Hunting Heritage pubs in Cottonopolis and Hat Town (with a couple of trips over the largest brick structure in Europe)

 

Dirty, bustling, cocky Manchester was a long overdue beery trip for the MalTravAle podcast crew  - so taking advantage of Northern Trains  local paper offer - £10 for unlimited day's travel - a plan was put together which would also allow us toe squeeze out full value from our tickets with a trip to Stockport (Hat Town) as well. 

As half of the Podcast crew were to arrive via Manchester Piccadilly and the other half via Manchester Victoria we had decided that the little hidden Manchester gem that is the micro bar in the Arndale Market was to be our meeting point- a great little venue that is always worth a visit with a fine array of cask, keg and bottles. With the added bonus of an 11am opening on Saturdays, when most Manncy pubs don’t open till 12.

The Arndale Micro Bar

Son and I were first to arrive, so settled into an Elland White Prussian very welcome on what was turning out to be a warm muggy Saturday - first check in for me with this beer and was very impressed - Nick and Bruce arrived shortly from Manchester Victoria and having set up the kitty for the day - though at least a third of the days pubs turned out to be card only a sign of the times - Nick was sent to the bar to purchase 3 halves of another new beer for us all - Strange Times Neo Kosmo Blond - as it says on the the tin - a 4.1% Blond ale from a Micro brewery in Salford - my untapped notes report 'quite complex fragrant and hoppy in equal measures' - but both beers were on form and a good start to the day.

We had done a little bit of pre trip homework re which pubs to visit but had not really planned a schedule - i was keen to try and take in the Brewery Taps at Cloudwater and Track which are quite close together and not far from Piccadily, Bruce was keen to visit Mulligans on Deansgate to sample reputedly the best Guinness in the north and Nick had a few heritage pubs to tick of including the Briton's Protection and Peveril of the Peak both on Great Bridgewater Street betwixt Deansgate and Oxford Road so no real plan for the day had been agreed

After a quick conflab I suggested we start by heading up to the Marble Arch,the Marble Pub/home tap on Rochdale Road about 10 mins away - passing a very interesting Holts Pub the  Lower Turks Head across from the Shudehill Bus Depot - a bit of research on Whats Pub suggests the Turks is a very old pub circa 1745 but one with a bit of a chequered history with a number of closures but sounds like it is now a bit of gem with a roof terrace and raised drinking pews - definitely worth a visit in the future.

The Lower Turks Head

Back to the MalTravAle schedule a shorter walk than we had envisaged brought to the door of what looked like a cracking pub on the corner of Gould Street - this is very much a pub that looks like it hasn't changed for a long time - definitely worth a visit and cant believe this was the first visit for us all - we had heard of its legendary sloping floor, but to be honest this is a secondary feature compared to the visual treat you get walking into to this pub and your journey to the bar tucked in the far right hand corner. 

Glimpsing Marble on Rochdale Road

The pub's own website give a good overview of what to expect 

The birthplace of Marble Brewery, our multi-award-winning pub serves as our flagship and spiritual home. At the foot of our infamously sloping mosaic floor sits our ornate bar, boasting nine hand pulls serving brewery-fresh cask beer, eight carefully selected keg lines pouring both our own and guest beer, and a small range of carefully selected artisanal ciders.

 

Nick casting his eye on the sloping floor 

Part of the Marble beer list 

The Brewery is 25 years old this year.- the pub much older, records show that a pub has stood on this site since at least 1829, much of the present building was built in 1888 as a show pub for the Mckenna's Brewery at its time it was cutting edge with electric lighting and a barrel vaulted tiled ceiling - this was apparently covered up for many years before being rediscovered in the 1980's and creates a stunning drinking experience.

The Marble brewery was set up at the rear of the pub in 1998 - following the trend dob being a head of their time the 4.5-barrel plant was set brewing observation windows so punters could sip their beer watching the magic happen = as demand for the very good beer grew they eventually moved out of the pub in 

The sloping floor that actual mirrors the slope of the street has a number of myths attached to it, some say it was designed to aid the movement of barrels toward the cellar, and some say it’s to persuade drunken customers to return to the bar.The Brewery is 25 years old this year.- the pub much older, records show that a pub has stood on this site since at least 1829, much of the present building was built in 1888 as a show pub for the Mckenna's Brewery at its time it was cutting edge with electric lighting and a barrel vaulted tiled ceiling - this was apparently covered up for many tears before being rediscovered in the 1980's and creates a stunning drinking experience.

McKenna Brewery was situated a little further up Rochdale Road in  and  was technically advanced when it was built in the 1860s and has a link to a pub we will venture in to a little later, Britons Protection which was another of the brewery's 13 public houses. The brewery like many of a similar size in Manchester,  was hit by increased taxation and further loss of outlets under the Compensation Act of 1904, and was bought out in 1905 by Walker & Homfrays Ltd, who in turn became Wilsons brewery eventually becoming part of the Yorkshire Webster’s brewing operation in the the 1980's.

Having sampled one of their seasonal beers Persephone a zesty 4.1% pale which was on very good form - we decided that a pint of the black stuff was next one the agenda - so a bit of f A hike back towards the Arndale centres and long Deansgate in search of Mulligans - reputedly home to the best pint of Guinness outside of Ireland - slightly tucked away down a side street just past the once iconic Manchester department store Kendals (now still hanging on has House of Fraser) - We encountered our only doorman of the day outside what is  very Oirish looking pub - Red   decor with bright green lights and obligatory Shamrocks - opening the door from a very quiet street  in to a dark interior that was very live with drinkers and banter - we initially found the only free table at the back of the bar near the loos but managed to sneak into one of the booths as a party left - this was certainly the most expensive pub of the day £6:20 a pint - The jury was a little out n the No 1 status of the pints we supped - I recently had a better pint of the black stuff at the Golden Lion up in Whitby - the pub is no doubt lively in the evenings and the atmosphere is probably worthy if a visit a lone - perhaps try some of the other Irish led ales they have on offer.

On to Mulligans

Testing England’s best Guinness?

Back into the sunshine it was a right turn and heading towards the Manchester Arena and the ever growing behemoths of steel and glass that appear to be shooting up in this part of Manchester - Under the railway arches there was a a glimpse of solitary Industrial aged relic amongst all the moderns glass and steel - The Briton's Proctction (a name possibly linked to the pub being a recruiting pub for the armed forces in its early days) 

The many rooms of the Briton’s Protection

Recorded as being on this site from at least 1806, this  multi room gem of a pub now feels very lost in the development all around it and felt a little like it was in its last breathes- posters on the windows reminded us of the threat from redevelopment/lack of care from owners Starr Pubs/Heineken that had been widely reported on beery social media. 

Formerly a Tetley house then taken over by Punch and more recently Star Pub & Bars under parent company Heineken UK have opted not to renew the lease of the current owners, - there is obviously a lot of development money sloshing around this area of Manchester 

According to the Manchester Evening News 

The 210-year-old boozer stocks more than 360 whiskeys and changes its offering of local real ales on a regular basis. But Heineken-ran Star Pubs & Bars, which owns the Grade II-listed building, wants to add the city centre pub to it's "managed house portfolio" when the lease expires.

Artist impression of what the proposed future development of Great Bridgewater street may look like with the proposed £30 million Alpha Tower development 

Pic Credit  Plans in for controversial £30m Manchester tower  - Place North West via Counter Context

Currently, the Brits can stock all its own products - including the huge array of whiskeys from around the world - paying Star pubs rent for the building. However, new lease terms could mean that it would only be able to buy its products from Heineken suppliers, and Mr Hudd claims this would render the pub unrecognisable.

Speaking to the M.E.N, he said: “The BP is known for having 360 whiskeys, it’s one of our biggest draws and what people come to the BP for. If I have to buy all my whiskey through Heineken, there are about 15 on their books.

"They’re not going to start working with the local wholesalers I use, or the wholesalers in Scotland I use. Imagine walking into the pub, and not seeing all those whiskeys there?

“I can’t see Heineken opening accounts and working with all these people for the sake of one unit. So the whiskey USP will disappear. With cask beer, Heineken don’t work with local breweries, because they’re a massive chain.

It was fairly quiet for a sunny June Saturday afternoon - we had passed many Madri/Prosecco venues on Deansgate fairly rammed with folk, after a quick sortie into the front bar to check out the beer offer we had one of the rear large rooms to ourselves - this is a great pub - real heritage, good beer and over 300 whiskies to choose from including a individually selected unique barrel of Jack Daniels apparently - if this pub was in Stockport or Macc, I'm sure it would be rammed on a Saturday afternoon - so it all felt a little sad - but was good to see a good range of local Manchester beers on the bar. My particular choice was a Mancunian Blonde - brewed in nearby Brightside Brewing company - I only gave it a 3.5 on Untapped - perhaps the melancholy  must have got to me - we perhaps could/should have stayed longer but were keen to press on and fit in one more stop before we headed south to Stockport.

So back out into the sun and plotted a course Great Bridgewater Street, back towards Piccadilly but with one more Mancunian legend in our sites the very Green Peveril of the Peak - or Pev as the locals know it - this is another ancient watering hole - with its own glass washing ghost  and the World's oldest Landlady, 93 years young Nancy Swanick (Who hails from County Donegal - so its also has a good rep for its Guinness) who has been pulling pints at the Pev for 53 years. Love the Google search description of this pub - Cosy, unpretentious pub with classic green like exterior offering beer, pool darts and a jukebox.

Our first sight of the Pev

It was a bit a rough pub when Nancy and her husband took it over in the 70's - it had reputedly had been run as a brother for American GI in the second world war - The Manc quotes Nancy son who helps run the pub as saying

“You’d get lads coming in straight from work and not leaving until they’d spent their wages and had a punch up,” remembers Nancy’s son Maurice. “Mum told dad she wouldn’t do it.”

Reportedly, in its early years, some of the pub’s biggest customers were factory blokes on their lunch who’d “knock back three pints and a pie without blinking” then head straight back to it.   

Its closeness to Piccadilly and the Universities of Oxford Street mean it is normally throbbing though it is a multi roomed pub that seems to soak up drinkers, there were seats outside as well probably set during Covid but these seem to have been reduced - Eric Cantona was apparently a regular in his United days, the late Robbie Coltrane's TV show Cracker was filmed here  and it is not unusual to see the great and good popping in for a pint. I did try to impress my fellow drinkers with my claim to fame, that I have lectured on the same stage at the nearby Whitworth Hall where Einstein had stood some years earlier - I had post lecture beers in the Pev not sure if Albert did.

Got to mention we also clocked a very nice J W Lees Pub across the road on our way - The Rain bar with a very impressive frontage and by all accounts a nice beer garden overlooking the canal at the rear - definitely a pub to return to on our next visit.

The boys outside JW Lees Rain Bar - one for another day

Back to the Pev, operated by Stonegate Company - there were plans to completely refurb the pub some years ago but Nancy stood firm and managed to agree to just essential updates - there are some wonderful parts of this wedged shaped building - art deco glass door panels  to the Ladies are lovely, though it looks like the glass panel to the gents has been nicked or damaged in the past, there are still bell pushes around the four rooms - we alighted to the front room which was empty accept for a fire place full of funeral flowers - maintaining our melancholy theme! - a variety of beers were on offer - though I think we all went on sensible halves  - my choice was a Millstone Tiger Rut - My untapped notes proclaim - a little chalky but pleasant elder flower teaser Golden ale score 3.75.

Whose nicked the Gents sign?

 

Saturday afternoon in the Pev

Back to Piccadilly, resisting the opportunity to pop up stairs to The Mill - the stations Pub - we jumped don the next Northern train down to Stockport - a quick 5 mins or so and of course including the highlight of passing over Europe largest brick structure the 27 arch Stockport railway viaduct. to be honest we took the wrong route out of the station and walked through the yet to be 'titified' streets that get you to the Town centre - if you turn left out of the station there is a much pleasanter route - though one that does pass a number of Madri/prosecoo joints, we also paused  on another small viaduct to take in the soon to be emptied Robinson Brewery which does dominate the townscape a little - there looked to be a cracking street below dull of drinking venues with loads of outdoor seating very full of people.

A glimpse of Robo’s Brewery 

We did make an aborted attempt to visit the Petersgate Tap- which is tops most of the Stockport real/craft beer headlines -- but the place was rammed with what looked like only one person behind the bar so we about turned and headed deeper intro the town centre. 

There was a large Help the heroes/armed d force s event going on in the town centre so the place was pretty buzzing - we sough refuse in the lovely Victorian indoor market - me for pork pies the rest of the squad opted for very late breakfasts - there is a small bar in the market but we decided to have a short break from the amber nectar and refuel - it was the onward to seek out some Robinson's houses. 

Stockport Indoor Market Hall - Keg beer available

A quick walk through the shopping centre took us to the doors of what turned out to be a splendid boozer -  The Swan with two necks - a little deceptive from the outside looking like a smug town boozer (its whats Pub description : Narrow-fronted with a mock-Tudor facade) but opens up inside into a sizeable pub with some lovely rooms and a very interesting central bar. A good range of 'on form' Robinsons confronted us - I fancied something different so went for a keg Hopnik Citra IPA - slightly cooler pour, perfect for a warm summers afternoon. It was fairly quiet for a late Saturday afternoon and we had the rear room to ourselves - but well worth a visit some lovely features throughout the pub.

Some lovely feature in the Swan with 2 necks

 

Next stop was nearby Arden Arms - a bit more on the edge of town, bought by Robinsons' brewery back in 1890, this Grade II listed and on CAMRA’s National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, Its famous for its distinctive curved, glazed bar and our point of visiting - a secret snug that can only be accessed by walking through the bar. What Pub declare this an unmissable gem and a few folk must have agreed as this pubs was very busy - the large side beer garden particularly well frequented - our initial sips of Unicorn were in the service corridor, but as if by magic, a table in the secret snug suddenly became available and a quick request to the bar staff so the bar flap being raised and the 4 of us walking through the bar to the secret snug - certainly an experience and one we would strongly recommend though -you probably need to like coffee as there is a very large and impressive barrister machine taking up most one of the walls and certainly on our visit was in constant use. Another great pub which believe is run by the same couple that also have the Swan with 2 Necks - definitely worth the walk out to.

The Arden Arms

Arden’s serving corridor

A Glimpse of the Secret Snug

In the inner sanctum

Returning back toward the centre and railway station our final visit allowed us to get our Sam Smiths fix on the wrong side of the Peninnes - another large multi room pub just off the main square - The Boards Head another very bus pub - this like many Sams town centre has had a fair bit of money spent on it and also offers legendary Sunday Lunches - we were mellowing by now and opted for Milds (which were of course  stunningly cheap) and that brought the curtain down on our trip to Cottonopolis and Hat town.

The Boars Head - smack in the midddle of Town 

Best value pint of the day 

 

We parted company back at the Stockport rail station, me heading south back to the Potteries and the rest of the party heading north and east back to Yorkshire (though an unscheduled donut diversion led to missed trains and a slightly late return).

I ended a great day with a sole and reflective pint of Titanic at the very handy Stoke Bod bar on Platform 1 of Stoke station. Five Manchester and Three Stockport pubs really only scratched the surface of the drinking scene in both paces - but it was great to visit some pubs we had of heard of but not previously visited would like to visit Stockport again and seek out some of the non Robo venues and it will be interesting to see what the brewery do with the old site 9 rumours of a visitor centre and drinking/eating complex.

Final pint of Day - BOD at Stoke Station

We recorded a  podcast together a couple week after the visit, reflecting of this day and this is available on all mainstream platforms and Youtube - just search for MaltravlAle and look out for Episode 48 

Youtube LInk (2) Episode 48 - MalTravAle visits Cottonopolis & Hat Town - YouTube

Apple podcast link https://tinyurl.com/ycwp46se

The Malt TravAle Podcast | a podcast by Mike Hill (podbean.com)