Open for business: the railway arches serving customers as well as trains

Attracted by the low rent and industrial aesthetics, entrepreneurs are flocking to disused railway arches to start their own ventures

For Peter Jackson, setting up a microbrewery in a railway arch a short walk from Tower Bridge was a move back to the future. The manager of Southwark Brewery Company explained that the borough was once home to two of London’s biggest breweries, Barclay Perkins and Horseley Down. Both closed in the 1980s.

“I wanted to follow the history of brewery in London as SE1 was once the brewing capital of London. Having decided on SE1, there weren’t many commercial premises. A railway arch made perfect sense and it’s a popular venue for tourists,” he said while lining up large bottles of dark beer in readiness for the Saturday lunch crowd.