Looking Back: Crofters stood on corner of St George's Road in Bolton

Here’s a view which many Looking Back readers may well recognise even though the photograph was taken more than 70 years ago.

It shows St George’s Road in Bolton in April 1953 with the Crofters Hotel standing prominently on the junction with Chorley Street which heads off to the right.

The Crofters has been converted into apartments having stood empty for a number of years.

It’s hard to make out but look down St George’s Road and in the distance you can see a gable end which was covered in large adverts painted on to the wall.

Source

I remember this place turning into an Indian restaurant in the late 90's or early 2000's called Moghuls Palace.

They wanted to renovate the building and without realising the building was listed, they started to rip the bar out and got a letter from the authorities with an order to cease building works.

After that the restaurant shut down and the building stood empty till this day with the restaurant going bust.

That was the rumour anyway.

Anyone else have any recollection of this?

I used to go drinking in there in the early 90s, it was a lovely looking pub inside but never seemed that busy.

It used to be part of our pub crawl on Chorley Old Road. Start at the Vic, then the Kings, then down to Sally Up Steps and then down to the Crofters and then back up again 

Norpig wrote:I used to go drinking in there in the early 90s, it was a lovely looking pub inside but never seemed that busy.

It used to be part of our pub crawl on Chorley Old Road. Start at the Vic, then the Kings, then down to Sally Up Steps and then down to the Crofters and then back up again 

I'm surprised you've not mentioned The Nelson and even the Farmers Arms in your pub crawl, they certainly were in mine - back in the day.

Yes I've drunk in all of them and the Kings Arm's used to be my parents local, they were best friends with the landlord who used to be the landlord of the Caledonian before it shut down in the 1960's, and they followed him to the Kings (and later still to the Hope and Anchor).

I'd left Bolton before the Crofters was turned into an Indian but I do remember it becoming so but never went in.

In my early courting days I used to catch the bus just around the corner from the Crofters, on Chorley New Road and take my lady friend at the time, up to the Beehive to wine and dine her (pint of Mild and prawn cocktail and chicken and chips!).

Those were the days!!!

Theakston's or Thwaites?

Sluffy, have you ever been back to Bolton back to your old stomping ground to see what has changed since your younger years for a bit of a nostalgia trip?

karlypants wrote:Theakston's or Thwaites?

Sluffy, have you ever been back to Bolton back to your old stomping ground to see what has changed since your younger years for a bit of a nostalgia trip?

Tetley Mild if that is what you were asking?


I used to return often when my mam and dad were alive but not much since apart from the odd family wedding or two.

My brother still lives there and visits me from time to time and he tells me how shit Bolton has gone.

Things change wherever you were born or live now, and I don't see any point trying to linger in the past because it doesn't exist anymore.

I had a very happy time growing up and I look back on it fondly but you've got to move on otherwise you begin to get bitter over what you've lost.

The world, Bolton, even myself are all very different from what we once were - you can't turn the clock back, no matter how much you would like to.

Remember the past by all means but live in the present as the present is the reality and the past is the past and is no more.

That's my philosophy anyway.

Sluffy wrote:

I'm surprised you've not mentioned The Nelson and even the Farmers Arms in your pub crawl, they certainly were in mine - back in the day.

Yes I've drunk in all of them and the Kings Arm's used to be my parents local, they were best friends with the landlord who used to be the landlord of the Caledonian before it shut down in the 1960's, and they followed him to the Kings (and later still to the Hope and Anchor).

I'd left Bolton before the Crofters was turned into an Indian but I do remember it becoming so but never went in.

In my early courting days I used to catch the bus just around the corner from the Crofters, on Chorley New Road and take my lady friend at the time, up to the Beehive to wine and dine her (pint of Mild and prawn cocktail and chicken and chips!).

Those were the days!!!

I lived round that area for years and we never went in the Nelson, no idea why though? We did venture to the Farmers from time to time but not as regularly as the Crofters.

Norpig wrote:

Sluffy wrote:

I'm surprised you've not mentioned The Nelson and even the Farmers Arms in your pub crawl, they certainly were in mine - back in the day.

Yes I've drunk in all of them and the Kings Arm's used to be my parents local, they were best friends with the landlord who used to be the landlord of the Caledonian before it shut down in the 1960's, and they followed him to the Kings (and later still to the Hope and Anchor).

I'd left Bolton before the Crofters was turned into an Indian but I do remember it becoming so but never went in.

In my early courting days I used to catch the bus just around the corner from the Crofters, on Chorley New Road and take my lady friend at the time, up to the Beehive to wine and dine her (pint of Mild and prawn cocktail and chicken and chips!).

Those were the days!!!

I lived round that area for years and we never went in the Nelson, no idea why though? We did venture to the Farmers from time to time but not as regularly as the Crofters.

You didn't miss much with the Nelson, it was a bit of a hole but I preferred it to the Crofters, which as you've said was a massive pub inside but never anyone in it (at least the times I drank in it) and the Farmers which used to be highly popular for some reason - my brother claimed it was because all the doctors and nurses from Bolton Royal used to frequent it.

As I lived more towards Halliwell Road and my local used to be The Trotters in town, I didn't really do Chorley Old Road that often but I always enjoyed the change when I did.

A shout out to, to the Royal and Howcroft (the one with the bowling green) both near by in the Vernon Street vicinity.

Did you never go in the lion of Vienna on Chorley new road as I believe isn’t too far from the Crofters?

Quite a few of the pubs my way have gone now.

The Brierfield has now gone in the Sharples area just further up from Astley Bridge and also had the name Dr. Faux which originally was a doctors surgery and is now being turned into a 3 story mosque.

The Edge Tavern pub just lower down from Asda Astley Bridge bulldozed and an Indian restaurant now in its place.

Three pigeons at the junction of Belmont and Blackburn Road has been closed for more than 18 years is only now being turned into a Henigans restaurant and the majority left are mostly shit.

The only one I go for a pint in sometimes is the cheetham arms further up Blackburn road towards Dunscar which isn’t a bad pub.

Yes, I went in it once soon after it opened but the place was/is a distance away from any other pub if you are walking, which I usually was, unless someone volunteered to drive.  I usually preferred to have a pint and then move on, rather than stay in one pub all night.

I guess it was about half a mile each way from the Crofters and back, which isn't far I know but last orders back then were at 11pm and you could probably get to about three or four other pubs in the same time in any other direction from the Crofters - up Chorley Old Road, or down Chorley Street direction to the Farmers and on to the edge of Town, Gypsy's Tent, White Lion, Albion, etc, or up Vernon Street/School Hill area.

The nearest pub past the Lion of Vienna was the Victoria, better known as 'fannys' - someone told me that it got it's name because that's where all the pretty girls in the area used to go to back in the day - can't say I ever saw any on the very few times I ever went in.

Fanny's was the place that Wheater used to get pissed in all the time with his wingman Vela.

I’ve been in Fannies once just before covid and I got the impression it was full of girls using daddy’s credit card to buy the wine.

It seems to be a very pompous place these days and not like your average decent boozer.

Never saw any footballers though although some friends who go every now and then have.

Apart from Fannies all the pubs you have mention have long gone now which is a shame.

karlypants wrote:Apart from Fannies all the pubs you have mention have long gone now which is a shame.

It is, so many happy memories and all that - you mentioned Brierfields above which was the first 'posh' restaurant I'd ever been in - I think I must have been the only customer they ever had who got there on the bus! - but the world moves on and you either move on with it or get left behind and stuck in the past.

I sometimes wonder what memories will people today have as it seems nearly everybody I see have their nose stuck to their phones!

I used to go in the Lion of Vienna regularly when i lived nearby, shame that's shut as well now. No pubs left on Chorley Old Road at all now which is sad.

I haven't been to Fannies for a long time but i know it is still full of posers 

My mate lives near Church Road so if we go out near his house we would go to the Finishers and the Hope and Anchor. The Doffcocker is one to be avoided as its empty usually. A lot of the lads i know who live up that way go to Heaton Cricket Club as that's a decent place.

Halliwell and Blackburn road are just as bad these days, only the Ainsworth, Stork and Crofters any good on Halliwell Road. Used to go out on Blackburn road for a change back in the day but presume all the pubs like the Pineapple have gone now?

Sluffy wrote:

karlypants wrote:Apart from Fannies all the pubs you have mention have long gone now which is a shame.

It is, so many happy memories and all that - you mentioned Brierfields above which was the first 'posh' restaurant I'd ever been in - I think I must have been the only customer they ever had who got there on the bus! - but the world moves on and you either move on with it or get left behind and stuck in the past.

I sometimes wonder what memories will people today have as it seems nearly everybody I see have their nose stuck to their phones!

The local pub was always at the centre of the community bringing people together.

Whilst there has been a bit of a decline with pubs shutting down in general over the years, the smoking ban didn't really help and with covid coming along. People have resorted to drinking more at home and attending house parties and not to mention the price of a pint in the pub along with not much disposable income some people have.

I do remember the Brierfield serving food when it had the restaurant part and they even added an extension to the side of the building to allow for more seating. Sadly it ended up as just a pub and they stuck a pool table in the extension.

It ended up having monthly events trying to attract people with it becoming a bit of a mosh pit with live bands which Norpig would have liked!

It went on to a great decline after that and with the renovations of Holden Mill across the road being turned into apartments I would have thought the place would have attracted new punters but sadly didn't.  

The Brierfield was such a grand house it is such a shame it has been bulldozed.

Norpig wrote:Halliwell and Blackburn road are just as bad these days, only the Ainsworth, Stork and Crofters any good on Halliwell Road. Used to go out on Blackburn road for a change back in the day but presume all the pubs like the Pineapple have gone now?

The Pineapple is still there. It seems to do ok and they do have disco and live music although it has got on my tits in the past as we live not to far from it and one time they had a wake in there with the DJ blasting music out the doors and windows till late at night. People were spilling out of the pub fighting and what not.

The Police took their time coming out. No doubt on their coffee and donut run!

The Lamb is a nice pub now when the weather is right as you can sit out at the front in the beer garden and watch life go by.

Used to go the Pineapple and the pub across the road but can't remember the name of it now?

It is sad that nearly all the pubs we used to go to are gone now 

EDIT - just remembered - the 3 pigeons! Not to be confused with the pub of the same name on Wigan Road.

Norpig wrote:Used to go the Pineapple and the pub across the road but can't remember the name of it now?

It is sad that nearly all the pubs we used to go to are gone now 

EDIT - just remembered - the 3 pigeons! Not to be confused with the pub of the same name on Wigan Road.

The Tap owned by Bank Top Brewery (used to be called the Carters Arms) which is on Belmont road next to Su's chippy is a good pub for real ales. You could get a couple of pints of flat cap and change out of a fiver!

I'm quite a regular at the one on Wigan Road.

The one in Astley Bridge had Ady's Disco on a Saturday night if I remember rightly.

Lot's of muppets used to go in off Oldham's estate. The pub was a bit split in half with one lot in one part of the pub and the Oldham's gang in the other.

It was a bit like the pub in Shameless.