Castle Brewery, Cockermouth
Brewery
Tours
Discover the Jennings story. Step behind the scenes with our guided tour and uncover the heritage, stories and secrets that make Jennings so special. From our proud brewing history to the character of our beers, you'll enjoy a memorable walk through time, finishing with a tasting in our taproom.
Go behind the scenes
Step behind the scenes on a guided tour and discover the heritage, stories and character that make Jennings what it is. From our brewing history to the beers themselves, it is a memorable walk through the brewery, finishing with a tasting in our taproom.
Price
£15 per person
Tour times
High season: Mon, Wed & Fri 2pm. Sat 12.30pm & 3.30pm.
Ages
12 and over
Four tokens to spend
Each guest receives 4 tokens as part of their tour, redeemable as:
4
tokens for a flight board
2
tokens for soft drinks
2
tokens for a Jennings bottled ale to take away
Booking terms & conditions
Booking a tour means accepting these terms, so please have a read first. They are here because the route goes through a working brewery, and a few of them we genuinely cannot bend.
Who can come
- Tours are open to guests aged 12 and over.
- Guests aged 12 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult, who stays with them for the whole tour.
- Alcohol is served only to guests aged 18 and over; under-18s receive soft-drink tokens. We operate Challenge 25, so please bring photo ID if you look under 25.
- We may refuse entry to, or remove, anyone who is intoxicated or behaving in a way that puts people at risk. A working brewery is not a safe place to be unsteady, and no refund is due in that case.
Access and mobility
- The route runs through a working Victorian brewery: open staircases, several floors, walkways at height and a fair amount of climbing. There is no lift and no step-free alternative route.
- For that reason the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users, and anyone who finds stairs or standing for long periods difficult should think carefully before booking.
- If you would like to visit but the route will not work for you, please get in touch before booking. We will do what we can.
- Our Taproom is on the ground floor and wheelchair accessible, and everyone is welcome there whether or not they are doing a tour. No booking needed.
- If you are pregnant, or have a condition that heat, noise or climbing might affect, please contact us before booking so we can talk it through.
Health declaration
- The route goes into an active food and drink production area, so everyone on the tour signs a short health declaration on arrival. It confirms you have not had sickness or diarrhoea, and have not been in close contact with anyone who has, in the previous 48 hours.
- This is standard food-hygiene practice, and you cannot join the tour without signing.
- If you have been unwell we would far rather you told us than came in and risked it. So if you cannot sign honestly, please let us know as soon as you can. We will move your booking to another date or refund you, even at short notice.
- We keep signed declarations only as long as our food-safety records require, then destroy them. See our Privacy Policy for how we handle your information.
Nuts: a nut-free site
- This is a nut-free site. We keep nuts off the premises to protect our beer from allergen cross-contamination. It is simply good brewing practice.
- Please do not bring nuts or nut products with you. That includes snacks, cereal bars, chocolate containing nuts, and anything made with nut butters or nut oils.
- If you arrive with nuts we will ask you to leave them in your vehicle or off site. If that is not possible we cannot admit you to the tour, and no refund is due.
- If you have a severe nut allergy, tell us when you book so the whole team knows before you arrive.
Food and drink
- Please do not eat or drink anything on the tour route, including chewing gum and sweets. Your tokens are for the Taproom afterwards.
- No smoking or vaping anywhere on the tour route.
Assistance dogs and pets
- Assistance dogs are welcome. Letting us know in advance helps us brief your guide and plan the route, but it is not a condition of entry.
- As much as we love them, other pets cannot join the tour.
What to wear
- Flat, closed-toe shoes are required on the tour route. Open-toed shoes, sandals and heels are not permitted.
- If you arrive in unsuitable footwear we will not be able to take you on the tour, and no refund is due. Please check before you set off.
- Long hair should be tied back and loose jewellery removed before entering the production areas.
- It is an old, draughty building and genuinely cold in the winter months, so bring a jumper or a coat.
Safety on the tour
- Stay with your guide and follow staff instructions throughout. Please do not touch equipment or enter any area you have not been taken into.
- Adults are responsible for supervising the children in their group for the whole visit.
- Nothing in these terms limits our responsibility for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for anything else that cannot be limited by law.
Changes, cancellations and refunds
- Because a tour is a leisure activity booked for a specific date and time, the 14-day cancellation right that normally applies to online purchases does not apply here.
- Cancel more than a week before your tour and we will refund you in full. Just let us know as early as you can.
- Inside that last week we are not able to refund the booking. A place held on a small tour that then goes unfilled at short notice is a real loss to us. We may still be able to move you to another date, but that is at our discretion and we cannot promise it.
- Please arrive ten minutes before your start time. Once a tour has gone into the production areas we cannot bring latecomers in, and no refund is due.
- We may change the route, or occasionally cancel a tour, for safety, staffing or production reasons. If we cancel, you can move to another date or take a full refund.
- Prices include VAT.
Questions about any of this, or something you would like to check before booking? Call the Taproom on 01900 397753 or email taproom@jenningsbrewery.co.uk. Jennings Brewery, Castle Brewery, Brewery Lane, Cockermouth, Cumbria CA13 9NE.
Book your tour
Pick a session and book your place. Tours run Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 2pm, and Saturday at 12.30pm and 3.30pm, with up to 20 places on each, at £15 a person.
Already a member? Your free brewery tours aren’t booked here: redeem them (no charge, no code) on your member tours page.
Booking is subject to our terms above. In short: ages 12+, flat closed-toe shoes required, a strictly nut-free site, no step-free route, free cancellation up to a week before (none after that), and everyone signs a short health declaration on arrival confirming no sickness or diarrhoea in the previous 48 hours. Read the full booking terms.
Trouble booking, or no calendar showing? Call the Taproom on 01900 397753 or email taproom@jenningsbrewery.co.uk.
Before you visit
How do I book a tour?
The quickest way is to book online using the booking panel on this page. You can also call the Taproom on 01900 397753 during opening hours, or email taproom@jenningsbrewery.co.uk.
What is the minimum age for the tour?
Tours are open to guests aged 12 and over. Visitors aged 12 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult.
Is the tour suitable for everyone?
The tour involves open staircases, several levels and a fair amount of climbing, and there is no lift or step-free route, so it is not suitable for wheelchair users. Flat, closed-toe shoes are required and the building is old and cold in winter. If the route will not work for you, get in touch before booking and we will do what we can. Our Taproom is on the ground floor and wheelchair accessible, and everyone is welcome there without booking.
Any health or allergy notes?
This is a nut-free site — we keep nuts off the premises to protect our beer from allergen cross-contamination, so please do not bring nuts or nut products with you; if you have a severe nut allergy, tell us when you book. As the tour goes into an active brewery, everyone signs a short health declaration on arrival confirming no sickness or diarrhoea in the previous 48 hours.
Can I bring my dog?
Assistance dogs are welcome. Letting us know in advance helps us plan the route, but it is not a condition of entry. Other pets cannot join the tour.
Can I eat or drink during the tour?
Food and drink are not consumed during the tour. You use your tokens in the taproom afterwards.
Inside the brewery
