The site of East Grinstead town fire station used to be home to the Southdown and East Grinstead Breweries. Southdown and East Grinstead Breweries Ltd was formed in 1895 by the merger of Dashwood & Co’s Hope Brewery in East Grinstead with Augustus and Thomas Manning’s Southdown Brewery in Lewes.

The Hope Brewery was owned from 1877 by John Dashwood: the Southdown Brewery, which was established by 1838, was acquired in 1895 by Augustus and Thomas Manning.

In July 1895 they also bought Dashwood’s East Grinstead enterprise, registered the joint name and continued brewing at both sites.