💷 Free entry
Hook Norton Brewery
Victorian tower brewery in a north Oxfordshire village with three shire horses in recently restored original stables and a free heritage museum.
✦ We visited
The shire horses are the real highlight and the Victorian tower brewery is a genuine piece of working history. Everything families come for is free, which makes it easy to build into a day that includes the nearby Rollright Stones or Chipping Norton.
Hook Norton Brewery has been brewing real ale in the village of Hook Norton since 1849, and it remains one of only a handful of independent family-owned tower breweries still operating in England. The Victorian buildings, including the imposing 1894 tower, form a remarkable piece of working industrial heritage, and the whole complex is free to explore.
For families the draw is the shire horses. Three of them are housed in the historic stable block, recently restored and reopened after a fire, and they are in their stalls Wednesday to Sunday when not out on deliveries. Walking the cobbled yards, watching the horses and learning about their traditional role in local deliveries is the kind of encounter that children carry with them. The free museum at the visitor centre tells the brewery's story through original equipment, photographs and archive records.
Brewery tours run daily and are designed for adults and older children, but the visitor centre, stables, museum and café are all open without charge and without needing to book a tour. The village of Hook Norton is worth exploring in its own right, with a fine church and quiet lanes, making it a gentle and rewarding afternoon in the north Oxfordshire countryside.
Good for: animals, history, outdoors. Ages: 0–2, 3–4, 5–7, 8–11, 12+.
Good to know
Are the shire horses always at Hook Norton Brewery?
The three shire horses are in the stables Wednesday to Sunday and in the fields to the rear on Monday and Tuesday. They may occasionally be out at events, so check the website if the horses are the main reason for your visit.
Is Hook Norton Brewery free to visit?
Yes, the visitor centre, stables, museum and café are all free to visit without booking. Brewery tours are charged separately and are generally for adults and those aged twelve and over.
Where is Hook Norton Brewery?
The brewery is at the end of Brewery Lane in Hook Norton village, with on-site parking. The village is a short drive from Chipping Norton or from Banbury to the north.
