GREAT HARWOOD

PUBLIC HOUSES BEFORE 1800

Cock Inn

Almost certainly amongst the first ale-houses to be granted a licence. On the Manchester to Clitheroe highway above the ford on the Calder it was ideally placed, especially in times of flood I imagine. It is certainly the first to be mentioned by name when it was leased by Thomas Hesketh to Lawrence Walmesly in 1687. When Lawrence died in 1705 he left goods, chattels and land valued at £44 3s 0d (£44.15)

Known at different times as the Cock, the Cock Bridge Inn or the Game Cock there have been many alterations both inside and out but the original building and cellar are still there.

The top photograph was taken in 1890. It was then the Cock Bridge Inn and Esau Ratcliffe and his wife were innkeepers.

The lower photograph was taken in 1999 and, in common with many country hostelries, it is now as much an eating place as a pub.

Queen's Head

In 1772 the Lower Town was sold at auction by Alexander Nowell and in the papers of the Lomax family, who bought most of the lots, the Queen's Head is mentioned. It was leased at the time of the sale to another Lawrence Walmesley and may also have been one of the original ale-house of 1635.

Shown here at the end of the nineteenth century as the Queen's Hotel this was not only an ale-house but a farm with 16 acres and a bearyard for bear baiting. One of the conditions of Lawrence Walmesley's lease was that he kept a dog (?)
The horse drawn omnibus used to run from here to Blackburn every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday (not a bad bus stop) but in 1903 the pub was condemned as not being up to standard and demolished.

In the centre of this view down Blackburn Road is the Queen's Head and the larger gable end behind it is the Cross Axes.

Cross Axes

Number eighteen on the auction list of 1772 was Jonathon Calvert's tenement which was also identified in Lomax family papers as the Cross Axes.

Home of the "Blue Room" in the 1970s the internal walls have been knocked down creating an uninspiring atmosphere fortunately lifted by the beers especially (for me) the Boddies Bitter and Whitbread Best Mild.

Old Billy

In the Surveyor of the Highway Accounts for 1776 is the entry:
"To ale at Cliff for people gathering stones in the Calder, 3s 8d."
This ale would have been bought at the Grey Horse, later known as the White Horse and later still as the Old Billy where John Mercer lived and carried out his experiments for a while.

The Old Billy lost its licence at the same time as the Queen's Hotel in 1903 and was converted into three dwellings until eventually being demolished.
The building on the right with the large black sign on the wall is the Dog and Otter which comes in the next section.

Pub Map

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Designed and written by ifinwig
Last updated 11th June 2004
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