William Bradford (architect)
William Bradford (1845-1919) was a prolific architect of breweries. Born in 1845 in Devon, son of Robert Bradford 1818-1875 (a builder). Responsible for building or altering 70 breweries his first commission was a small addition to the "Hope Brewery" in East Grinstead (1879). Died at home in Surbiton on 2 February 1919. He married Hannah Laura Barrat (1848-1893) on 23 April 1872 in St Pancras, London England. William Bradford (1845-1919) worked in the brewing industry from the late 1860s and established his architectural practice at 40 King William Street, London EC4, in 1879 , moving to Carlton Chambers, 12 Regent Street, London W1, in early 1882. Bradford's works included building or altering over 70 breweries and maltings throughout the country, although the majority were in the south of England. His practice concentrated almost entirely on breweries, maltings and ancillary buildings, notably tower breweries, eventually arriving at a distinctive decorative style, featuring ironwork and a picturesque roof line, that is easily identifiable today. The practice was known as William Bradford & Sons by 1905. The firm continued under his sons, W.Stovin-Bradford and J. W. Bradford, and designed several lavishly ornamented public houses and was  last heard of in 1946. W.Stovin-Bradford presented a paper on the architecture of breweries at the White Horse Hotel, Congreave Street, Birmingham on 21 January 1932. Born in 1877 he died during the war in 1940. One of his sons was Frank Stovin-Bradford William Bradford was the architect of an unexecuted new brewery which was proposed for a site in Ashbourne Road, Limerick, in 1895 and of another on a site next to the railway station in Dundalk, Co. Louth, for the Great Northern Brewery Co. in 1896. The brewery in Limerick was abandoned for economic reasons after  objections by the local Redemptorists. It is unclear if William Bradford was the architect of the Great Northern Brewery in Dundalk which was built in 1896. A contemporary picture of the brewery appears to match the style of other breweries. Breweries and buildings that he is responsible for are: