Crown & Kettle, 2 Oldham Road

Image: © P L Chadwick Taken: 2 May 2010

Located on the corner of Oldham Road and Great Ancoats Street. The pub closed in the 1980's, following a serious riot by football fans, and a few years later there was a fire causing more damage. It didn't re-open until October 2005. It used to be a favourite with local journalists, as the Daily Express was based next door. Today it has been carefully restored, and attracts people from all over the Manchester area. From the pub's interesting website, it seems they are not sure of the origins of the pub's unusual name. The present building dates from sometime in the 19th century, but there has been a pub on this site since the 18th century. A drawing from 1734 shows the double-fronted cottage then on the site, as the "Iron Dish and Cob of Coal", which presumably was a pub. The ornate interior of the present building is thought to be connected with its possible use or intended use as a court. There used to be a notice inside saying it was at one time a Stipendiary Magistrate's Court, ie with a full-time magistrate, today a District Judge, sitting. Also a reference to it first being licensed in 1774, which presumably refers to the previous building being licensed as a pub, and doesn't seem to fit in with it being the "Iron Dish and Cob of Coal" years earlier in 1734. It seems much of the early history isn't very clear. A newspaper report of 1823 refers to there being a lot of violence around the area of the Crown & Kettle. It is probable that this was the earlier building on the present site. The present building is Grade II listed.

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