Although yet another of Manchester's lost pubs, the Boatman's Home was only built in 1973 as a Tetley Walker house as seen here, and was named after the old Boatmans Home pub which was round the corner on Chester Road, closing in 1967 [1]. Described as "an old man's pub" and "a charming boozer in its own way" whilst also holding popular Irish music nights, the Boatman's Home was left isoloated by the Mancunian Way to the south and the industrial wastelands surrounding it. However, the pub was not demolished until fairly recently (it still appears on many pub websites as being in existence, so may have been in the '90s when it went). Some of the new build apartments and offices that now stand on the site on the corner of City Road (City Road East) and River Place are informally named 'The Boatmans' after the pub.
Thanks to our pal Ronnie for his recollections of The Boatman's Home: "I used to go in the Boatman's about '89-'91 but it closed and was demolished about '95 I'd say. The Boatman's was a decent little boozer, and as you say mainly an Irish pub. Used to be busy weekday dinnertimes with people from nearby offices and a probably now demolished factory. Weekday evenings it was dead but Friday and especially Saturday was busy. The main room was full of Irish and there was always some God-awful Irish band on. Best thing about it was the vault, good pool table and a local's zone. As it was off the beaten track, after-time was usually available until 1am for the Irish regulars, and select few in the vault stayed later too."
1. The Old Pubs of Hulme & Chorlton-on-Medlock, Bob Potts/Neil Richardson (1997).
