GREAT HARWOOD

PUBLIC HOUSES 1800 to 1860

Dog and Otter Inn

In 1805 Thomas Hindle leased 340 square yards of land at Cliffe to build the Dog and Otter. He paid Sir Thomas Dalrymple Hesketh £100 and £1 8s 4d per year ground rent. As the Old Billy was just down the road Thomas must have felt there was enough traffic struggling up the Cliffe to warrant another ale-house.

In the early 1800s John Mercer, Arrod's most eminent man, helped to found the first male voice choir in the town and was its conductor. They practiced at the Dog and Otter.

	Another pub which has had internal walls knocked down, so losing its flag floored vault, it sells Jenning's beers but relies as much on the reputation of its food as its beer.

Lomax Arms

In 1819 Sir Thomas Dalrymple Hesketh sold all of the Upper Town to the Lomax family making them owners of almost all Great Harwood and this was named for them.

Named after the Lords of the manor. Suppose it's what you call a family pub

Yet another to suffer renovation the Lomax has managed to keep some of its internal walls and a pub atmosphere.
It has also managed to keep hold of Lion Mild or it still had in April 2001.

In 1825 E. Baines wrote his History and Directory of the County Palatine of Lancaster where all
Great Harwood's ale-houses and their keepers were recorded for the first time. They were :

The Cock
Queen's Head
Cross Axes
Grey Horse
Dog & Otter
Lomax Arms ..................
..................
..................
..................
..................
.................. John Kitchen
Robert Pilkington
Lawrence Rushton
Richard Loynd
John Sourbutts
Ann Calvert

"This has to be the best excuse EVER to nip out for a pint."
At this time there were no butchers' shops in the town, meat was sold at the Queen's Head and Cross Axes.
"I'll just go and get the Sunday roast, dear"

In the 1841 census there were the same ale-houses and two beer-houses.
One was the Crabtree Inn at Butts in Delph Road the other was "in the village".

The Blackburn and District Directory of 1855 shows no change in the number of
ale-houses in Great Harwood but there are two additions in the 1858 publication.

Wellington Hotel

This was originally a large private house built in 1801 by Adam Dugdale benefactor of the local poor.
Having suffered many internal "improvements" over the years the renovation of 1998/9 has produced a pub with real character. Technically a Freehouse it serves guest beers but mainly Scottish and Newcastle beers which (only my opinion) is worse than the Bass brews they replaced although the Theakston's Black Bull is a good pint if it's on form.

Ploughin'

Plough Inn

Shown here in the early 1900s The Plough must have provided a different atmosphere to the later purpose built pubs.
First licesed in 1854 it was for many years after still a working farm with attached farm buildings and was well placed to serve the Britannia, Victoria and Park mills.

This picture was taken around 1930 or maybe earlier as Nuttall's of Little Harwood was bought by Matthew Brown in 1927 which in turn was, unfortunately, swallowed by Scottish and Newcastle.
There is an old barn to the left with advertising hoardings covering its walls, there has been extensive remodelling of the frontage and the building has been extended to the right.

	The barn has been demolished by 1940 but there was a bowling green in regular use in local league games into the 50s.
	Another pub where renovation has meant losing separate rooms although it could have been worse. The bowling green is now a garden with a children's play area.

Pub Map

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Designed and written by ifinwig
Last updated 11th June 2004
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