Welcome to Aldershot and Area bottles. This is a website all about the Mineral Water Manufacturers, Hotels, Public Houses, Breweries, Beer Retailers and the different types of bottles and containers they used. Just out of interest I have included some bottles from the surrounding towns.
The Town
Aldershot was a sleepy town on the plains of Hampshire, total population of about 400 people, this was the case right the way through to the 1850`s. Then in 1854 the government purchased land (I Believe 25,000 acres) around Aldershot, and established a military camp. This Camp was considered to be the first permanent camp for training troops on a very large scale, and it was also very close to the South coast for troop transportation. From the point of purchase through to 1861 the population shot up to more than 16,000. Where ever the massed ranks of troops went the speculators followed.
The Bottles
During the Victorian and Edwardian periods, a very large variety of bottles and other containers were used by the many sellers to house their products. These containers were embossed, this was not only as an advert for the company and product, but also as a means for recycling the empties for reuse by the supplier. (So you thought this was something new?) Nowadays, most of our containers are designed for single use. For a period of a hundred or more years all the containers were made of strong glass, ceramics and stoneware, lots of these have survived, even after being buried in old refuse tips. Most of these items came from mineral water manufacturers, brewers, beer retailers, public houses, hotels, chemists and wine and spirit merchants.
Why a Website?
My collection was accumulated over 15 years of digging and then a lot of wheeling and dealing, the whole collection was stored in boxes for a period in excess of 30 years. Now in my retirement I have decided to try and record all of the items, and to gather together as much historical information relating to the traders in the area of the town. As with most projects time is the deciding factor, I hope to gradually expand the site, as my research is always ongoing. The project is intended as a strictly non-profit information resource for local and family historians.
Please Note :- I have made every effort to trace the author and owner of the copyright of each work to which I have referred to on this site. If I have unwittingly infringed the rights of any, I tender them my sincerest apologies and crave their indulgence.
Click on the buttons below to view items in the collection, view historical information, and as much information that I can gather about the manufacturers in the town. All details will be in year and then alphabetical order. If you are prepared to share any further information and to allow its inclusion on the site, I would gladly do so.