2.1 Miles
Manchester is a big place so rather than starting at a known location such as the Bus Station or a mainline train station, we shall start at the first pub. By clicking on the street address it should bring up the location on your maps to get directions to the start or next pub.
Download the route here – https://www.bar-trek.com/crawl/722
1. Northern Monk Refectory MCR
10 Tariff Street, Manchester, M1 2FF
Opened in November 2018 as Leeds brewer Northern Monk’s first North-West outlet. Serving real ale with 4 cask and 20 keg lines. The bar is card only. This building has some fantastic historical interest. In the 1980’s, Spirit Studios was located in the basement. The first band to use Spirit’s facilities were The Smiths, named by NME magazine as the most influential band since 1952. Spirit Studios continued to provide rehearsal and recording space for many Mancunian bands and international artists, notably:
The Stone Roses, Tony Wilson, Simply Red, The Membranes, Happy Mondays and 808 State, Hypnotone, 2 for Joy, and Illustration Creator “歩き目です(Arukimedesu)”.
Producers such as Trevor Horn (Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Seal etc.), Martin Hannet (The Stone Roses, Joy Division etc.) and Arthur Baker (Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Kraftwerk, Al Green) all visited Spirit to record and produce their work. In 1984, the studio transitioned into education and became the School of Sound Recording. At this time SSR occupied half of the basement of 10 Tariff Street, and the entire facility consisted of a single studio, one classroom and a reception/office area. SSR grew steadily during its first 15 years of trading and by 2000 the school occupied all three floors of 10 Tariff Street, two floors of 12 Tariff Street and a single floor in Fourways House (also on Tariff Street).
By this time the school housed eight studios, two computer suites, four DJ booths, a classroom and had become Europe’s first AVID (then Digidesign) “Pro School” in May 2002 and in 2004, the school moved premises to Downing Street. Exiting Northern Monk, turn right up Tariff Street to Dale Street. Now turn right again and follow Dale Street crossing Oldham Street into Church Street. Follow it to the end and turn right again on High Street with the Arndale Centre on your left. Soon you will see our next stop inside the shopping center.
2. Micro Bar
Unit FC16, Arndale Market, Manchester, M4 3AH
This interesting and innovative bar was opened by Paradise Brewery when the Arndale Market was refurbished in 2006 and in 2009 it was taken over by the Boggart Hole Clough Brewery, until its closure in 2016. The bar is now run by Mark and Mary who give you a warm welcome. It was extended into another stall in 2010 which added some stools by the bar although you generally sit in the market hall seating. Despite this extension it is still rather small but still manages to sell cask beers as well as real cider from its five hand pumps.
The Arndale Centre was built in stages between 1971 and 1979 by Town & City Properties. The center opened in 1979 with an official ceremony attended by HRH Princess Royal. It was redeveloped after the 1996 Manchester bombing with the rebuild focused on the north section of the center. It is also Europe’s third largest city-center shopping mall. The song “It’s Not Cricket” from the 1979 album Cool for Cats by the British band Squeeze mentions the Arndale Centre.
Now exit back onto High Street and backtrack a little.You’ll notice a large building on your left, the ex-Debenhams department store. This is the Rylands Building and is Grade II listed. It was originally built as a warehouse by J.Gerrard and Sons of Swinton for the Rylands Textile company (Rylands & Sons Ltd). It is built in the Art Deco style and clad in Portland stone with decorative features such as the zig zag window lintels. In 1957 and fire destroyed the premises of Paulden’s Department Store in All Saints and the company acquired this building. Then in 1973 it was rebranded as Debenhams until its closure in 2021, outlasting other Manchester department stores including Lewis’s, Affleck and Brown and C&A. In 1954, this building can be seen in the background of L.S Lowey’s ‘Piccadilly Gardens’ painting.
At the junction with Market Street, the building opposite which is now Primark was the old Lewis Department Store. There was a clock tower on this corner which has now sadly gone but there is a plaque on the building commemorating David Lewis explaining more.
Notice the original store with its fantastic clock tower with its chime of bells has long since gone. But it was probably Manchester’s foremost department store at the time with moving staircases, lifts and automatic vending machines. It must have been ahead of its time when it opened.
Now turn right up Market Street. Shortly on your left is Brown Street and turn down here. The now Tesco Express on the corner occupies the former Brook’s Bank and it is also known as Lombard Chambers, another Grade II listed building.
A bit further down where Norfolk Street meets Brown Street is an impressive building. This seems to be a former Barclays Bank from the ironwork above the entrance but it now the Iraqi Consulate and along Norfolk Street is the old Manchester Stock Exchange which is now a hotel owned by Gary Neville and Ryan Gigs. If you have some time then pop yourself into the lobby to look at the wonderful interior architecture. Carry on down Brown Street to our next pub.
3. Cafe Beermoth
Brown St, Manchester, M2 1DA
A one-of-a-kind, modern bar, with a cafe-bar vibe reminiscent of Belgium. Beer from all over the world, brought to you by the people behind Beermoth, a specialty beer off-licence located on Tib Street in the NQ. There are up to seven constantly rotating British cask ales on hand pulls, and 10 keg lines pouring a wide variety of British key-keg conditioned beers from brewers all around the United Kingdom. Plus, there is a wide selection of international beers available in bottles with particular focus on American bottled beers fermented with wild yeast.
Turn left when leaving Beermoth and continue to walk down Brown Street turning right into King Street. At this junction with King Street, the building opposite with the impressive entrance was the old Atlas Chambers. There is a clue on the building’s corner which tells us the original functionality of the building. We pass on our left, Ship Canal House which was the HQ of the Manchester Ship Canal. A bit further down at No.55 is the old Bank of England building (Manchester Branch). This is a Grade I listed building and maintained by Manchester City Council.
Then opposite at No.53 is an Edwardian Baroque bank opened in 1913 it used to house a branch of Lloyds TSB and stands on the site of the old Manchester Town Hall. The blue plaque refers to Charles White, one of the founders of Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Carry on across Cross Street into the pedestrianised section of King Street. This was the first city centre street to be given over to pedestrian use in 1976. On your right you will see a good example of a Georgian Town house which was built for Dr Peter Waring and then was used as a bank then on your right is the Old Exchange. Built in 1897, its predecessor on the site provided temporary accommodation for the Cotton Exchange around 1800, hence its name.
Now keep walking until you reach Deansgate, one of the oldest thoroughfares in the city and is named after the River Dene which may have flowed along a hanging ditch connecting the River Irk to the River Irwell at the street’s northern end. Turn left here and follow Deansgate before turning right down Bridge Street. Opposite you will see the stunning Sawyers Arms Hotel, another Grade II listed building.
The Sawyers Arms is believed to be the oldest pub that’s still standing, opening in the 1700’s and receiving its license in 1730. Many people think that the Old Wellington Inn is Manchester’s oldest pub but it wasn’t a public house until 278 years after it was built receiving a license in 1830. You are more than welcome to pop in here if you have time, if not carry on down Bridge Street to our next venue.
4. Gas Lamp
50a Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 3BW
The Gas Lamp is an interesting pub. Opened in 2010, and housed in the former Manchester & Salford Children’s Mission building, the pub has an impressive frontage, but you could easily miss the small doorway that leads down to this basement bar. On the bar are four handpumps and the real ales on offer are interesting – no “famous” national brands here – the beers are selected from the pubs own Brewery (Pomona Island) and smaller interesting breweries, many of whom are not seen regularly even in Manchester’s multi-ale houses.
Now return back down Bridge Street to Deansgate. Turning right and walk along Deansgate passing what looks like a very old church on your right, the John Rylands Library. Does the name ring a bell from earlier in the walk (Rylands Building – Ex-Debenhams)? John Ryland was Manchester’s first multi-millionaire and as a memorial to her husband, Enriqueta Rylands chose to build a public library that would enrich the City’s architecture, it is now part of the University of Manchester. If it is open then pop in, the interior is beautiful and could be described as a cathedral for books.
As you continue down Deansgate just look at some of the stunning architecture and the history of Manchester before you. Soon you’ll reach the junction with the A34 (Quay Street) and an impressive sight, the Great Northern Railway Company’s Goods Warehouse. This was built between 1896-1898 and is a unique 3 way railway goods exchange station, serving the railway, canal and road networks. It was the most advanced railway goods exchanges at the time. It’s massive, 224m long, 100m wide and 23m or five storeys high, also it sat 12m above the canal. Rather than go into detail here, you can read more by following the link below:
At the end of this impressive building, turn right down Liverpool Road. There is another interesting building on your right which is part of the Campfield Market Buildings. Built as a pair, Upper Campfield Market Hall and Lower Campfield Market Hall. There was a church that separated them which is now a horrible office block called Castlefield House. Opposite you can see our next pub.
5. Cask
29 Liverpool Road, Manchester, M3 4NQ
The pub is larger than it looks on the outside and makes good use of its limited space. An extremely narrow entrance consisting of narrow listed doors, this ex motor bike shop – previously a weavers cottage – brings you into a small lobby area with the end of the bar on your left. Four handpumps face you as you enter. Beers from local breweries such as Pictish, Track, Ilkley, Malllinsons and others from Abbeydale and Roosters. The bar will not stock any beers which are brewed under licence and the Staff are friendly & knowledgeable about the beers. So if you are not sure, then ask!
When leaving, turn back up Liverpool Road pass the market and cross Deansgate into Great Bridgewater Street. Carry on underneath the Manchester Central Station which closed in 1969 and is now an exhibition space. Exiting this bridge/tunnel, you can see a pub called, The Britons Protection, we shall visit this on another Manchester walk. Turn right and cross over the Rochdale Canal then turn left down Whitworth Street.
We are now at a famous landmark in Manchester, the Hacienda Club which shut in 1997. Many of Manchester’s greatest bands played there but it also had its troubles. I’ll let you find out more in your own time about this influential club on the UK’s music scene. Now follow Whitworth Street with the railway on your right to the end and at the junction with Oxford Street, turn left to our final destination.
6. Bundobust Brewery
61-69 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6EJ
This is their second outlet for Bundobust is on Oxford Road and opened in September 2021. Their other can be found on Piccadilly. It contains their brewery and is converted from an old car park in St James’s Building with an entrance on Oxford Road. Bundobust serve Indian vegetarian street food as well as craft beer. There are two handpumps for cask beer either side of the keg taps. I totally recommend the food here and the family platters are excellent.
