Edgeley

Friday 21 November 2025

This stagger used to start down by the River Mersey near to the pyramid. Due to closures and loss of real ale it is now it is but a shadow of its former self. Of the pubs originally on the stagger there are no less than nine closed with, of the outlets still trading, five now not serving real ale! To this end an extra two pubs have been grafted on to the end of the stagger.

We start tonight at the Alexandra and left and right we see the Alexandra both in 1975 and today, but which is which? The trees in the older photo right have now gone and the cars are a little more modern but what else has changed?

Around the corner at the start of Castle Street we reach the Royal Oak. Back in 1979 the Royal Oak was in the hands of Wilson's Brewery from Newton Heath, Manchester. This is the first of many former Wilson's houses we will meet this evening. It is also the first no real ale pubs we will be passing this evening.

A little along Castle Street, and on the next street corner, we come across the Prince Albert. This was also a Wilson's house back in 1979. For a time it was bereft of cask ale but back in 2012 it started to serves real ales from Marston's — Hurray! — Unfortunately their standards have slipped and this is yet another no real ale pub..

Next up, again on the next street corner we see the Sir Robert Peel, known to generations of locals as the Bobby Peel. Back in 1979 it was another Wilson's house and presumably served real ale. After many years without real ale it made a comeback a year or so back with the return of a cask, but no longer Wilsons! After that brief flash in the pan, real ale is again unavailable, so ever onward.

Now for a bit of variety. Yes the Pineapple is still a Wilson's house, but this time in the middle of a row of shops and not a street corner! Unfortunately these days there is no real ale.

We are back to the norm, with the Jolly Crofter being yet another street corner establishment. Unfortunately it is difficult to determine whether this was yet another Wilsons house or not. Judging by the typeface used for the pub's name and size and shape of the end of brewery sign, it does appear to be a Wilsons house.

We now have an interesting array of photos of the Armoury. The initial photo (below left) has been dated as 1901 but the caption admits it could have be any time between 1895 and 1912. The middle photo is undated but the building has been rebuilt and/or modernised and looks closer to todays layout and now is obviously a Bells & Co. house. The third photo (below right) shows what the Armoury looks like today when it is firmly a Robinsons outlet.

Because of the dearth of real ale outlets we have stretched the title of this stagger a bit and will be visiting two pub along Wellington Road South.

First up is the Nelson Commercial on the corner of Greek Street opposite the Art Gallery and War Memorial. Many will know it as simply the Nelson, but it changed back to what is reportedly its original name. Was it called this because in days of old 'commercial' gentlemen would lodge here when in Stockport as it is next to the Town Hall and the station is but a stones throw away. The 1908 picture left defiantly reads Nelson Hotel - which seems a more likely name!

Second up is the Wellington further down Wellington Road South almost opposite McDonalds. Formed from former shop unit, conjectured to be that signed H. B. Ford in the photo left of 1993. Earlier photos exist of the road, but very hard to identify which premises became the Wellington.

Now back to Edgeley proper.

The final photo from yester-years took some tracking down because in days gone by Ye Olde Vic was known as the Victoria Vaults. The older photo is undated, but can't be that long ago as shown by the municipal flats which loom in background. Nowadays Ye Olde Vic is a multi-ale free house, whereas then it was yet again a Wilsons house.

Below, clicking on Map will call up a Google travel map with that location automatically set as the destination. Insert your current location (post code?) as the start and choose a travel mode (public, car, cycle or foot) and discover your travel options. Following THIS LINK will take you to the Transport for Greater Manchester website for current travel information.

Edgeley and Shaw Heath

View the Edgeley stagger in a separate window.

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Updated October 2025

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