Burton on Trent is a town in Staffordshire, England located along the River Trent. It has a population of around 43,784. Burton is best known for its long brewing history and was home to over a dozen breweries in its heyday, and still has several breweries today. Other major industries include tyre manufacturing and food processing plants for brands like Marmite and Bovril. The town grew up around Burton Abbey, an important religious center, and the abbey and brewing continue to influence the town's identity.

1. Burton on Trent
This is a brief introduction to the town of Burton on Trent in Staffordshire...
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the
River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England.
Burton, which had an estimated population of 43,784 (2001 Census), lies within the National
Forest.
Burton is best known for its brewing industrial heritage, home to over a dozen breweries in its
heyday. Beer is still brewed in the town. The town originally grew up around Burton on Trent
Abbey, which was the most important religious centre in medieval Staffordshire. Burton
Bridge also became an important crossing point of the Trent and was the site of two battles,
first in 1322 when Edward III defeated the rebel Earl of Lancaster and also in 1643 when the
royalists captured the town during the First English Civil War. Sir William Paget and his
descendents were responsible for extending the manor house within the abbey grounds and
facilitating the extension of the River Trent Navigation to Burton. Burton had grown into a
busy market town by the early modern period.
For centuries brewing was Burton's major trade, and it is still an important part of its
economy. The town is currently home to 8 breweries; Coors Brewers Ltd: formerly Bass
Brewers Ltd, and now the UK arm of Molson Coors Brewing Company – a brewery from
Canada (co-headquartered in the United States) – which produces Carling and Worthington
Bitter; Marston, Thompson and Evershed plc, bought by Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries
now renamed Marstons plc. The Marston's Brewery produces its own brands, draught
Marstons Pedigree, draught Hobgoblin and also draught Bass under licence from InBev.
Tower Brewery, Burton, a microbrewery based in the old Salts Water Tower of Walsitch
Maltings, which were formerly used by the second biggest brewer in Burton.
Burton Bridge Brewery is a local company based in Bridge Street with a six local pubs in and
around Burton. It produces a number of traditional beers including Bridge Bitter, Stairway to
Heaven, Damson Porter and Golden Delicious. Tower Brewery is a microbrewery located off
Wharf Road, Old Cottage Brewery, based in Hawkins Lane whose beers include Oak Ale and
Halcyon Daze, Black Hole Brewery is based at the Imex Centre, Gates Brewery, and is also a
microbrewery and is located in Reservoir Road.

2. Burton is also the corporate headquarters of the pub operators Punch Taverns plc and Spirit
Group, which were spun out of Bass in 1997. In addition, the White Shield micro-brewery
remains open alongside the National Brewery Centre formerly Coors Visitor Centre and
(previously the Bass Museum of Brewing).
A by-product of the brewing industry, figuratively and literally, is the presence of the Marmite
factory in the town. This in turn generated the production of Bovril. Both are now owned by
multinational company Unilever[23][24] In addition to the brewery industry, tyre
manufacturer Pirelli is a major employer in the town, and they are a major sponsor of the
Burton Albion Football Club. The Burton suburb of Branston is where Branston Pickle was
invented.
Burton Abbey in the town centre was mentioned in the Domesday book when it was said to
control lands in Mickleover, Appleby Magna in Leicestershire, Winshill and Stapenhill in
Staffordshire, Coton in the Elms, Caldwell and Ticknall.[1] The abbey itself was neither large
nor wealthy and in 1310 was claimed to be the smallest and poorest Benedictine monastery in
England by the monks. It suffered frequent financial troubles throughout its existence, often
due to mismanagement and outright criminal behaviour, though the situation seems to have
been resolved by the 16th century.
In the 13th to 14th centuries there were around thirty monks in residence though this had
fallen off to almost half the number by the 1520s.
However, by contradiction, the monastery was nevertheless the most important in
Staffordshire and by the 1530s had the highest revenue. The abbot was both a secular lord
and, "exercised an independent spiritual jurisdiction. He was a figure of some standing,
regularly serving on papal and royal commissions and acting as a collector of clerical taxes
within the diocese." At various times between 1295 and 1322, the abbot was summoned to
attend the Parliament of England, and again in 1532. It is also known that there were frequent
Royal visits to the abbey, including those by William I, Henry II and Edward I.
Sport:
The town is home to Burton Albion, who play in the Npower Football League 2. Burton is also
the location of the English National Football Centre, which opened in 2012 and is called St
George’s Park

3. The Burton & District Cricket League[48] has many notable clubs, including Burton Cricket
Club, Dunstall Cricket Club, Abbott's Bromley, Yoxall and Lichfield Cricket Club.
Burton RUFC, one of the oldest rugby union clubs in the country, was established in 1870,
when it played both association and rugby football rules. It did not adopt rugby union only
rules until 1876.[49]
The town is also home to the Burton Canoe Club on the banks of the River Trent. It has
recently expanded and built its own clubhouse. Also along the River Trent in Burton are
Burton Leander Rowing Club, which was founded in 1847 (and is one of the oldest rowing
clubs in the country), and Trent Rowing Club, founded in 1863.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burton_upon_Trent