A historic bottle has been uncovered during building renovations at a long-established Crewe business, offering a glimpse into the town's forgotten past.

The stoneware bottle was discovered at Oxley's Funeral Services, Market Street and is marked "Cumberland Works, Crewe Stone Beer."

The find points back to the Market Street Mineral Water Company, which operated at the site during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The company produced mineral waters and soft drinks, including its distinctive "stone beer".

Despite the name, the drink was not alcoholic. It was a naturally fizzy ginger beer, bottled in sturdy ceramic containers and sold across Crewe.

The bottles were sealed using glass marble stoppers, giving them a distinctive design.

Local history suggests the bottles became particularly popular with Crewe's children, who were more interested in what was inside the bottle than the drink itself.

Children would reportedly smash the stoneware containers to retrieve the glass marbles, which they could then use as toys.

Oxley's said: "During recent building renovations at Oxley's, an intriguing find was uncovered, a stoneware bottle marked 'Cumberland Works, Crewe Stone Beer.'

"It seems our site once produced a very special kind of 'beer.'

"The Market Street Mineral Water Company operated here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, crafting mineral waters and soft drinks.

"Their 'stone beer' was actually a naturally fizzy ginger beer, bottled in sturdy ceramic containers and enjoyed across the town.

"We would love to find a complete bottle one day, but local history suggests the children of Crewe often smashed them to release the glass marble stopper hidden inside to play with.

"A small but fascinating glimpse into Crewe's past, and a reminder of the everyday stories that connect us with our community."

The discovery also has a particular connection with Oxley's own history. The family-run funeral service was founded in Crewe in 1980 by the late Bill Oxley.

Bill had originally worked at his family's stonemasons' yard on Market Street from 1967, before establishing the funeral service branch in 1980.

More than four decades later, Oxley's remains a family-run business in the town.

The bottle provides an unexpected link between the business's present-day work and the history of the Market Street site.

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