Feathers Hotel

[Latchford Locks 178]

I read on another local rag report that The Lion on Bridge St is closing for good but I've also noticed that The Feathers is shut , Is that also closing for good?

A couple of years ago it had a refurbishment and tried for a different clientele a bit like The White Hart (which had been an outstanding success)

But I think that the location doomed that idea from the start.

So have the owners given up and closed or is it just being revamped as another Bridge St cheap booze pub.  ?

 

[Bill 175]

Pretty much all the town's pubs have seen a drop of in trade especially during the quieter midweek but I'd have thought that would be a prime location once all the development finishes.

 

Bill  

[Milky 68]

Is that the Lion Hotel, thought it was shut for years, thought it was a night club last.???

 

[Latchford Locks 178]

1 hour ago, Bill said:

Pretty much all the town's pubs have seen a drop of in trade especially during the quieter midweek but I'd have thought that would be a prime location once all the development finishes.

 

Bill  

The council should have included the row of buildings that house the Lion and either demolish them or in the case of the actual Lion building refurbish and find a meaningful use for it(as it may be a listed building) As it stands the current structures just look an eyesore and will be detrimental to the new Time Square development (as will the Old Packet House building)

[Bill 175]

I'm with you on that one Latchford, especially the packet house, it's a bloomin eyesore.

I think a lot would argue though that maybe the Lion has some history attached to it, I don't know about that but it's certainly well past it's best and doesn't score too high in the looks department. And having a whole array of tacky takeaways right next to it with their smells and litter doesn't help either.

Pull the lot down and have done with it!!!

 

Bill

[Latchford Locks 178]

3 hours ago, Milky said:

Is that the Lion Hotel, thought it was shut for years, thought it was a night club last.???

 

Yes that's the one.

It was also the booking office and Pick Up point for Sykes Coaches back in 1950/60's

I always remember getting the coach for Wire away matches in the yard at the back.

I don't suppose many readers will remember them now the livery was a kind of light and dark brown.

On away games in Yorkshire they didn't have the motorway then and half way over they stopped at a pub next to a reservoir and all the grown ups were made up having a couple of pints to break up the journey(My Dad included).

You can still see that pub on the left hand side (East Bound) about 3/4 of the way over.

 

[Milky 68]

Way before my time, I can remember it being a bar, was it ever a proper hotel?

[Latchford Locks 178]

9 hours ago, Milky said:

Way before my time, I can remember it being a bar, was it ever a proper hotel?

It was a Coaching House ,in other words a bit of a half way hotel stop between Scotland and London in the 18th century, horses were changed and customers ate and stayed  for the night.

[Davy51 426]

Didn't the Lichfield/Warrington Flying Coach stop there in the days of horse drawn coach travel ?

[Latchford Locks 178]

It seems you are spot on,

But even I wasn't knocking around back then 😅😅

Here is the schedule.

2 Early Liverpool Coaching MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY : I Ockinton, Plimouth .... .... .... .... 1. s. i EVERY MONDAY : I To Darneton, Ferryhil, Helperby and | Northallerton .... .... .... .... xlv. s. it Durham .... .... .... .... .... Iv. s. 1 ,, Newcastle .... .... .... .... .... Iv. s. : I Once every fortnight to Edinburgh, iv. £ a peece, on j I Mondays. ' Every Friday to Wakefield, in 4 days .... xl. s. i All persons who desire to travel into the cities and towns ' and roads herein hereafter mentioned and expressed, | namely to Coventry, Litchfield, Stone, Namptwich, Chester, I Warrington, Wigan, Chorley,

From the same paper of 24 June, 1658 : f I The Postmasters on Chester road petitioning have received \ 1 orders and do accordingly publish the following advertise- i i. ment: '' I All gentlemen, merchants and others who have occasion ; i to travel between London and Westchester, Manchester j j and Warrington, or any other town upon the road for the | : accommodation of trade, despatch of business and ease of j i purse, upon every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning * betwixt six and ten of the clock at the house of Mr. ;; Christopher Charteris at the sign of the Hart's Horns in West Smithfield, and postmaster there, and at the postmaster at Chester and at the postmaster of Warrington, may have . ; a good and able single horse or more furnished at 3d. the mile without charge of a guide, etc., etc. j ,. All those who intend to ride this way are desired to give i ( a little notice beforehand if conveniently they can to the \ I several postmasters where they first take horse.

That is all I can find out,

But I was also aware that King James used Warrington as an overnight stop for the transport of Captured Scottish Rebels to London For transporting to the colonies as forced labour.... Possibly why there is such a large contingent of Canadians having strong  Scottish Ancestral ties ?

[Davy51 426]

Obviously not a Northern Rail franchise.