Church Street
A wander up Church Street, heading east to west...
The first pub, on the left side, is the Lamb Hotel, which closed in 1999, and, after many years, is going to be turned into accommodation. It is a Grade II listed building, dating to some time in the nineteenth century, one source says mid- and another early.
Another listed building just a few along from the Lamb is the George Hotel, possibly called the Horse Shoe before 1926/7. An image here indicates it was in good condition in 2003.
Apparently it featured in an episode of Ghost Hunters.
Further along, opposite Pole Street, are some old livery stables, at one point used by the mounted police. The building dates from the mod-nineteenth century, and has been very well updated, so it looks clean and modern, but retains it original features.
Opposite Ye Old Blue Bell, on the corner of Pole Street, is the Derby Court Hotel. There are a few sites on the web that list pubs in Preston, and this is curiously absent. There is a photo of the building in 1983 here, and at that time it was a number of shops, one selling reproduction furniture, so it dates from some time after that, though the name and style looks rather older. According to here, in closed in 2018 due to fire safety issues.
The rear of the building was another property at one time. This was 1 Pole Street, and home to Edith Rigby, Preston's suffragette. She later lived in Winckley Square.
Next door on Pole Street is this delightful building.
I guess nineteenth century, originally with the shop on the left, and a hoist on the right.
A little further along, and a short way up Grimshaw Street was the Dog and Pheasant, more recently Oblivion, an LGBT bar.
On the left now is Manchester Road. In the nineteen century this end was Water Street, becoming Leeming Street where it meets Shepherd Street, then later King Street. The Balmoral Hotel, later Beat Street Cafe Bar was on the left. This was built on the site of an earlier pub, the Black Swan, around 1900. More here.
And immediately after is the church that gives the street its name, Preston Minster. This is the view from the back, more-or-less from where the above was taken.
According to Wiki there has been a church on this site since 1094 at the latest, originally called St Wilfred. This is the fourth or fifth rebuild, and dates from 1853-1855. I think it only got minster status when Preston became a city in 2002.
Next door to Twelve Tellers is Popworld. This is another old pub, and I am struggling to find what it was originally called; I think The Coach House. In its earlier incarnation, I occasionally had lunch here with my wife after Saturday shopping. It is very different now, and yes, I have tried it.
There is a photo of it from the eighties here (14 photos down, right of the Leather Shop; you can also see part of Tellers when it was a bank).
The section beyond the arch is Harry's Bar, previously the Old Bull New Bar. I am not sure quite what the relationship between the bar and the hotel is, but I think they are part of the same business. That said, there is another bar accessed through the arch, The Bull And Royal - that is the bit I have been in anyway!
I love the Millar Arcade; architecturally, it is my favourite building in Preston.
It looks more interesting from the side, down Avenham Street, as it has taken over an old tobacco manufacturer, and indeed the name partly comes from there.
I guess this was the original building, and the Woods company extended north to cover the area that is now Hopwoods. It looks like the steps were removed to allow vehicles down this narrow road. The Woods company had a number of properties in Preston, and employed up to 200 people at one time, but got bought out in the seventies, and the Preston properties were closed down.
Earlier images from its first incarnation can be seen here and here. Another one destined to become accommodation.
Back to Church Street, and we get to Barney's. A reverse of the normal story, this is a building that has become a pub, after previously being a butchers and an electrical hardware store. It was Barney's Piano Bar for a while.
Further along, and on the right is The Bear's Paw, our third pub that is still open. It always has smokes stood outside, and the image below is no different. Previously known as The Grapes, The Last Orders and the Church Street Tavern, but the Bears Paw was the original name. More here.
On the left now is Manchester Road. In the nineteen century this end was Water Street, becoming Leeming Street where it meets Shepherd Street, then later King Street. The Balmoral Hotel, later Beat Street Cafe Bar was on the left. This was built on the site of an earlier pub, the Black Swan, around 1900. More here.
Heading back towards Church Street, I have heard that at one time there was the Rifleman Inn on the west side and the Griffin Inn on the east side. Look like the Griffin closed ca. 1882, the Rifleman ca. 1910. Today, even the buildings that replaced them are long gone,
Back to Church Street, and next, on the left, is The Old Dog Inn. This closed in 2018, but still had a banner claiming it was Preston's only late opening pub. A nice building, sadly looking forlorn now.
Turn left at the end of this block, to find the Warehouse, one of Preston's night clubs. Very much the one without a dress code (actually, I am not sure any do nowadays).
And immediately after is the church that gives the street its name, Preston Minster. This is the view from the back, more-or-less from where the above was taken.
Opposite the church at one time was the south end of Tithe Barn Street, with a hotel on the left and a pub on the right, behind a cinema on Church Street. The original bus station was just beyond the hotel. The whole area has been levelled, and even the road has disappeared.
Further up, and back on the left was the Eagle and Child. Nothing remains of the building, but you can what it looked like here.
At this point in Church Street we are getting into what might be considered the centre of Preston. I have been in none of the previously mentioned pubs; they are just too out of the way. I have been in all of the following except Harry's Bar, and they are all still open.
Across from where the Eagle and Child stood is a bank that is now a Wetherspoons pub, The Twelve Tellers. Preston Savings Bank opened in 1905, it opened as a pub in around 2015; I have a feeling it was empty for a while before that. More here.
Next door to Twelve Tellers is Popworld. This is another old pub, and I am struggling to find what it was originally called; I think The Coach House. In its earlier incarnation, I occasionally had lunch here with my wife after Saturday shopping. It is very different now, and yes, I have tried it.
There is a photo of it from the eighties here (14 photos down, right of the Leather Shop; you can also see part of Tellers when it was a bank).
Across from Popworld, and next door to where the Eagle and Child was, is Hogarth's. Another that used to be something else, the image on earlier web page with the Eagle and Child shows this impressive gothic building used to be a book shop; I think it was the Academy before it was Hogarth's.
Next door in the Old Bull Hotel, a large, if a little run-down, building.
The section beyond the arch is Harry's Bar, previously the Old Bull New Bar. I am not sure quite what the relationship between the bar and the hotel is, but I think they are part of the same business. That said, there is another bar accessed through the arch, The Bull And Royal - that is the bit I have been in anyway!
The Slug and Lettuce is just slightly further on, still on the left. Until recently (end of 2021) this was Yates's.
Originally, it was the Grey Horse, as seen here in 1986. It opened in 1808, one of only two thatched pubs in Preston. It became known unofficially as Addison's Wine Lodge, named for the landlady, Mary Addison from 1855 well into the 1970s. Mary Addison's nephew Peter Yates, founded Yates's, the oldest chain of pubs in Britain. Odd that it apparently took over a century to get officially named Yates's.
Across from the Slug and Lettuce is the Baluga Bar, on the corner of Miller Arcade. Originally this was the Kings Arms Hotel, and more recently Cafe Manyana (the only incarnation I have experienced), it was also a travel agent in the eighties.
I love the Millar Arcade; architecturally, it is my favourite building in Preston.
On the left is Hopwoods, a new tap room that opened since I first published this article.
It looks more interesting from the side, down Avenham Street, as it has taken over an old tobacco manufacturer, and indeed the name partly comes from there.
I guess this was the original building, and the Woods company extended north to cover the area that is now Hopwoods. It looks like the steps were removed to allow vehicles down this narrow road. The Woods company had a number of properties in Preston, and employed up to 200 people at one time, but got bought out in the seventies, and the Preston properties were closed down.
Further down Avenham Street is Bakers Street, which is notable as the last pub I was in before lockdown. Still waiting for the blue plaque...
I think it used to be the Duke of Windsor, and before that, Garth's Arms. Now somewhat modified, but you can see an earlier image here.
There was a pub called the Highland Laddie or Highland Lad next door, which closed in 1871.
Just after Hopwoods, down a narrow alley with the curious name Main Sprit Weind (likely a corruption of Mains Pit Weind, i.e., alley with a pit for cockfighting), there is Replay Bar, formerly Revolution, and originally The Sun Inn.
[I missed this one too]
Finally we have Fishers, another bank that has become a pub. I know it better as Squares. I think it has been Wall Street too. But this is Fishergate, and so for another time.
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