1.5 Miles
This walk is more a visit to some of Manchester’s tap rooms with some extras thrown in on the way. Our first pub is located on the Rochdale Road.
You can download the route here – https://www.bar-trek.com/crawl/723
1. The Marble Arch Inn
73 Rochdale Rd, Manchester M4 4HY
On approaching this famous real ale pub and brewery take a moment to look up to appreciate its impressively stacked roof and ornate chimneys. Then enjoy the grandeur of the eponymous front entrance although the marble that gives the pub its name is in fact Shap granite. It was built in 1888 on the site of a previous 1829 pub as a show house pub for McKenna’s Brewery and had electric lighting installed from the start.
The fine barrel vaulted ceramic tiled ceiling and decorative frieze covered up during alteration in 1954 – were revealed again in the early 1980’s. Drinking the frieze would be formidable challenge! The mosaic sloping floor leading you inexorably to the bar and the glazed tile walls add to the splendour of the pub. There are 6 cask and 8 keg lines as well as cider to the left of the bar and it is now the tap room for Marble Beers.
Turn right when exiting the pub and head down Rochdale Road and at the main junction on our right is our next pub.
2. The Angel Pub
6 Angel St, Manchester M4 4BQ
The Angel is found huddled within a flurry of new development in what was a notorious slum area, known as Angel Meadows. The horrendously busy junction on Rochdale Road makes it a hard place to reach at times but is worth making the effort. Formerly having 13 handpulls, often with the majority empty in previous years, a recent cellar refit and reinvigorated focus now sees 6 cask ales, consistently available, across a broad range of styles and changing breweries. As a historic pub, refurbishment works are slow and expensive, however, they are making progress. The plumbing in the Gents, long closed for the necessary improvement, has now been suitably reinstated, with very few changes made to the tiling.
Exit The Angel Pub and head back to the main junction. Then turn right down Rochdale Road to Swan Street. Turn right here into Swan Street. We pass on our right the old Smithfield Market Hall. Opening in 1822 it covered four and a half acres and the public could obtain fish, meat, fruit and vegetables. Its influence was such that it spread further into Ancoats and through its Italian community spawned an ice-cream manufacturing industry. Just past this building is our next venue.
3. The Smithfield Market Tavern
37 Swan St, Manchester M4 5JZ
Once one of the premier cask pubs in the Northern Quarter it was returned to its former glories, extended and improved and is now a modern day proper pub run by Manchester based Blackjack Brewery. It was refurbished in 2020 and improved again in 2023. North Manchester CAMRA Best newcomer 2015; Central Manchester CAMRA Pub of the Year 2016 and again in 2022; Manchester Food and Drink Festival 2016 AWARDS Pub of the Year. Serving six ever-changing cask ales, 4 of which tend to be from Blackjack Brewery beers with the other two Guest ales; 10 keg beers; an eclectic selection of bottles and bar snacks.
Now turn right and continue down Swan Street. Keep going as Swan Street changes into Great Ancoats Street. On your left you will see the fantastic Hudson Building, a prime example of well-crafted Art Deco architecture. Constructed in 1924, the attractive former warehouse has huge Crittal-style windows and a beautifully ornate façade.
To its left is the Arts-and Crafts style Derros Building. It was built by W. R. Sharp as a Methodist Women’s Night Shelter and opened in 1899. It is a narrow building over four storeys with a half-timbered attic level. It provided accommodation, sewing classes and a coffee tavern on the ground floor. In recent years the building has been converted into flats by, amongst others, the Manchester Methodist Housing Association.
Now turn right down Newton Street and on your right is an ornate covered car park, turning left at the Post Office into Faraday Street then at the end turn right to our next pub.
4. Port Street Beer House
39-41 Port St, Manchester M1 2EQ
Opened in early 2011 in former shop premises in a back street in the Northern Quarter. There are seven handpumps providing an always interesting range of beers, mainly from Northern breweries. Also a wide selection of other draught beers and bottled beers available, mostly from Europe and the USA.
Turn left and continue down Port Street to the end. As you pass the Crown and Anchor Public House, there is an ornate building opposite which was the Hold Fast Bar. Not much is known about the building apart from the fact it made Bowler Hats. Turning left again into Dale Street and the next pub.
5. Fell Northern Quarter
35 Dale St, Manchester M1 2HF
This bar was Renamed FellNQ from Pelican and is now operated by Fell Brewery in Cumbria. It is located in a converted Grade 2 listed office block on the corner of Dale St and Tariff St. You’ll find the entrance on the right at the top of several steep stairs. At the end you will find the bar that serves 14 keg, and 4 handpumps (3 for cask and one for cider), as well as bar snacks and pizza slices. The building was constructed in 1903 to serve the cotton industry as the Head Office and distribution warehouse for the expanding textile company, Richard Howarth & Co.
Exit the building and turn left down Dale Street to the end. You will pass an impressive arch with ‘Piccadilly Basin’ inscribed on it. The Rochdale Canal Company built the basin between 1792 and 1856, including eight warehouses and 25 wharves. The canal was restored for pleasure use in the 1970’s and underneath the Piccadilly thoroughfare is the only canal lock to be located under a building.
Now turn left again into Ducie Street then turn right into Jutland Street. We cross over the Aston Canal which spans a distance of almost seven miles and links the Rochdale, Peak Forest and Huddersfield Narrow canals. At the end turn right into Store Street then left into Boad Street and continue along this street into Sheffield Street and our next venue.
6. Balance Brewing and Blending
10 Sheffield St, Manchester M1 2ND
The brewery specialises in producing mixed culture, barrel-fermented beers. The taproom sells beers of other styles from other breweries. It certainly unique and a must if you like Belgium style fermented beers.
Exit and turn right and in about 50m is our next venue.
7. Sureshot Brewing
5 Sheffield St, Manchester M1 2ND
This is the taproom for Sureshot brewery which opened in 2022 and only has one changing cask ale. The taproom and brewery occupy 2 arches beneath Piccadilly station. The taproom is in the left hand arch, the brewery occupies the space previously used by Track brewery.
Now turn right and continue down Sheffield Street to the end. Left turn up Travis Street and keep going as it turns into Adiar Street to our next taproom situated on the Piccadilly Trading Estate.
8. Cloudwater Brewery Taproom
Piccadilly Trading Estate, Unit 9, Gidding Rd, Manchester M1 2NP
The Brewery tap for Cloudwater brewery is found on a small industrial state next to the brewery just off Great Ancoats Street. It is a small room with a view over a collection of wooden barrels. There are up to 20 keg beers available and the details of what is available that day are printed on the day’s beer menu. Ciders and non-alcoholic drinks are also available as well as snacks. As of August 2019 they have started a selling cask ale and there are now two handpulls. Beware of closing time, they do shut early.
Turning left and a very short walk gets us to the next taproom.
9. Track Brewery Tap
Unit 18, Piccadilly Trading Estate, Manchester M1 2NP
Track Brewery Tap is located in the Piccadilly Trading Estate, a short walk from Piccadilly Station. The large bar area has 20 keg lines and 3 handpumps serving mainly Track beers, with the occasional guest, and a fridge full of cans and mini kegs.
