Pubs of Manchester

All pubs within the city centre and beyond.
A history of Manchester's hundreds of lost pubs.

Thursday 5 January 2012

Talbot / Ladybarn, Mauldeth Road

Ladybarn, Mauldeth Road, Ladybarn. (c) Gene Hunt at flickr under Creative Commons.

This grand-looking boozer in Ladybarn was once ran by Frank Swift, the legendary Manchester City goalkeeper who died in the Munich Air Disaster in 1958 along with eight United players, plus 14 others.  In the 1950s when Swift had it before he became a journalist, the pub was known as the Talbot and there are archive photos from 1959 and 1970 as a Threlfalls house, plus one from Alan Winfield in 1993 as a Whitbread pub.


Ladybarn sign, Mauldeth Road. (c) Ladybarn at Facebook.

In recent years the Talbot had a spell as 'Peninsular' which was a student pub with a seaside theme.  Its final hurrah was as The Ladybarn when it reinvented itself as a food-led pub, receiving some favourable reviews as recently as 2006 [1].  However, the pub didn't last long, being knocked down in early 2010, despite appearing still standing on googlemaps on the corner of Ladybarn Lane.  The photo below shows the pub wall before complete demolition with the still open Brewers Arms in the background.

Former location of Talbot / Ladybarn, Mauldeth Road, 2010. (c) Talbot at Facebook.

1. http://menmedia.co.uk/food_and_drink/s/214667_barnstorming_welcome.

9 comments:

  1. Joseph Archibald Cruikshank B.S.E10 January 2012 at 11:50

    Dont forget the White Swan Ladybarn.A living relic with its rare floor,magnificent stones(urinals),1930s rooms and upstairs function room decorated completley in contrasting green and cream tiles .Truly an unspoilt survivor of 80s pub vandalism and a place to be treasured.Robinsons beer on cask.

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    1. Chief petty officer Ronald Finch1 February 2012 at 23:15

      Nice try "Cruikshank",but you cant fool me Heir von Kackburger!Hand me the Luger you evil imposter!

      Delete
  2. The White Swan has now closed. However the old Ladybarn Royal British Legion Club, which has been on Beverly Road (100 yds away) since 1920, (now called the Ladybarn Social Club) plans to take it over and reopen it. The Club are selling their land to a developer that owns the Swan, and will take ownership of the building in late 2012, refurbish it (keeping the urinals) and hopefully opening in early 2013.

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  3. Good and bad news then. Had hoped to visit the White Swan (and the Brewers) before Ladybarn becomes a publess zone. Hope the Legion pull this off

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  4. The White Swan has indeed reopened thanks to Ladybarn Social Club who have moved from their old building on Beverly Road. Although there has been a refurbishment, the original Urinals have been retained, as have most of the original blue tiles where possible. The small rooms have been opened out, and the original carved oak bar has been moved into a new position giving more room. There are now two cask ales on sale, one being a changing guest ale, whilst the other is Robinson's Unicorn, a concious decision by the Club to keep close to the buildings fine brewery heritage. Non Members are welcome

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  5. It's a block of flats now, sadly.

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  6. We used to DJ there on a Saturday when it reopened in 2007. Lovely Stan Chow designed pub sign too

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