Coach & Horses, Weaste

Built in 1913 for the Rochdale & Manor brewery, the Coach & Horses is a remarkably intact multi-room pub. The plan resembles pubs like The Stork in Birkenhead or the Prince Alfred in Liverpool in that the Public Bar ('Vault') is sited in the right-hand angle of the building and is surrounded by a corridor of which rooms lead to the left and rear. Front door internal porch has a black and white mosaic floor including the name ‘Coach & Horses’ and a dado of green tiles on both sides. The inner original doors have ‘Coach &’ ‘Horses’ deep etched and frosted panels with door protectors in front. The side door from the car park also has an internal porch with a black and white mosaic floor including the name ‘Coach & Horses’ and a dado of green tiles on the right hand side.

On the left is the door with ‘Outdoor Depmnt’ highlighted in gold in a deep etched and frosted panel and door protectors either side. This tiny narrow room has a black and white diamond quarry tiled floor, a bare bench and three sections of the impressive timber and glass screen. Here the lower sections are still intact. This remarkable survivor is usually locked and sadly now used for storage. The inner original doors here have ‘Coach & Horses’ deep etched and frosted panels with door protectors in front. A corridor runs between the two doors with has a black and white diamond quarry tiled floor – can you spot the one small sizes tile? Apart from the left hand wall from the front door there is a dado of mainly green tiles all around it and also up the staircase to private quarters. Look for the deliberate mistake in the tiling at the foot of the stairs – one tile has been turned upside down! Service in the corridor is through an impressive timber and glass screen, as at the Birkenhead and Liverpool pubs (the sashes, sadly, have been removed from the lower sections here).

The Lounge on the front left of the corridor retains its original fixed seating with bell pushes but the fireplace has been changed. Front left room has the only significant change – what was probably a double doorway entrance is now much smaller and a short modern screen has been added in the north end of the doorway in recent years, but the original door frame has been retained i.e. the modern panel could be removed. The Vault on the front right has a door with a deep etched and frosted panel and door protectors either side, and another three sections of the timber and glass screen (again, sadly, without the lower sections). The fixed seating with draught screens have been retained but the fireplace has been removed and replaced by a dado of wood panelling (there are original fireplaces remaining upstairs). At the rear right off the corridor is the small Smoke Room with ‘Smoke Room’ picked out in gold in a deep etched and frosted panel and door protectors either side but no other old fittings.