CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE

MANCHESTER, GREATER - Manchester, City Centre, Briton's Protection

National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors Part One

50 Great Bridgewater Street, Castlefield, Manchester, M1 5LE

Tel: 0161 236 5895

Web site: www.britonsprotection.co.uk

Draught Beer & Cider: Range of real ales

Public Transport: Railway Station: Manchester Oxford Road/Deansgagte; Metrolink: G-Mex

Pub Food: Meals served Mon to Fri 11am to 2pm

Listed Status: Grade II

View this pub on a local map

This pub first opened its doors in 1811 and was probably a range of houses originally. It was initially used for recruitment during the Napoleonic wars (hence the name). The building has a simple, rendered brick front, typical of Georgian times. What gives it its character now is a remodelling in the c.1930 with extensive amounts of tiling and good-quality woodwork. It has a public bar along the front, a tiled corridor which leads round the back of the servery and to a pair of rooms behind. The public bar along the front with a figure '1' on the door has a good moulded ceiling picked out in gold on red. It retains its 1930s bar counter and bar back-fitting, a dado of 1930s tiling and fixed seating also from that date.

The off sales area is still visible with its double exterior doors - it is the area through the arch cut in the dividing wall to the right of the public bar. The numbers on the doors were required to identify the rooms for licensing purposes. On the left are twin doors leading to the passageway - note the figure '2' on one of them and the five intact sliding screens on the servery side. It has a dado of 1930s tiling and another moulded ceiling picked out in gold on red. There is hatch for service at the rear of the servery which has two leaded screens and serves the two rear rooms.

The Smoke Room at the rear of the passageway has a figure '3' on the door, original fixed seating with bell pushes, a copper fireplace with wood surround from the 1930s and by the door a baffle with a leaded glazed panel in the top. There is a figure '4' on the last room on the rear right which has a baffle with glazed leaded panel in the top, leaded rear window, original fixed seating and bell pushes, 1930s wood surround fireplace.

The tiling continues all along the passage which runs to the toilets at the rear and up the staircase. Note the ladies toilet has an unusual hanging door with leaded glass panels in the top. A visit (if possible!) is recommended to the gents' with its 1930s massive urinals and 1930s tiled walls. There is also a room upstairs with few old fittings which is available for meetings.

To celebrate the pubs double centenary there was a celebration on 10th & 11th June 2011 when the first 200 customers each day could buy a pint for only 10p.