The Ancoats Hotel used to face the Cotton Tree on Great Ancoats Street, and was the next pub along from the Whitehouse as you travel along 'The Lane' towards New Cross. It was previously known as the Houldsworth Arms, after the local mill owner, race horse owner and MP, Thomas Houldsworth [1], and ran by Robert George Stracey [2]. Around 1852 it became known as the Big Tub until it was rebuilt as the Ancoats Hotel in the 1930s. It was owned by the Manchester Brewery, Walker & Homfrays, Wilsons as seen here in the '70s, Greenhall Whitley and then finally as a freehouse in 1986. It didn't last much longer, and neither did the whole row of buildings which were pulled down to leave the empty plots which remain today.
1. The Old Pubs of Ancoats, Neil Richardson (1987).
2. Manchester (Piccadilly) 1849, Alan Godfrey Maps (2009).
My inlaws where the landlords of this pub in the mid 1970s.It was a favorate watering hole for the post office workers from Newton st.
ReplyDeleteDuring some renovation work in the vault we found some postcards from the 1930s which showed the then landlord Albert Stott in his apron with the ledgend MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE BLOOD TUB. I asume this relates to the number of fights that accured in the pub?.
Fascinating, them postcards would be a superb artefact, suppose they're sadly lost like the boozer itself. Suppose you're right about the "Blood Tub" nickname! Added a photo above mate.
ReplyDeletefull of punk rockers in the early 80s breathed some life into the old place, great pub
ReplyDeleteI was one of them lol
DeleteMy parents owned it when the punks drank there.
DeleteI us’t to drink in here and play pool with my Mrs back then mid 80s as was on my way home. Happy memories.
ReplyDeleteI was underage as well lol but hey is what it was back then.
DeleteMy grandparents had this pub in the mid to late 70s. Great memories!
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