Brewing has returned to an iconic Dorchester site.

Copper Street Brewery has now opened its doors within Brewery Square, the development located on the site of the former Eldridge Pope Brewery.

Originally named King Alfred’s Ales and based in North Dorset, owners Ann and Anthony Buckton have rebranded the brewery to coincide with its first retail presence in Dorset.

Mr Buckton said: “It’s such an exciting time for us to be opening at Brewery Square. What started as a hobby for me has now turned into a dream job. We chose the Square for our first store because of its vibrant feel and fascinating history. It’s great to bring back the tradition of brewing great ales to the original Eldridge Pope brewery site.”

Copper Street Brewery’s ales pay tribute to the Saxon heritage of the local area. Its signature malty bitter, ‘871’, sits alongside a lighter and drier bitter named ‘Shield Wall’ and a golden ale full of hops named ‘Saxon Gold’.

As well as having the brewery operating at the back of the store, Copper Street Brewery also has a bottle shop at the front of the store for people to buy ales from small, independent breweries across the country.

Charlotte Spracklen, centre manager at Brewery Square, said she’s ‘thrilled’ to welcome Copper Street Brewery in time for Christmas.