Thursday, 14 January 2010

Britannia, Newton Street

Britannia, Newton Street, 1991. (c) deltrems at flickr.
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The Wilsons sign is half-covered with a Belhaven sticker in the above photo from 19 years ago, presumably because Wilsons stopped brewing in the late '80s, and before it shut the place was briefly the Frog & Bucket, as shown here in 1994. This 1970s photo shows the Britannia as a Watneys house, and confirms the Britannia's location on the corner of Newton Street and Gouldsworth Street, opposite the still standing Lord Nelson. The Britannia was established in 1805, renamed the Albert Saloon in 1840, and then renamed the Britannia Inn and Poet's Home in 1857 when the landlord, John Bolton Rogerson, tried unsuccessfully to make the place a literary pub - he advertised a celebration of Shakepeare's birthday in April 1857 [1]. In place of the Britannia now stands a four-storey block of modern flats built flush against the building on the right. Let's hope the usually lively Lord Nelson opposite, recently closed, doesn't go the same way as the Britannia.
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3 comments:

  1. Hi do you know if this is near what was Lancashire Street in manchester please? My great grandfather managed the britannia inn on 9 Lancashire Street and I'm trying to find more information.

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  2. Researchin my family tree, as you do when you get to a certain age, I have discovered in 1911 my 2nd great-grandaunt and her hisband were publicans at the Britannia, Newton Street , Matthew Peeling and Lavinia Peeling née Kelsall.

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  3. Was this briefly renamed Tommy ducks just before it closed? I know its not the original Tommy ducks, but pretty sure it took on the name and possibly the knicker covered ceiling after the original was demolished.

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