The Kinderton Arms near Middlewich

Image: © Roger D Kidd Taken: 31 Aug 2011

Now empty and falling into dereliction, this always looked a fairly grim place to me. However, not all was as it seemed. See local comment here: http://www.bestpubs.co.uk/layout0.asp?pub=133349 Clive Astles writes (in 2011): "My wife ( Barbara Astles, née Evans) was one of eight daughters and two sons of Mr Alfred (Alf) and Mrs Hilda Evans. They lived in the Lock House, opposite the Kinderton Arms by the side of the Trent and Mersey Canal for very many years, as Alf was a British Waterways “lengths man” for the company, and the house was provided as part of his working conditions. Alf used to garden the pub gardens for himself, with flowers and vegetables for his family, and provided produce for the pub and his family as a condition for him having the gardens to work for himself. The gardens were always kept in an immaculate condition, were Alf’s pride and joy, and if not in his house he would always be across at his gardens. When garden produce was in good supply, on occasions (he) would also offer FREE produce to the very many working canal boats that would go past 24 hours a day (late 40s and early 50s). The Kinderton Arms was always good for a night of traditional pub singing around an old piano, particularly on a Friday and Saturday night where at such times their younger children would be allowed to sit in the pub corridor (or) on the front door step. They were provided with a small bottle of “pop” with a straw and a bag of Smiths Crisps ( with a blue twisted bag of salt) to keep them quiet, and the kids always looked forward to doing this on a Saturday Night. Some weekends, when Alf and Hilda had decided to stay at home instead of going to the pub, Hilda would be sent over to the pub with a large enamelled water jug to get Alf a few pints of beer. In those days, with plenty passing of trade (from) the canal boat people and the local community, the pub was always very busy and a nice place for locals to have a good beer." Apparently a misguided attempt to open it as an Indian restaurant failed. Who is going to walk this far out of town for a curry these days? It would have to be exceptional to persuade people to drive here, or pay for taxis.

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