Marble Arch, Manchester (Marble Arch Inn)

A very special pub with an impressive exterior and even more impressive interior. It was built in 1888 to designs by local architects Darbyshire and Smith. The ground floor is faced with polished granite and has the unusual feature of some Gothic detailing; unusual because Gothic was usually associated with churches and therefore rarely used for pubs. The interior consists of one long narrow room with a noticeable slope down to the servery.

The room has a splendid mainly blue and cream colourful mosaic floor but you will notice a large area of red quarry tiles - this was originally the site of a long bar counter which was removed in 1989. In its place is a small counter with green tiled panels along it. All the walls of the room are lined with glazed bricks of various shades of yellow, cream and greens. There is a wonderful frieze around the room with the wording 'Ale Porter (covered) Whiskies Gin Brandies Cordials Wines Gin Rum Ale Porter (over main door) Brandies Whiskies Rum Brandies Cordials'. The room is topped off by a ceiling of glazed bricks in a number of segments each with a centrepiece of four tiles in relief which create a ceiling rose. The ceiling is held up by iron girders and a number of ceramic supports.

There is a good marble and carved wood surround fireplace but it looks modern and the fixed seating is of no great age. Three front doors indicate the room was originally sub divided. In the lobby of the third door is another mosaic floor. There is a number of stained and leaded panels above the entrance door. Modern vestibule entrance. At the rear down a L-shaped passage is a modern small dining room brought into use in recent years. At the rear of the property is the Marble Brewery.