Oakwood, Lancaster Road, Salford. (c) deltrems at flickr [1].
The Oakwood Hotel was huge Tudor-style public house with oak frames and herring bone brickwork, opened in 1938 by Threalfalls, who gave up their licences of the Factory Tavern, George Street and Old House at Home, Regent Road to build it. The Oakwood on Lancaster Road had a vault, lounge, two smoke rooms, assembly room, dining room upstairs, bowling green and a 'palm court' which was an extended seating area overlooking the garden [2].
Oakwood, Lancaster Road, Salford. (c) Salford Pubs of the 70s at flickr [3].
Whitbread took over the Oakwood in the 1960s and shamefully turned the bowling green into a car park. After a short closure, the pub reopened as a Beefeater Steakhouse chain in 1981 which saw off the vault and creation of the 'Yeoman' dining room. The Oakwood lasted another 20 years before closing in 2001 and being demolished a year later [2], a victim of its own size and general downturns in pub trade. New build flats have now replaced the pub; ones of dubious quality that won't last as long as the fantastic house they replaced.
Former location of the Oakwood, Lancaster Road. (c) Google 2013. View Larger Map.
2. Salford Pubs Part Three: Including Cross Lane, Broad Street, Hanky Park, the Height, Brindleheath, Charlestown and Weaste, Neil Richardson (2003).
What a magnificent building! Rather reminiscent of the former Princess on Princess Road.
ReplyDeleteMy father Joe Dalton was the landlord from 1965 until just before it changed to a Beefeater. Great pub with a wonderful atmosphere full of larger than life charachters too many to mention...but have to say...Gerry Done...what a pool player!
ReplyDeleteCorrie st.used to film there quite often.
ReplyDeleteUse to go in the vault to meet my mates Dad for our last one of a Friday night
ReplyDeleteA lovely pub and restaurant, demolished for greed………more houses
ReplyDeleteThere was a very camp organist there in the late ‘60s & I asked if he would play ‘In the Mood’, to which he replied ‘Ooh, I’m always in the mood deary’? I can’t remember whether he played it or not.
ReplyDeleteHe was called Beau
DeleteWe used to go there at that time, Beau was fantastic, very sadly missed.
Delete