Monday, 23 January 2012

Polytechnic Tavern, Greengate

The Polytechnic Tavern was the first pub on Greengate on the right as you travelled up from the bottom end of Chapel Street.  Although it was demolished in around 1881 for the building of Manchester's Exchange Station, it can be traced back to 1792 when the Angel alehouse stood on the site.  It was later known as the Plumbers Arms by 1816, then from 1822 it was the Jolly Potters or Potters Inn [1].  


Polytechnic Tavern, Greengate, Salford. (c) Alan Godfrey Maps [2].

A brief spell as the Travellers Inn preceded the Polytechnic Tavern, and although no pictures exist of the pub, it was described as a white stone building, and for 3d, punters could spend an evening in the 'elegant music saloon' with stage, scenery and orchestra.  1850s adverts described its concert room 'capable of holding 1,500 people'. The tavern closed in 1880 as the license was transferred to the Duke of Edinburgh on Tatton Street [1].

1. Salford Pubs - Part One: The Old Town, including Chapel Street, Greengate and the Adelphi, Neil Richardson (2003).
2. Manchester Victoria 1849, Alan Godfrey Maps (2009).

No comments:

Post a Comment