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Archive record · Brewery

Courage Anchor Brewery / Anchor Brewhouse

Horselydown, Bermondsey, London, England, England, United Kingdom

Closed · 1981IndependentHistorical brewery
Founded
1787
Closed
1981
Archive ID
TB-56ZTDPYZ
Last checked
2026-08-21
#England#UnitedKingdom#Independent#Historical

Who owns this brewery?

Independent

Independent ownership is recorded. No parent company is held in the archive.

01

From the record

Summary

John Courage bought the Horselydown brewhouse in 1787. Known as Courage & Donaldson c.1800-1851; incorporated Courage & Co Ltd 1888. Merged with Barclay Perkins in 1955. Horselydown/Anchor brewing closed 1981; production transferred to Bristol/Reading. Do not confuse with Barclay Perkins' separate Bankside Anchor site.

A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.

03

The People

Behind the beer

John Courage
Founder

04

The Beer Library

Beers

Courage Best Bitter

Historical

Best Bitter

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Courage Light Ale

Historical

Light Ale

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Courage Directors

Historical

Strong / Premium Bitter

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Double Stout / Stout

Historical

Stout

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Imperial Stout / Imperial

Historical

Imperial Stout

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XX / KK / SA / XXX

Historical

Strong Ale / Burton Ale lineage

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MC

Historical

Mild / Country Mild

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KKK

Historical

Strong Ale / Old Burton

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Brown Stout / BS

Historical

Brown Stout

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MA / Mild Ale

Historical

Mild Ale

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Burton / Strong Ale

Historical

Burton Ale

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Alton Red / Alton IPA

Historical

Pale Ale / IPA / premium bitter precursor

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Courage Tavern

Historical

Keg Bitter

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08

Show your working

Sources

  1. recordProbable

    Brewery record from Tally's UK master, Pass 147. John Courage bought the Horselydown brewhouse in 1787. Known as Courage & Donaldson c.1800-1851; incorporated Courage & Co Ltd 1888. Merged with Barclay Perkins in 1955. Horselydown/Anchor brewing closed 1981; production transferred to Bristol/Reading. Do not confuse with Barclay Perkins' separate Bankside Anchor site.

    Tally's UK master, Pass 147 — Wales public lists, thin beers, photo rights · Tally's Beer Universe research workbook · 2026

    CommercialMedium reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-21
    Claim last checked 2026-08-21

Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.

09

Straight answers

Common questions about Courage Anchor Brewery / Anchor Brewhouse

Who owns Courage Anchor Brewery / Anchor Brewhouse?
Courage Anchor Brewery / Anchor Brewhouse is independently owned — there is no parent company above it on record. It is based in Horselydown, Bermondsey, London, England, United Kingdom.
Is Courage Anchor Brewery / Anchor Brewhouse independent?
Yes. Courage Anchor Brewery / Anchor Brewhouse is recorded as independent, with no parent company. Independence is recorded as the brewery states it; where a stake is a minority holding or joint venture, this archive leaves it unmapped rather than calling it ownership.
Is Courage Anchor Brewery / Anchor Brewhouse still open?
No. Courage Anchor Brewery / Anchor Brewhouse has closed (1981). John Courage bought the Horselydown brewhouse in 1787. Known as Courage & Donaldson c.1800-1851; incorporated Courage & Co Ltd 1888. Merged with Barclay Perkins in 1955. Horselydown/Anchor brewing closed 1981; production transferred to Bristol/Reading. Do not confuse with Barclay Perkins' separate Bankside Anchor site.
When was Courage Anchor Brewery / Anchor Brewhouse founded?
Courage Anchor Brewery / Anchor Brewhouse was founded in 1787 in Horselydown, Bermondsey, London, England, United Kingdom.
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