Farmers Arms, Pikes Lane

Two possible sites for the Farmers Arms on Deane Road. The pub was numbered 190 Pikes Lane which was renamed Deane Road around 1902. The building in the centre of the top photo was the Red Sea Shop of 190 Deane Road  in 2012 when the image was taken. However,  Hannah Cotterill places the Farmers Arms beerhouse a few hundred yards further up Pikes Lane in Gate Pike at a place known as "Hell's Mouth" because of the number of booze outlets in such a short space. This is  Gate  Pike now. Fern Street runs to the right of the picture, the Lillian Hamer home (closed 2009) is  in the middle and Jolly Waggoner stands boarded up in the distance although it is now an Asian restaurant. Photos copyright Google Street View.

According to Hannah Cotterill’s book Gate Pike [1], by the early-1840s William Tong was brewing his own beer in a small brewhouse behind his pub, the Farmers Arms. Gordon Readyhough puts the address at 190-192 Pikes Lane (now Deane Road) and dates the pub to the 1850s [2]. Given that William Tong was born in 1825 it does sound unlikely – though not impossible – that he was brewing as a teenager in early 1840s. Even so, by August 1846, when he married Betsey Barlow, he was described as a ‘beer seller’ by trade. His wife was also familiar with the licensed trade. She was the daughter of Thomas Barlow, a publican, who was listed in a trade directory seven years later as the licensee of the Three Crowns on Deansgate. [3]

If we take the property number on Pikes Lane to be numbered the same as Deane Road then the Farmers would have stood on a site now occupied by the Red Sea Shop on Deane Road, but there is no saying that it was the same building. Mrs Cotterill places the Farmers Arms in the Gate Pike area. This was a small part of Deane around the area now occupied by the (now closed) Lilian Hamer home and the former Jolly Waggoner, which was then an un-named beer house. A website devoted to the Tong and Tonge families puts the address of William Tong at 39 Gate Pike in 1851 and 190 Pikes Lane in 1853 [4]. The Bolton Directory of 1853 lists William Tong as a beerseller in Pikes Lane, though it does not supply a number for the property. [3]

As a devout Methodist it is not surprising that Mrs Cotterill had no time for the booze-related activities that went on in the area. With the Farmers Arms, the beer house that was eventually named the Jolly Waggoner and the nearby Split Crow beer house she referred to the area as “Hell’s Mouth.” From her description it seems no worse than any other part of Bolton and certainly a good deal tamer than life in the slums of the town centre in the middle of the 18^th century. Beer was also sold from an off-licence run by somebody who rejoiced in the nickname ‘Owd Woof.’

Gate Pike was written to celebrate the story of the Methodist church in the area. The religion was established in Deane at a house in Moss Street which later renamed Fern Street when the area was incorporated into the County Borough of Bolton. It later moved to a purpose-built church in Fern Street. The book is interesting if only for Mrs Cotterill’s description of life in that part of Bolton in the 1840s and her descriptions of the characters that lived there and is available at the central library.

As for the Farmers Arms, Gordon Readyhough tells us that the pub lost its licence in 1869, but a few years later, William Tong, whose beermaking activities had grown to an industrial scale from large premises at the top of Balshaw Lane, arranged for a beerhouse licence to be transferred from the Rifle Volunteer on Bridgeman Street in 1872. The Farmers later became an off-licence but closed in 1876.

Tong’s Brewery was registered as a private limited company, William Tong & Sons Ltd, in 1897 with an address of the Diamond Brewery at the top of Balshaw Lane, Deane, though there was also an office on Mealhouse Lane, Bolton. But by then William Tong was dead having retired to Moorfield at Lostock where he died in 1891. 

The brewery was taken over by the Warrington firm of Walker Cain Ltd in 1923 along with its 23 pubs, although 66 pubs were owned by the company in 1997. Walker Cain had only been formed in 1921 by a merger of Peter Walker Ltd of Warrington and Robert Cain Ltd of Liverpool and the new concern photographed the whole of its tied estate in the 1920s. A good  many of those images can be seen in Mr Readyhough’s book.

There is some confusion as to how long brewing continued at the Diamond Brewery after the takeover. The Brewing History: A Guide To Historical Records claims brewing continued until 1940, although it lists a catalogue for the auction of the brewery in 1924, a year after the takeover which suggests it was already closed. [5]

Walkers merged with Joshua Tetley & Son of Leeds in 1960 to form Tetley Walker. Up to the brewing industry divesting itself of much of its tied estate in the nineties a number of the former Tetley pubs in the town were once Tong’s pubs and the inscription of Wm Tong & Sons can still be seen outside the Market Hotel on Brackley Street in Farnworth. Image here.  The Vulcan Inn on Junction Road also advertised Diamond Ales etched into one of its windows. Image here. 

William Tong’s son, Thomas Barlow Tong, was a Conservative mayor of Bolton from 1906 to 1908. He worked as the Bolton area manager for Walker’s after their takeover of the family brewery. [6] William’s nephew, Walter Wharton Tong, was also a Conservative mayor of Bolton from 1940 to 1941 and was knighted in 1955. [7]

The company’s livery can still be seen on offices above the former Crown & Cushion in Mealhouse Lane. [8]Image here. 

[1] Gate Pike by Hannah Cotterill. Published 1828.

[2] Pubs Of Bolton 1800-2000, by Gordon Readyhough. Published by Neil Richardson (2000).

[3] Four Bolton Directories: 1821/2, 1836, 1843, 1853. Reprinted by Neil Richardson (1982)

[4] www.tongefamily.info. Accessed 9 April 2014. 

[5] The Brewing History: A Guide To Historical Records. Accessed 9 April 2014.

[6] Bolton Mayors. Thomas Barlow Tong. Accessed 9 April 2014. 

[7] Bolton Mayors. Walter Wharton Tong. Accessed 9 April 2014. 

[8] Brewery History Society. Accessed 9 April 2014.

Albert Inn, Derby Street

The Albert Inn on Derby Street, pictured in February 2003. Note the initials SL on the date stone above the date 1884 (see below for explanation). Picture from bolton.org.uk.

The Albert was situated on Derby Street opposite what is now the Lidl supermarket. The building still stands and has been a restaurant since around 2012 but while the date stone on the side of the pub notes that it was built in 1884 it actually dated back to 1852 as a pub. The stone also includes the initials 'SL' – Sarah Leach, the pub's formidable landlady for much of the second half of the 19^th century.

In 1841, 28-year-old James Leach was a carder in a local mill. He lived on Bridgeman Street with his wife Ann and children Francis, Alice and Selina. But James was an entrepreneur. He also owned a shop on Bridgeman Street with Ann running the business while he was at work in the mill.

By 1843, the Leaches had opened a beerhouse, the Bridgeman Arms,  just across the road from their old shop premises and James gave up his job at the mill to work full-time at the pub. They had pinched the name from an established pub by that name that had only recently closed down on Crook Street.

In 1852, James Leach moved with Ann and their four children to a new pub, the Albert, situated on Derby Street. Like the Bridgeman Arms, the Albert had a licence that restricted it to the sale of beer. But James had grand plans and the following year he applied for a full public house licence that would enable the Albert to sell wines and spirits as well as beer. At the annual licensing session in August 1854, James Leach was one of the 23 applicants for full licenses along with such neighbouring pubs as the Derby Arms, the Greengate,  the Royal and the British Oak.  The hearing didn't go well. For a start, the chairman of the magistrates bench was staunch teetotaller Robert Walsh. Then a local factory owner James Barlow presented a petition against increasing the number of public houses signed by 3000 ratepayers, the local middle classes many of whom rarely used pubs. Mr Walsh threw out all 23 applications. He had calculated that there was one alehouse for every 106 people in Bolton. In his view one for every thousand people would be enough. [Manchester Courier, 2 September 1854]

The Albert taken around 1973 as part of a photoset for Tetley Walker

Leach was to apply for a spirit licence for the Albert every year until he was finally successful in 1865. It was common practice for applicants to get a petition - known in those times as a 'memorial' - signed by as many people as possible to support the application. Discouraged by his previous failures James Leach failed to get many of the influential middle-class business owners to sign his memorial on this occasion. However, his solicitor, Mr Hall, pointed out to the bench that almost a new town had sprung up alongside Derby Street in the previous 20 years but that no provision had been made for an additional fully-licensed public house. A number of beerhouses, such as the Albert, had sprung up instead. He went on to request that if the bench was happy that Mr Leach was a respectable man and that the house was suitable enough for the purpose of becoming an inn then there was no reason why a licence to sell spirits should not be granted. The magistrates agreed and a full licence was granted to the Albert and the Prince Of Wales, Mount Street – the only two successful applicants out of 45.

By the end of 1865 the Albert had been refurbished. Business was brisk enough for James Leach to advertise in the Bolton Chronicle spent grains from the brewing process for use as animal feed. The ad mentioned that he was brewing nine times a week.

Ann Leach died in 1854 at the age of 39. The following year, James married Sarah Renshaw in the rather grand setting of Manchester Cathedral. By now he was 45 year old, but his new wife was just 23.

In 1861, James was at the Albert with his wife Sarah; children Francis – at 24 just five years younger than his stepmother and working as a brewer at the Albert – Selina (19), Levi (12), James Albert (9), Jane Ellen (4) and William Henry (2). The latter two were his children with Sarah.

Not only did the Albert brew for its own pub but beers were sold in to the wholesale trade and over a period of time it built up a small tied estate. Amongst Leach's pubs in the late-19^th century were the Clifton Arms on Newport Street,  the Albion on Moor Lane, Uncle Tom's Cabin  on Lever Street and two pubs on the other side of town: the WindsorCastle  on Halliwell Road and the Woodman Inn on Carlyle Street.

James Leach died on 19 April 1876 at the age of 67. His estate at time of death was worth just under £14,000 – around £1.5million in today's money. On his death, control of the Albert Inn, the brewery, and a small estate of tied houses, passed to Sarah.

By all accounts, Sarah Leach wasn't a woman to be messed with. Her daughter Jane Ellen Leach married James Grant Urquhart at Ormskirk in 1875, but by 1880 the marriage was at an end. In January 1881, Urquhart sued Sarah Leach at Manchester Crown Court for the sum of £500 damages for what he described as “assault and unlawful seizure”. The court heard an account of a miserable domestic life – and with Sarah Leach at the centre of it. Urquhart claimed he had been harassed by Mrs Leach and that she had induced Jane to leave him and live in adultery. He now ran a provision shop in Morris Green but he sold beer supplied by Leach's Albert Brewery. On 16 August 1880 Urquhart went to Bolton on business but on his return he found his wife in the house of neighbour named Margerison. Urquhart castigated his wife for being at the house but she responded by striking him on the side of the head with a poker. Sarah Leach had arrived at his house with a man named Waring – possibly her brother-in-lsaw and another man and that the two men had badly assaulted Urquhart. In her defence, Mrs Leach described Urquhart as “a wastrel” and that he had treated his wife so badly that she had been forced to go and live in America. Mrs Leach had put him in the shop and he hadn't paid any ingoings. The judge ruled that as there had been faults on both sides he was throwing out the charge. [Bolton Evening News, 31 January 1881; Manchester Courier, 3 February 1881].

In January 1879 the Albert received a billiards licence. But in March of that year it was hit by tragedy when a barmaid, Ellen Mather (nee Smith), was fatally stabbed while on her way from the Albert to a St Patrick's Day dance at Bridgeman Street baths. Mrs Mather had worked at the pub as far back as 1860 and had been courted by a local man, William Cooper. The relationship was ended by Mr Cooper who then joined the army. Ellen Smith married a man named Mather but on Cooper's discharge from the army he returned to the Albert to seek out his former sweetheart and reproached her in no uncertain terms over her marriage. However, he also married and was now the father of six children.

In 1872, Ellen Mather's husband left for America with his mother taking with him their three sons but leaving behind a daughter, now aged nine. Ellen went back to work at the Albert but once again found herself the subject of the attentions of William Cooper despite the fact that he was married.

On 17 March 1879 Sarah Leach organised the refreshments at the St Patrick's Day ball and she instructed Ellen Mather to go to with Mrs Leach's sister Ellen Wareing to Bridgeman Street baths at 11.30pm after the Albert had closed in order to assist behind the bar there. As Mrs Mather and Mrs Wareing reached the junction of Derby Street and Crook Street they encountered Cooper who had been drinking in the Albert that evening. He tried to prevent Ellen Mather from going on to the baths and struck her with his fist on the side of the head. The two women fled down Crook Street but Cooper caught up with them and grabbed Ellen round the neck and put his knee in her back. He then took out a pocket pen knife and slashed her throat. Mrs Wareing screamed for help as Ellen Mather lay dying in the street. William Nightingale, an employee at the Trinity Street railway yard, apprehended Cooper who is reported as saying: “I won't run. I have done what I intended”. A cabman named Patrick Hughes then arrived. Cooper said: “See Patsy. That's Ellen. I have killed her.” Ellen was taken to Dr Johnston's surgery on Bridgeman Street where she died shortly afterwards. Cooper was charged with her murder and found guilty at Manchester Assizes.

The 1881 census shows that Sarah was the proprietor of the business but her son William, her first with James Leach and now 22 years old, was in charge of the day-to-day running of the pub and brewery. He appears to have been promoted ahead of two of his older half-brothers – Francis and James Albert. Francis, the eldest Leach child, had been employed by the business, but by now he was in the workhouse where he died in 1888. James Albert was working as a brewer at the pub. He died in 1893 at the age of 41. Another son, Levi Leach, had been the landlord of the Greengate Inn in nearby Hammond Street and also the Tanners Arms on Lever Street. He died in April 1896 aged 47.

The original Albert burned down in February 1884. A fire began in the taproom and tore through the building with the conflagration aided by several kilderkins of spirits that were stored in the vault and the taproom. Mrs Leach and around a dozen family members, friends and lodgers were at the pub and had to be rescued. Various memorabilia belonging to the Oddfellows and Foresters clubs who met at the pub were completely destroyed. Fortunately, the building was insured with two companies. The Albert was rebuilt that same year. A stone with the year 1884 and the initials SL – for Sarah Leach – remains on the side of the building to this day.

Sarah Leach died on 23 April 1902. She was 70 years old. That day's edition of the Bolton Evening News remarked that she was “an exceedingly generous friend of the poor”. She was buried alongside her husband in Tonge Cemetery. A few years after Mrs Leach's death a number of streets were developed around Clarendon Street school. One of them was named Leach Street in the family's honour.

The Leach business comprising the Albert, the brewery and a small number of pubs, had continued to grow since James Leach's death and Mrs Leach's estate was worth over £25.000 when she died – the equivalent of £2.8million today. Her son William Leach was appointed executor of the estate along with his sister Selina Gilchrist who had married a noted physician, Robert Munn Gilchrist in 1901 (the couple lived at Dr Gilchrist's surgery at 343-345 Derby Street).

William took over the running of the business. He lived next door to the Albert at 185 Derby Street. The 1911 census shows his brother Charles Edwin Leach was also involved. He lived at the pub along with his wife Sarah. They had no children but two barmaids and three servants were living on the premises.

Wilbraham Leach, James's first son with Sarah, ended up in jail in 1907. He had run a number of the brewery's pubs in Bolton including the Newport Vaults  in Newport Street and the Clifton Arms a few doors away. He was living in semi-retirement in Blackpool although he still had a senior position within the Leach company. Wilbraham was accused of indecently assaulting a woman while drunk on a Manchester to Blackpool express train. He was described as having a wife and six children and was in “a good position” at the brewery. The complainant said that an ample apology in court would satisfy her and Leach produced references from the Mayor Of Bolton and the Chief Constables of both Bolton and Blackpool. Nevertheless, the case was sent to trial and Leach was found guilty and sentenced six months in jail. He had retired to Blackpool in 1904 where he died on 11 January 1927. [Manchester Courier, 1 February 1907 and 22 February 1907].

William Leach remained as the proprietor of the business until 1927 when he died aged 66. He had by then retired to a house in Cardigan Road, Southport where he died on 18 April 1927. He had taken a back seat in the business and the Albert – still owned by the Leach company - was being run by Robert Hall. The business was bequeathed to William's two children. James was a surgeon while Lily, who had married a member of another notable industrial family, the Crumblehulme's, who owned a foundry opposite the Albert.*

Leach's Brewery carried on until 1936 when it was decided to wind up the business. The last of the Leach family to be involved was Charles Edwin Leach, the chairman of the company's board of directors who was now in his late-sixties. It was a time of takeovers and the company had done well to remain independent for over 80 years since James Leach first began brewing at the Albert. The First World War had wiped out a number of small breweries and two of Bolton's big three, Sharman's and Tong's were now part of the Warrington-based Walker Cain company (the other big Bolton brewer, Magees was just a couple of hundred yards from the Albert up Derby Street).

The Albert, the Albion and the rest of Leach's business became part of another Warrington firm, Cunningham’s. Brewing ceased at the Albert. In 1951 both the two were part of a parcel of 34 pubs and 18 off-licences sold by Cunningham’s to Joshua Tetley & Son of Leeds for a sum of £550,000. Tetley's were seeking to expand into Lancashire. They merged with the Walker's of Warrington in 1960

In the nineties, Tetley’s got out of vertically-integrated business model where breweries owned huge tied estates. The Albert was sold to Pubmaster and later came under the control of the Mistry family, the owners of the adjoining Bantry Club. They connected up the two licensed premises

Around 2009 the Albert closed down. The building is now an Afghan restaurant.

*The Crumblehulmes' foundry business collapsed in 1911. At the time of their marriage in 1917 Lily Crumblehulme was living at Hexham Avenue, Doffcocker. Her husband, William Lewis Robinson Crumblehulme, was resident at The Hotel, Shawbury, Shropshire. William's father, also William, was the founder of the Crumblehulme business based at Emblem Street, Bolton and at Rothwell Street. The Rothwell Street works was re-purchased by William LR Crumblehulme and his brother James. Chrstine Crumblehulme's detailed history of the Crumblehulme businesscan be found here. 

“At the Borough Court this morning Sarah Leach, landlady of the Albert Inn, Derby-street, was charged with selling intoxicating liquors during prohibited hours. PC Shepherd said that on Sunday morning at 24 minutes past 12 o'clock he found the defendant's public house open and three men with glasses of beer in front of them. He asked defendant by what clock she opened her house, and she answered by the one in the bar which was then only 26 minutes past. By Mr Fielding: He believed defendant asked him if he had better close the house until half past and he answered that it was immaterial. The Mayor said the Bench were unanimous in their view that a breach of the law had really occurred, but they thought the offence was so trivial they would discharge the case, defendant to pay the costs. It would no doubt act as a warning.” - Bolton Evening News, 13 November 1879.

“Breaksmen (L&NW) Annual Dinner. The dinner was held at the Albert Inn, Derby-street on Christmas Day. Mr Flitcroft presided in the absence of Mr Atkinson and an enjoyable evening was spent. The usual toasts to the Queen and Royal Family, also James Shaw and L.D. Price and the subscribers in general were given.” - Bolton Evening News, 29 December 1891.

“Bolton Bowling Association. The annual general meeting of the Bolton Bowling Association was held on Wednesday night at the Albert Inn Hotel, Derby Street. There was a good attendance of the various clubs connected with the association.” - Bolton Evening News, 10 November 1893.

“There were laid at rest this afternoon at St Peter's Churchyard, Halliwell, the remains of the late Mr John Haworth, proprietor of the Albert Hotel, Derby st. The officiating clergyman was the Rev P Stott. There was a number of beautiful wreaths among the senders being the Bolton And District Managers And Overlookers Association, minders at Parrot-st mills, customers of Albert Hotel, Dr Ryan, Messrs Crumblehulme, Gulland, Wood, Bennet, Worrall, Hibbert, Hart, Skinner, Leach's Brewery, Leach's employees, servants at Albert Hotel, cardroom hands at Messrs Marsden's No 3 mill and others.” - Bolton Evening News, 6 November 1906.

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Grey Man, Great Moor Street

This picture shows the Bolton One complex being constructed in March 2011. In the foreground the entrance to the site marks the last evidence of the former extension of Derby Street. The Grey Man was situated on the right-hand corner of this junction. From around 1979 until Bolton One was built in 2010-12 Derby Street ran down to a cul-de-sac just past the Derby Street Girls School; prior to that it ran down to meet Crook Street at the junction with Deane Road.

Photo copyright Lost Pubs Of Bolton.

The Grey Man was situated on Great Moor Street at its junction with Derby Street.

These days Great Moor Street ends at the junction with Blackhorse Street but up until the construction of the Trinity Street extension in the late-seventies it ran all the way up to the junction with Derby Street near to what is now Bolton One (see picture above).

The Grey Man was a Magees beerhouse and was built in the late-nineteenth century. Old maps from 1891 show the building in situ.

In 1962 it received a full drinks licence and could therefore serve wines and spirits as well as beer. By then it was owned by Greenall Whitley who had taken over Magees in 1958. However, in preparation for the construction of the by-pass it closed in 1972 and was demolished that same year. [1]

Bolton.org published a number of photos courtesy of Dennis Jackson showing the Grey Man shortly before it closed. [2] The first picture shows the pub’s last landlady Annie Ridings along with her husband. Although the Grey Man dated from Victorian times the building looks more like a building from the 1930s.

The second picture shows a view from the top of the pub looking up Derby Street. 

Finally, a view taken from the grass outside the then Bolton Institute Of Technology of the Grey Man being demolished. The building to the left is the Derby Street School for Girls.

Finally, here is a view of the Bolton Institute Of Technology and surrounding area taken in 1972. The Grey Man can be seen on the right-hand side of the photo situated at the junction of Great Moor Street and Derby Street.

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

[2] Bolton.org.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2014. 

Flying Horse, Crook Street

The entrance to the Bolton town centre branch of Aldi. While ascertaining the exact site of the Flying Horse is difficult, a good guess would be roughly where the exit road from the supermarket enters onto the main thoroughfare. Image taken in 2012. Copyright Google Street View.

The Flying Horse was situated on the corner of Crook Street and Great Moor Street. Given that Gordon Readyhough states that the Flying Horse was a beerhouse [1] it was probably established in the 1830s following the passing of the 1830 Beer House Act.

A few years later, on Monday 10 July 1839, some of the town’s constables visited the pub along with the Mayor of Bolton. This was probably Robert Heywood, local businessman and reformer who gifted part of his estate to form ‘Bobby Heywood’s park’ and who was the second Mayor Of Bolton in 1839-40.

Unfortunately, the welcome Mayor Heywood and the constables received in the Flying Horse was not a warm one.

As one of the constables stated in his report: “While in the Flying Horse at 10 o’clock the Landlord became very abusive and threatened to take the poker to the Mayor and myself, calling us spies.” [3]

A correspondent to the Bolton Revisited project states that in the twenties the pub was next door to a smithy where horses were shoed. [4] 

The Flying Horse closed in 1924 by which time it was owned by the Empress Brewery of Manchester. The premises were later used a Spiritualist Church.

The site of the pub is covered by the curve of Trinity Street close to where it merges into Derby Street.

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

[2] Bolton Mayors website. http://www.boltonsmayors.org.uk/heywood-r.html Accessed 5 April 2014. Interestingly, Robert Heywood, while a teetotaller at home, often drank alcohol while abroad.

[3] Leisure In Bolton, 1750-1900, Robert Poole, 1982

[4] Bolton Revisited. Accessed 5 April 2014.

Forge Tavern, Bridgeman Street

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).

Walmsleys Atlas Forge pictured around 1975

12 Bolton Pub Closures in 2013

Pictured in happier times: the Cattle Market, one of 12 Bolton pubs to close in 2013.

The Bolton branch of Camra, the Campaign for Real  Ale, has published its list of Lost Pubs for2013.

No fewer than 12 pubs in the Bolton Metropolitan area closed their doors for the final time last year. 

The 12 are as follows:

Barristers of Blackrod, 359 Manchester Road, Blackrod

Cattle Market, 6-8 Orlando Street, Bolton            

Wellington Inn, 51 Bury New Road, Bolton

Park Inn, 180 – 182 Egerton Street, Farnworth   

Saddle Inn, 43 King Street, Farnworth

Victoria Tavern, 349 Chorley New Road, Horwich              

Church Inn, 79/81 Market Street, Little Lever     

Commercial Hotel, 222 Church Street, Westhoughton

Cross Guns, 25/27 Bolton Road, Westhoughton

Windmill, 112 Chorley Road, Westhoughton       

Antelope Hotel, 18 Manchester Road, Kearsley
Cross Guns, 272 Deane Road, Bolton.               

Camra says that only two of the pubs – Barristers of Blackrod and the Park – sold real ale and no doubt Camra will point to that as one of the possible reasons for closure. Why pay £3 or more for a pint of stuff you can buy for a third the price at the supermarket?

The Park is a particular shame as for many years it was a keg-only outlet owned by the old Blackburn brewery of Matthew Brown (remember them?).  

This writer can attest to both the Saddle and the Cattle Market being decent pubs in their day. The former has now been demolished while the latter had its ‘For Sale’ taken down last year but is now boarded up.

Bolton Camra holds its annual beer festival at the Ukrainian Club on Castle Street from 24-26 April 2014. Further details here. 

Recreation Tavern, Hobson Street

Recreation Tavern, Hobson Street, pictured in the 1920s when it was owned by Tong's Brewery of Deane. Picture in Bolton Pubs 1800-2000.

The Recreation Tavern was situated on Hobson Street, which ran parallel to Lever Street.

The pub took its name from the nearby Heywood Recreation Ground – Bobby Heywood’s Park – which was situated quite close to the pub. Bobby Heywood’s was the subject of a gift by the Liberal politician and former Mayor of that name in 1862. In the years after it opened the surrounding area was developed and the Recreation Tavern opened in the late nineteenth century.

In the 1930s the pub was nicknamed the War Office. The name apparently derived from the pub acting as a local centre for pigeon racing at a time when the government’s war office actively still used carrier pigeons to deliver messages to and from the front line. [1]

The Recreation closed in 1959. At the time it was owned by Walker’s Brewery of Warringtonwho were about to build a new pub just off Lever Edge Lane, which was named the Prince Rupert when it finally opened. As part of the deal to gain a full drinks licence for the new pub, Walker’s surrendered the beer-only licences of the Recreation Tavern and the Roebuck on Kay Street (opposite the Dog & Partridge in the town centre).  [2]

In the early seventies the pub was demolished along with a number of surrounding streets including Slaterfield, Platt Street and Venture Street. New housing replaced the demolished terraces and while the layout of the streets has changed the Recreation was roughly where the Slaterfield community centre now stands.

[1] Shut About Barclay Perkins. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2014. The article contains details of a number of  pub nicknames in 1930s Bolton.

[2] Pubs Of Bolton 1800-2000, by Gordon Readyhough. Published by Neil Richardson (2000).

Hobson Street no longer exists, but Slaterfield Community Centre is the approximate site of the former Recreation Tavern.