Reddish

Friday 18 July 2025

Previously tonight's stagger would have started approximately half way along Gorton Road as you travel towards Debdale Park and Gorton. With the closure of the Fir Tree, even this is not the case, with there being nothing north of Holdsworth Square along Gorton Lane. What a situation when the whole of North Reddish is now devoid, not only of real ale pubs, put of any pubs at all.

To find the current starting location make your way along Broadstone Lane and you soon reach the Grey Horse as the road kinks left to pass over the (former) canal. The photo shows the pub in 1904, with the current structure being built in 1909 and had an expensive refurbishment after being purchased by Holts in 2007 (before that it was a Boddington's house and before that Richard Clarke). The substantial and comfortably decorated lounge has TV sport on most days and features entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings. Meanwhile the next door vault is a more down-to-earth room. Holts brew a range of beers these days but, Holts Bitter is all you will usually find on sale. Another old photo shows that, in days gone by, Watkin's Dublin Stout was also available from what is reputed the oldest brewery in that fair city!

We now need to cross the road and head towards the impressive bulk of Houldsworth Mill where we will find . This bar and off-sales shop-cum-café is on the second floor retail village in this warren of a place (just follow the signs through the many corridors). It's all been skilfully done, using reclaimed materials and fittings (a fireplace comes from the now-closed Jolly Angler in central Manchester). Although quite small there's plenty of seating out at the front of the unit, so a decent number of people can be accommodated. They serve 5 changing beers from membrane kegs, so some from the fundamental wing of CAMRA may well give the bar a miss!

Our next port of call is back on Broadstone Lane where you soon reach the Union Owned by Robinsons and serving Trooper plus Unicorn, the Union has been opened out into a single room layout, but dividing partitions still offer some distinct areas. This includes a vault like area with a TV for the sport and there is a very pleasant well tended garden to the rear. If any young people plan to join us on the stagger there is an over 21s policy on selected Friday and Saturday nights when there is entertainment on.

Next up is the new kid on the block, Reddish Ale. Converted from a former restaurant and opened on 9 September 2022. In the picture right, of Broadstone Road in 1972, the person in white is just about stood at the front door. This small bar is fronted by a modestly sized room with mostly refectory style seating. This is supplemented by shelf-style seating around the perimeter of the room, and even some in the window that affords views of the busy Broadstone Road. For sunny days there are café tables and chairs at the front so, weather permitting, we could take our sustenance a la Parisian street café style. Décor is a mix of framed beermats, and a wall of varied mirrors. The bar at the back through a large aperture in the wall is supplemented by a fridge offering bottled and canned beers and ciders.

Making our way along to Houldsworth Square and the Houldsworth Arms. A large premise, with its tiled exterior standing guard over the road junction this looks more promising, but as it has been free of real-ale for years so we will give it a miss.

We should now take to the back streets to find the Thatched Tavern. If you hadn't know it was there you certainly would not discover it. The Thatched Tavern was a traditional 'street corner boozer' layout [and it actually was on a corner!], with the posher lounge to one side and the more basic tap room to the rear. Both were filled with friendly locals who would make incomers feel welcome. In its later days no real ale was available, and it closed late May 2025, so now even keg isn't an option!

We should now embark on a voyage of discovery in to the industrial heart of Reddish to visit the Ventile Brew Tap Room, which is housed in Spur Mill on Broadstone Hall Road South. A no-frills interior with picnic tables-cum-refectory style seating in which to enjoy the rustic ambience of the place. The modern well-maintained brew kit can be examined at close quarters. The Ventile name is a nod to WWII history in Manchester. It was a cotton fabric invented in the city that found favour for fighter pilot's flying suits that extended their survival chances should they ditch in water. As I said at the beginning, "should", but they are currently closed and their future is unknown. Oh well, c'est la vie.

Whichever route we use to approach it, the next establishment we will visit is the Carousel, 156 Reddish Road, about halfway between Lancashire Hill and Houldsworth Square. Food is a major part of the set-up, because the Carousel is part of the Flaming Grill chain, but real ale is not neglected. Real ale has been available for a number of years, with usually 3 from the Spirit Group's range on offer.

To make up for the loss of all pubs north of Houldsworth Square, we are adding on what is, technically, Heaton Norris to extend the stagger. We will make use of the 203 bus to travel towards Lancashire Hill, whence we will call in the Navigation. This is Beartown Brewery's only establishment in Stockport, and a selection of their beers is often available. In times gone by the Navigation was managed by Manchester United's Stockport Alex Stepney. Interestingly, though everyone would now refer to the Navigation being on Lancashire Hill, its address is actually 1 Manchester Road. If you look at the photo right (click to see larger version), the junction is indicated by the lorry, so you will see that the Navigation is on the latter road.

Another question you may ask is "Why is it called the Navigation when it is nowhere near a waterway?" The Stockport branch of the Ashton Canal used to pass through what is now the underpass outside the front door. The canal remained in use, though with little commercial traffic, until it fell into disrepair in the 1950s. It was officially abandoned to traffic in 1962, after which it was filled in slowly, work being very protracted and not being completed until c.1975. This may not be the end however because a band of Inland Waterway enthusiasts would like to re-open as much as is practical (possibly as far as Broadstone Road where we started the evening).

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.

WARNING Reddish South rail service: The station does have a service, but be forewarned, it is only served by "parliamentary" trains! Currently the 'service' starts in Stalybridge at 8:30am, dropping you at Reddish South at 8:45am, but only on SATURDAY morning, there is a return service from Stockport, at 9:04am, again on Saturday — Best use the bus.

Reddish Stagger
Timing	Pub Name	Address	Bus & Rail	Notes
7:30pm Starting point	Grey Horse	99 Broadstone Road SK5 7AS	Map
Then	Bottle Mill	Houldsworth Mill SK5 6DA	Map
8:30pm Mid-point	Union	93 Broadstone Road SK5 7AS	Map
Then	Reddish Ale	14 Broadstone Road SK5 7AE	Map Reddish South
	Houldsworth Arms	1 Houldsworth Square SK5 7AF	Map Reddish South	No Real Ale
	Thatched Tavern	54 Stanhope Street SK5 7AQ	Map Reddish South	Closed
	Ventile Brew Tap Room	Unit 4, Spur Mill, Broadstone Hall Road South SK5 7BY	Map	Temporary closure?
	Carousel	156 Reddish Road SK5 7HR	Map
Finishing at	Navigation	1 Manchester Road SK4 1TY	Map

View Stagger in a larger map.

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Updated May 2025

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