, autistic willy wonka, Rishi, Shay, Ruaridh, Brainrot mash, Erikthompson1971, Rhianna.private, Niamh, Boris, SPIDEY/theronwhittet, Jamie, LLA, kay1, UnknownUserOffical, JOSHY, Spoon., josh.309, Meeehow, evan.cowell1, D.Thornton, Leo, Maisy, Fr@nkie0'Reilly, ParanormalExplorationsuk, *.chloe.*, Sel, . , Zoro, Bertie boy, j.br2590, MIKOsousa, Natedog, PETER IS BACK, matsdyrnes, Josh, liampxyne, z7moz, GratsTrash, @ryan_yates26, bencottis, Darcy, Sam_dman, "GOO GOO PIG", yungzemi, Megan.sherriff, and xkayycee0 for your amazing donations on tiktok. Anyone else I see donate after a tiktok stream has finished will be added to this thank you list. I'm really sorry if I miss any names as I don't know if tiktok tells me everyone who has donated, but I will try my best to thank you all.
Sources I Have Used
1. J.W. Lees
8. Higgypop
9. Tuco
12. Oxford Reference
14. NZT
15. BBC News
17. Mail Online
22. Manchester Wire
23. Manchester Mummy
24. Fandom
26. Hotels.com
28. The Manc
29. The Tab
31. Haunted Places
34. Cheshire Live
Comments
Post a Comment