Economy Pubs Theale has long been associated with pubs and the brewing trade. Many coaching inns were established on the Bath Road, though by the 1840s, the success of the Great Western Railway had considerably reduced the volume of custom the inns received. In 1843, writing about the effect of the railway on local business and environment, J G Robertson hypothesised that "it is probable that, in a few months, the completion of the Great Western Railway will totally annihilate the agreeable variety, and the hanging woods of Englefield and Beenham will no longer echo back the nocturnal challenge of the mail-guard's horn". By 1854, the village's old coaching inns had either closed down or become ordinary inns and pubs. The survivors were: the White Hart, on the eastern outskirts, at Pincents Lane, and demolished in 1969; the Bull; the Falcon; the Castle and the Crown. The Castle vanished in 1907. In 1939, only the Crown was offering accommodation. On the other hand, the village then had the Railway Arms next to the station, since demolished; the Bridge House Inn, next to the canal, now closed and, on Church Street, the Red Lion, closed 2014; the Lamb, closed 2012 and the Volunteer. Blatch's Theale Brewery The village business with the highest public profile in the later 19th and earlier 20th century was Blatch's Theale Brewery, located in premises off the High Street. The brewery began operations in 1752, and was acquired by the Blatch Brothers, William, Henry and Frank, in 1854. The family went on to create an estate of twenty-two public houses in west Berkshire and north Hampshire, including the Bull, which was the tap house. The firm sold its beer under the trademark of a stylised ear of barley. There was also a bottling plant, and bottled beers were Pale Ale, Brown Ale, "B.B.", XXXX – a barley wine and Genuine Stout. The company gave up brewing in 1959 but bought in beer from Wadworth Brewery in Devizes to sell under its own label. This continued until the death of Harold Blatch, the last chief executive officer of the family, in 1965. His heirs immediately sold out to Allied Breweries trading as Ind Coope in 1965, and the beer brands were terminated. The brewery buildings were not sold and some survive, converted to offices, as Brewery Court. The company offices were at 43 High Street, a listed building,