For generations, it was at the heart of industry in Ipswich and now the team behind the renovations of Holywells Park want to bring it back to life through a photographic memories project.

The Tolly Cobbold Brewery, which was founded in the Century by Thomas Cobbold and went on to be run by nine generations of the Cobbold family before its closure in 2002, was situated near the park to make use of its spring water pools.

Now, project workers assisting with the redevelopment of the site, are looking for residents to share their memories, stories and pictures of the old brewery for a display, which will be on show at the orangery and stables next year.

Charlotte Bethel, a Heritage Management student at University Campus Suffolk who is working on the project with Ipswich Borough Council, said: “This is about local history for local communities, and our aim is to bring information about the brewery to life with personal stories of people who worked at the Cobbold Brewery.

“The project will be displayed at Holywells as part of the £3.5 million Parks for People Heritage Lottery Fund award.”

Work to create an education space and visitor centre is ongoing, with contractors expected to be finished on-site in December, with the developments completed for an Easter opening next year.

The Cobbold Brewery, which was located near the park from 1770 until 2002, was run by the Cobbold family, and became the Tolly Cobbold after a merger with the Tollemache family brewery in 1957.

Anthony Cobbold, 79, from Devon, is a descendant of the Cobbold family from Elizabeth, the second wife of the original Thomas Cobbold, who founded the brewery, and has been involved with the heritage of the site.

Mr Cobbold, founder and keeper of the Cobbold Family History Trust, said: “I have throughly enjoyed discovering my past, and it is certainly a great pride, I have loved every minute of it.

“To me it is more than just the brewery, it’s a story of social history. What is so good about the Holywells project is it’s a place where we can display these bits of social history.”

For those wishing to share their memories and pictures, the project team can be contacted on 01473 433 541, or by emailing holywells.hlf@ipswich.gov.uk.