THE noble art of brewing beer has been perfected in one corner of the North-East since the days of Queen Elizabeth I.

That is just one of many fascinating facts at a heritage centre at the modern day Camerons Brewery, home of the famous Strongarm ale.

The £700,000 centre was opened yesterday at the brewery, which stands 250ft above a natural (or artesian) well, and which has been used for brewing of beer since at least 1572, when brewery records began.

Camerons, formerly the Lion Brewery, hopes more than 30,000 visitors a year will visit the Heritage Centre, which has replaced the once-derelict Stranton pub in Stockton Road, the main road into the centre of Hartlepool.

As well as the centre's interactive and audio-visual displays, bar, bistro and gift shop, visitors will be able to take a tour of the brewery.

Businessman Sir John Hall, the former chairman of Newcastle United, opened the centre and was thanked by Camerons chairman David Soley.

Sir John said: "I had not realised just how important tourism is to Hartlepool, with 2,000 people working in the industry here.

"This is a real boost for the town."

A highlight of the heritage centre experience is the brewery tour, which gives visitors the chance to step back in time in a room in the style of the early 1970s, bedecked with impressive Italian marble and a highly intricate and massive control panel with knobs and flashing lights.

The informative tour explains that Kronenbourg, popular across the North and Scotland, was thought by many to be a foreign lager, when it is in fact now brewed at Camerons.

Among the historical information in the centre's display area are old adverts and traditional bar games.

Camerons paid 50 per cent of the costs for the centre and the rest came from Hartlepool Borough Council, regional development agency One NorthEast and Hartlepool New Deal for Communities.

Entry to the museum is £4.50, but anyone can use the bar area and bistro.

Published: 19/10/2004