Barley Mow, Higher Bridge Street/Prince Street, Bolton

 

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Prince Street at its junction with Higher Bridge Street, the site of the Barley Mow. Picture: Google

The Barley Mow appears to have been in existence for about 35 years in the middle of the 19^th century. In his book Bolton Pubs 1800-2000 Gordon Readyhough states the pub was on Higher Bridge Street close to its junction with Prince Street so it would have been just a few yards away from the Ploughboy.  However, local records suggest the address may have been 1 Prince Street which puts it at the corner with Higher Bridge Street.

The licensee was for much of the pub's existence was John Crompton. The 1841 Census has him as a publican on Bridge Street as the whole of that stretch of town was known from Deansgate to what is now the bottom end of Blackburn Road. This may well have been the Barley Mow. The 1843 Bolton Directory gives the pub's address as 1 Prince Street.

John Crompton remained at the Barley Mow until the late-1860s. He was succeeded by James Ridings who remained at the pub until 1869. Mr Ridings was in turn succeeded by Samuel Blackley who moved from the Corporation Arms, Mason Street off Blackburn Street (later Deane Road).

Blackley lived at the pub with his wife, his young daughter and his mother-in-law all of whom were named Elizabeth. Blackley was a printer by trade and he continued in that trade during his time at the Barley Mow. By 1881 he had moved to 151 Clarence Street and was running his own printing business. His wife Elizabeth was a dealer in old clothes.

The Blackleys' tenure at the Barley Mow was brief. They were succeeded in 1871 by Thomas Holden. He left the pub in 1873 and was succeeded by its final landlord, John Riley, formerly a cotton spinner living on Halliwell Road.

Dobson and Barlow's mill stood directly behind the pub and they were looking to expand their premises by purchasing the whole of the row. The nearby Ploughboy was closed in 1870 and bought by the firm. The Barley Mow lasted until 1875. By then it was owned by local brewer William Tong – one of his early tied pubs – but Tong sold out to Dobson and Barlow's. The pub was closed and subsequently demolished.

Dobson and Barlow's later became Osman Textiles. The mill closed in the early-nineties. It was demolished and an Aldi store built on the site. This opened in 1993 and still stands.