Nag's Head, Hyde Road

Nag's Head, Hyde Road, West Gorton, 1991. (c) Simon Hall 1963-2016 www.transportfotos.com [1].

The Nag's Head on Hyde Road is yet another West Gorton boozer to bite the dust recently, like the Imperial Inn behind it (left, below). Only the Travellers Call (far left, above) remains open now of the trio of pubs that used to be on offer for users of the Sports City Travelodge.

Nag's Head, Hyde Road, 2010. (c) Gerald England at geograph under Creative Commons.

The largely derelict corridor of Hyde Road is a blight on inner city Manchester and has not recovered from the ill-fated plan to run the M67 all the way into the city centre that was abandoned many years ago.

Nag's Head, Hyde Road. (c) Right Move.

The Nag's Head stands on the corner of Birch Street and Hyde Road, seen at the archives in 1958 when the thoroughfare was built up and bustling (that's the Rock Inn in the background).

Nag's Head, Hyde Road, 2009. (c) Gene Hunt at flickr under Creative Commons.

In 1972 it had a corner entrance, here in 1973 it's shown from another angle revealing the neighbouring demolition, and in 1986 here's the Nag's Head as a Boddingtons house.  

Former Nag's Head, Hyde Road. (c) Google 2016. View Larger Map.

The Nag's Head closed for good in 2009 and was offered for sale for an ambitious £200k as a private house at one point. These days it's the Belle Vue Convenience Store.


Nag's Head. Hyde Road, 1991. (c) Simon Hall 1963-2016 www.transportfotos.com [1].

The 1991 photos here are courtesy of Crystal Palace fan, Simon Hall [1], before his visit to Maine Road on 24th August 1991.

1. Simon Hall 1963-2016 www.transportfotos.com.

Spread Eagle, Regent Road

Spread Eagle, Regent Road, Salford, 1984. (c) Simon Hall 1963-2016 www.transportfotos.com [1].

The Spread Eagle started out as a beerhouse known as the Red, White and Blue on the corner of West Peel Street and Regent Road in Salford. Dating back to the 1840s, the beerhouse was taken over by Joseph Holt's Brewery in the 1860s, and was renamed the Regent Vaults [2].

Spread Eagle, Regent Road, Salford. (c) Salford Pubs of the 70s at flickr [3].

In 1904, Joseph Holt's, who owned the two shops next door, successfully applied to pulled the three houses down and build a new pub. Thanks to Holt's surrender of the licences of two other Salford beerhouses, they opened the Spread Eagle in 1905, a huge pub which towered over the area [2].  

Spread Eagle, Regent Road, 1970s. (c) Neil Richardson [3].

Regent Road was widened in the 1980s and instead of rebuilding the Spread Eagle in the estate pub style like Boddingtons did with the Wellington, they let the grand old pub be pulled down and transferred its licence to the Dukes Gate in Little Hulton [2].

Former location of Spread Eagle, Regent Road. (c) Google 2013. View Larger Map.

The Spread Eagle closed in September 1986, its corner relief sign of a golden 'spread' eagle standing on a barrel of 'XX' Holt's ale could be seen until the pub was pulled down [2] (and can be made out on the photos). These days an empty industrial unit which sits next to Johnstone's Paints marks the spot of the old Spread Eagle.

Spread Eagle, Regent Road. (c) Simon Hall 1963-2016 www.transportfotos.com [1].

The Spread Eagle is shown here in glorious mid-'80s technicolor thanks to Simon Hall [1], who visited the pub on 14th January 1984 before a Crystal Palace match at Maine Road.

1. Simon Hall 1963-2016 www.transportfotos.com.

2. www.flickr.com/photos/61756486@N05.

3. Salford Pubs Part Two: Including Islington, Ordsall Lane and Ordsall, Oldfield Road, Regent Road and Broughton, Neil Richardson (2003).