Stagger - Didsbury North
Didsbury North
Didsbury derives its name from the Anglo-Saxon Dyddi's burg, probably referring to a man known as Dyddi whose stronghold or township it was. In the 13th century Didsbury was variously referred to as Dydesbyre, Dydesbiri, Didsbury, or Dodesbury. A charter granted in about 1260 shows that a corn-grinding mill was operating in Didsbury but the earliest reference to Didsbury is in a document dating from 1235, recording a grant of land for the building of a chapel. In 1745 Charles Edward Stuart crossed the Mersey at Didsbury in the Jacobite march south from Manchester to Derby, and again in the subsequent retreat. During the Victorian expansion of Manchester, Didsbury developed as a prosperous settlement; a few mansions from the period still exist on Wilmslow Road between Didsbury Village and Parrs Wood to the east and Withington. The opening of the Midland Railway line in 1880 contributed greatly to the rapid growth in the population of Didsbury, with stations in the centre and at West Didsbury.
On 28 April 1910, French pilot Louis Paulhan landed his Farman biplane in Barcicroft Fields, Pytha Fold Farm, on the borders of Withington, Burnage and Didsbury, at the end of the first flight from London to Manchester in under 24 hours, with one short overnight stop at Lichfield. Arriving at 5:30 am, Paulhan beat the British contender, Claude Grahame-White, winning a £10,000 prize offered by the Daily Mail.
Tonight's stagger starts on Wilmslow Road at the Station, funnily enough, opposite the former rail station (and clock tower mentioned in connection to Dr Milson Rhodes — see later). This Marston's pub is the antithesis of most Didsbury centre pubs on a Friday night, no yoofs chucking bottled alcho-pop down their necks like they are going for bust as a neknominate stunt. The Station is a bit like Dr Who's tardis, feet wide at the front but it goes back for what feels like miles! The front room and bar are always busy with local ale drinkers, but keep going back and you can eventually reach a (small) beer garden. A tranquil haven in a sea of shot-fuelled teenagers - don't let them know so we can keep it this way.
As mentioned, across the road from the Station was Didsbury station, opened on 1st January 1880 as part of the Manchester South District Railway connecting Manchester Central to Stockport Tiviot Dale. A number of schemes had been proposed to create a line from Manchester to Didsbury from as early as 1864. The Manchester South District Railway passed into the hands of the Midland Railway who started to run express trains between Manchester Central and London St Pancras via Stockport Tiviot Dale. In July 1902 the Midland started using a cut-off line between Heaton Mersey and New Mills, and from this date half of the South District train services began to run to a new station at Cheadle Heath (where Morrisons is now located). By 1939 Didsbury station was being served by forty trains in each direction including two weekday morning express services that ran to London in just four hours. By the 1950s the service had gone into decline, being just sixteen trains a day in each direction by 1956. In 1960 British Railways began operating the Blue Pullman service between Manchester and London St Pancras but the service called at Cheadle Heath in preference to Didsbury. The very last train to call at Didsbury was the 18:45 Manchester Central to London St Pancras service and Didsbury station closed on 2nd January 1967. The odd freight train continued to pass through the station, but on 17th August the line was disconnected at Chorlton Junction and lifted in 1970. The station buildings survived until 1981 when they were demolished and replaced by a small shopping precinct. Further deatails on the Disused Stations website.
Thankfully the railway track-bed was retained and now provides a route for the Chorlton to Didsbury Metrolink line, currently only built as far as East Didsbury but with ambitions to extend to Stockport.
A little more on the Didsbury philanthropist Dr Rhodes, who was born at Broughton in Salford and after studying at Glasgow completed his studies at Manchester's Owen's College. While living in Didsbury he worked at Chorlton Workhouse (later Withington Hospital) and discovered to his horror, that the workhouse dietary system was in chaos. By 1909, his criticisms of the system meant that dietary regimes were based on a scientific basis, and this became the norm all over Britain. His most far-seeing innovation was the outdoor system as a way of dealing with severely affected individuals. He thus set up the Langho Colony for Epileptics in 1904, and his passion also led to the foundation of the David Lewis Epileptics Colony just outside of Wilmslow - an institution still going strong today. At just before 7.30, on September 25 of 1909 Dr Rhodes felt his limbs twitching uncontrollably. Two hours earlier, he had taken a full dose of strychnine, as he had done many times before, to enable him to cope with his work but on this evening, he sensed that the incurable heart condition with which he had lived for the past three years was going to get the better of him. He fixed himself a simple meal - salad and cheese with bread - and felt a little better. The twitching in his leg subsided, and with some relief, he resumed his work. Then, suddenly, just after 9pm, he was dead. How can we know so accurately about these final hours of his life? Because his nephew published the detail in the British Medical Journal for October 1909.
We now turn north along Wilmslow Road back towards Manchester to pass the clock tower and find the Slug & Lettuce. Some years back real ale was available but, according to the latest news we have, the place has now lost cask ale — Shame! Built on two levels with live jazz in the upstairs room every Tuesday with the bar downstairs. Door supervisors are often on duty on Friday evenings, so if intending to enter make sure you are not wearing trainers or jeans! This won't be a problem for us as real ale is off the menu.
Moving south again (Ah! Can you feel the increase in temperature as we head towards the tropics!) and we encounter the Head of Steam our 8:30pm meeting point. Previously known as the Sanctuary it has been in the hands of that North East stalwart Camerons of Hartlepool since February 2018. The pub has been pleasantly re-furbished with pine, wood floors and filaments lights being what hits the eye immediately. Whether required or not, it is worth a walk upstairs to the toilets to peruse the interesting photo montage made up of Camerons Brewery and Didsbury line trains. If anyone is feeling peckish, warning - don't linger as the Head of Steam only serves food until 9pm. Should we decide to be continental, there is an area outside set aside for street drinking.
Moving next door we come to the Salmon of Knowledge (formally Dockyard, Stoker's Arms and before that O'Neill's). This is the sister outlet to the original venue in Manchester city centre - Salmon of Knowledge, Manchester. Entering you find a plain single-room house laid out starkly with bare brick walls, non-upholstered bench seating and dining tables. You can dine in here but, unfortunatly, your meal won't be accompanied by real ale so, unless you are hungary, we will past.
We now cross the road and progress South and pop our noses into the ivy-cladd cottage-like bistro Saints & Scholars (photo left). This has serve real ale until a year or two back, but is now reputedly cask ale free. Due to its compact size, if we are a large group we might have to treat this as a school canteen of old and have sittings.
In passing, let us pause a while and cast our eyes right and view the Didsbury Library. At first glance there is nothing special, but it is what are known as Carnegie Libraries. It was Didsbury's most famous son Alderman Fletcher Moss who persuaded Scottish-American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to pay for a library. Carnegie was a Scot (born in Dunfermline ) who emigrated to America and made his money in the iron and steel business based around Pittsburgh. The "Made in Allegheny" mark became almost as famous as our own "Made in Sheffield". He then became a great investor of education through Carnegie libraries. A total of 2,509 were built between 1883 and 1929, so Didsbury is not a one-off. The tally was 1,689 built in the United States, 660 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, 125 in Canada, and the balance in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Serbia, the Caribbean, Mauritius, Malaysia and Fiji. Didsbury library is however Grade II listed, and was eventually opened using a golden key on May 15, 1915.
A little further south we come across Bunny's Outpost, a lively student-orientated bar, featuring cocktails, shots, hotdogs, karaoke and general youthful entertainment. By that descriptions you are probably already anticipating the next statement - No real ale available. Ever onwards.
We now have a short sojourn along Barlow Moor Road where, a few yards along, we will be popping our heads around the door of the Art of Tea, a café bar which we understand does not have real ale but does have bottled conditioned beers from local microbreweries.
As we make our way back to the traffic lights at the Wilmslow Road and Barlow Moor Road junction we will pop our noses in to the OKitchen which used to be known as Didsbury Lounge and ascertain whether real ale is available. Rumour has it the answer is no.
Back at the lights and a little way towards Manchester brings us to the Dog and Partridge has been a multi-ale house for many years now. Although now a single room, it was originally several rooms ranged around the central bar. If looking for friends do remember to check out the area "round the back" where groups can lurk in obscurity, and don't forget the beer garden. Decorated in a modern interpretation of "traditional" that is bare floorboards and plenty of exposed brickwork. Three regular cask ales (Adnams Southwold Bitter, Taylor Landlord and Wells Bombardier) are always on, supplemented by up to three guests. Customers vary from a good mixed aged clientele at lunchtime, trending towards a young crowd in the evening.
Back at the traffic lights we now scurry a little way along School Lane passing the site of the former Solita Didsbury. I have it in my mind this used to be a Spanish restaurant, but was most recently part of the Manchester based Solita Burger chain. That didn't sound good on the real ale front, but a Brightside beer, badged as Soli-Pa was on offer. Sadly the establishment is currently closed, so ever onwards we quest.
Next up would have been the Wishing Well, the former Botanist and before that the Milson Rhodes. Originally this was a new build Wetherspoons pub named after Dr. John Milson Rhodes (1847-1909) whose medical practise and social work for the poor was so well appreciated that the square clock tower on Wilmslow Road outside the former railway station, a grade II listed structure, was erected in his honour. Since being sold on by Wetherspoons it was renamed Botanist before becoming the Wishing Well. Split over two levels and had a major food element, it fits well with the modern, young, vibrant image expected of a Didsbury outlet. The unfortunate news is that it is closed.
Finally, for the first time, we will cross to the south of the Barlow Moor Road/School Lane axis by turning down William Street to reach the Fletcher Moss. Currently named after the Alderman who donated the nearby botanical gardens to the city (see paragraph in the Didsbury South article here). Previously it was known as the Albert. Was this after Queen Victoria's husband or Albert Hill who the nearby street is named after. Discuss. Inside it is a pub of two halves, with the front encompassing two traditional style snugs, full of Hydes memorabilia, before opening up into a large bright conservatory area at the rear. A convivial atmosphere is maintained throughout by drinkers as mixed in age as they are in their drinking tastes, with real ale, red wine and champagne drinkers alike engaged in lively discourse without having to compete with piped music. As you walk round you may notice an assortment of porcelain tea-pots, this is part of the landlady's 100 piece collection.
So ends an interesting stroll around a few of the many bars in this suburb of Manchester. Why don't you try the stagger yourself and form your own opinions.
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Didsbury North
| Timing | Pub Name | Address | Bus & Metro | Notes |
| 7.30pm Start point: |
Station | 682 Wilmslow Road M20 2DN |
Map Didsbury Village |
|
| Followed by: | Slug & Lettuce | 651 Wilmslow Road M20 6QZ |
Map Didsbury Village |
No Real Ale |
| 8:30pm mid point | Head of Steam (was Sanctuary) | 653 Wilmslow Road M20 6QZ |
Map Didsbury Village |
|
| Then | Salmon of Knowledge (was Dockyard) | 655-657 Wilmslow Road M20 6RA |
Map Didsbury Village |
No real ale |
| Saints & Scholars | 694 Wilmslow Road M20 2DN |
Map Didsbury Village |
No real ale | |
| Bunny's Outpost | 698 Wilmslow Road M20 2DN |
Map Didsbury Village |
No real ale | |
| Kennedy's | 700 Wilmslow Road M20 2DN |
Map Didsbury Village |
No real ale | |
| Art of Tea | 47 Barlow Moor Road M20 6TW |
Map Didsbury Village |
Bottle-conditioned beers? | |
| OKitchen (was Didsbury Lounge) | 43 Barlow Moor Road M20 6TW |
Map Didsbury Village |
No Real Ale | |
| Dog and Partridge | 667 Wilmslow Road M20 6RA |
Map Didsbury Village |
||
| Solita Didsbury | 1 Ogden Street M20 6RD |
Map Didsbury Village |
Closed | |
| Wishing Well | 1d School Lane M20 6RD |
Map Didsbury Village |
Closed | |
| Finishing at: | Fletcher Moss | 1 William Street M20 6RQ |
Map Didsbury Village |
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