The corner of Bridgeman Street and Fletcher Street. The Forge Tavern was situated where the patch of grass is now situated.
The Forge Tavern was situated at 219-221 Bridgeman Street, on
the corner of Venture Street. The pub was close to the Farmers Arms (just a few yards away at number 205)
and was one of a cluster of pubs close to the Bridgeman Street/Fletcher Street
junction.
The pub’s name was taken from the Atlas Forge directly
opposite which was built some time between 1866 and 1869. [1]
The streets opposite the Atlas Forge were laid out following
its construction and the Forge Tavern was built in the late nineteenth century.
Lloyd Egerton, who often used to stay with relatives in
nearby Venture Street in the 1940s, recalls: “At the end of the street was the
Forge Tavern. I dread to think how many pints of ale must have been downed at
that pub, the workers were allowed to go out in working hours.” [2]
Both 'Delta59’ and ‘Radlad’ back up Lloyd’s claim that
workers from Atlas were allowed to go the Forge during the day. [See here] [3]
The pub was owned by local brewery Magees, situated around half
a mile away, but Magees was taken over by the Warrington firm of Greenall Whitley and the Forge Tavern closed down in the early seventies.
Venture Street and the whole of those properties at the
bottom of Bridgeman Street, were demolished around 1972/73.
The Atlas Forge continued production until 1975 and Walmsley’s
acted as steel stockholders until it closed in 1984. Mill View Nursing Home was
built on the site in 1990.
[1] Wikipedia. Accessed 4 April 2014.
[2] St Mark’s, Bolton.
[3] Rootschat.com
[4] Pubs Of Bolton 1800-2000, by Gordon Readyhough.
Published by Neil Richardson (2000).
