Stockport & South Manchester

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Weekday Wander - Eccles

Tuesday 1 August 2023

August Weekday Wander — Land o' cakes

Despite the title, this isn't a trip to Scotland, but a visit to Eccles, purveyor of a curranty cake not to be mistaken for one from Chorley!

We're going west this month, but in the geographic sense and not in the downhill meaning! If visiting Eccles, everyone must call in at the Lamb (photo here), a large Holts pub across the road from the tram stop. There is a cosy vault to the right, but as a group of any more than three would take over, we will go straight on into one of the main rooms. The surprisingly small bar for such a large pub still has space for not only bitter but mild as well. But don't just focus on the beers, look up at the etched glass bar surround (none of those spray on fakes here) which, reputedly, still slide up and down. The front rooms are well appointed with Edwardian décor, fixed seating and inbuilt bell pushes, but the most interesting room is that to the rear. This was the billiards room, hence the raised seating for spectating. In its later days it did resort to snooker, but those days are long gone (but remembered by this author!)

Just along Regent Road we enter the new kid on the block, the Eccles Cross. A JWD outlet which is surprisingly small as it is housed in the former New Regent cinema (photo here). Maybe Eccles was pioneering the small, cosy multi-screen concept way back in 1920! Internally it is as you would expect, but do take note of the dugouts housing intimate drinking booths. There is also an outside drinking courtyard, should the weather be with us.

Unlike other towns with famous cuisine, Eccles doesn't have a Ye Olde Eccles Cake Shoppe, so we will be departing cake-less to Patricroft for our next pub. The Stanley Arms (photo here) is a complete contrast to the Lamb in everything except for its beer range. Small and intimate, and could probably fit into the front room of the Lamb! Never the less, it is still full of character (and characters) and a must visit pub as it is Grade II listed and included in CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. Gardner-6LXB-BW-Left-side-illustration.jpg

In days gone by Patricroft was made world famous by two of its engineering giants. At one time every forge would have had a Nasmyth steam hammer, (or a copy) for all those heavy metal forming jobs. Likewise there were hundreds of Gardner Diesel engines from the 6LX range powering buses, lorries and small ships. Both are now lost (though Garners lives on as Garners Marine in Kent). A third local employer was the massive Patricroft motive power depot (engine shed to you and me), again all gone. And we can't leave without mentioning the pioneering Bridgewater Canal, the first waterway built independent of an accompanying river, unlike the Mersey & Irwell Navigation which merely straightened out bends in the river.

We finish the day with not one, but two micro bars (plus a stand-by Holts pub) a little way up the road in Monton. First up is the Monton Tap (general view of Monton Road in the photo right), opened in 2018 in a former shop. As would be expected it is small and cosy, but still offers three beers, usually from local breweries. There is also French café style seating outside on the surprisingly wide pavement, should the weather be with us! Secondly we have, but with opening time of 4:30pm, the Malt Dog which was first opened in 2013 and again serving three changing guest beers. This is a little larger, having an upstairs room along with the pavement drinking area.
NOTE: For anyone still hankering for another Holts beer, the Park opposite (previous 1950s incantation photo left) offers salvation.

Travel arrangements below are laid out from Stockport using the train, but for some, a tram from Didsbury to Pomona, then changing for the Eccles line may be much more convenient. Unfortunately there are works on the line, and trams are only travelling as far as Weaste, with a bus replacement to the last two stops! See you in the Lamb. 

ArriveLeavePubAddressFood
11:2011:20Meet at Stockport Rail Station
11:2511:35East Midland train to Piccadilly
  Back-up in case of delays: 11:26 - 11:40 Northern to Piccadilly or 11:36 - 11:47 Avanti to Piccadilly
11:5412:10Northern train Piccadilly to Eccles and eight minute walk to pub < < < Alternate joining point
12:1013:15Lamb Hotel33 Regent Street, Eccles, M30 0BP 
13:1514:15Eccles Cross13 Regent Street, Eccles, M30 0BPYes
14:1514:30Travel to Patricroft options: Walk for 22 minutes or bus from across the road:
14:15 - 14:20 Bus number 67 — 14:22 - 14:26 Bus number 20 — 14:23 - 14:27 Bus number 100
14:3015:40Stanley Arms295 Liverpool Road, Patricroft, M30 0QN 
15:30~16:00Travel to Monton options — Walk 26 minutes
15:30 - 15:46 Bus number 22 — 15:45 - 15:59 Bus number 65 — 15:53 - 16:18 Bus number 20
16:0016:45Monton Tap165 Monton Road, Monton, M30 9GS 
16:4517:29Malt Dog169 Monton Road, Monton, M30 9GS 
17:2918:2317:29 - 17:47 Walk to Eccles Station — 17:48 - 18:02 Train to Piccadilly — 18:15 - 18:23Train to Stockport
  Alternative options
Walk to Eccles then tram back towards Didsbury (bus replacement Eccles to Weaste)
17:35 - 18:43 Bus 33 to Manchester then train
17:38 - 18:54 Complex two bus and train
17:53 - 19:02 Bus 34 to Manchester then train
17:58 - 19:02 Bus 21 to Swinton then three trains
18:06 - 19:18 Bus 33 to Manchester then train

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