WORK is set to begin to repair a historic part of Burton’s brewing legacy.

Marston’s will be restoring the Grade II-listed coal-fired chimney on the Shobnall Road site over the next few months.

Encircled by scaffolding for the last few months while investigative work was carried out, the conclusion of investigations is that the Victorian landmark now needs essential repairs to the frost-damaged brickwork.

Garry Hollins, site engineer at the brewery, said: “Since we switched to gas-fired boilers the chimney is no longer in use and the bricks in the chimney have gradually degraded through frost damage.

“It’s Grade II listing means that we must repair and restore to its original Victorian splendour, using bricks to look exactly the same.”

Built in 1875, the eight-sided chimney was originally one of two on site for the coal-fired boilers used in the brewing process.

Fourteen metres of brickwork will be taken down and replaced.

Mr Hollins added: “We are enormously proud of our Victorian heritage and are pleased to be investing in its preservation.”

The work will take several months, with Rafferty’s steeplejacks of Stoke-on-Trent employed to undertake the painstaking work to keep the chimney ‘in character’.

The firm began life in 1834 when John Marston established J Marston Son before amalgamating with John Thompson Son Ltd and moving to the current site.