Church Inn, Bamber Street

The Church Inn on Bamber Street photographed in the 1960s. Although the pub was never supplied by Magee's the brewery tower can be seen in the distance. Photograph by Bolton Revisited.

The Church Inn was a beerhouse situated on Bamber Street at its junction with Cannon Street and Weber Street in the built-up area between Derby Street and Deane  Road.

The Church took its name from the nearby Emmanuel Church, a fine building which still stands although it is no longer used for religious observation.

The pub was owned by William Tong’s at the beginning of the 20^th century. Tong’s brewed at the Diamond Brewery on the corner of Blackshaw Lane and Deane Road – just a few hundred yards from the Church - until being taken over by Walker Cain Ltd of Warrington in 1923. However, the Church was leased to the Moss Side brewery of Hydes for a while until being taken over by Burtonwood. [1]

The pub received a full drinks licence in 1961 but it closed around 1970 and was demolished shortly afterwards as part of the wholesale redevelopment of the area.

The picture above shows the Church towards the end of its working life. Bamber Street runs up the side of the pub and the tower in the distance belongs to Magee, Marshall & Co, whose brewery stood on the other side of Derby Street.

The picture below shows Cannon Street with the former Holt Hosiery mill in the distance. The houses to the side of Cannon Street roughly mark where the Church Inn once stood.

[1] Bolton Pubs 1800-2000, Gordon Readyhough, published by Neil Richardson (2000).