Pub Of The Month July - Crown Inn (Heaton Lane)
Crown Inn
154 Heaton Lane, Stockport, SK4 1AR (View on Google Map)
Crown Inn
July’s Pub of the Month is the Crown Inn on Heaton Lane, just off Stockport town centre. Neil Martin tells you all about it.
The Crown Inn on Heaton Lane has had something of a mixed history. Originally a brewery, it was the branch Pub of the Year in 2008, but that was followed by a period of decline culminating in several closures and reopenings: when I first came to Stockport it was clearly a pub limping and on the way down.
Salvation arrived in the form of Alan, Chris and Amy from the Petersgate Tap, who reopened the Crown in August 2025: I caught up with Chris to talk about where the pub is going. The first thing he emphasised to me was taking the atmosphere back to what it was ten years ago and how important a sympathetic refurbishment has been for that: the refurb has been so in keeping that the pub was the runner-up in CAMRA’s National Heritage Pub Awards last year. The team also picked up the Stockport & South Manchester Most Improved Pub of the Year award.
Interior - Crown Inn
The pub has a good rotating choice of beers (Bass is always on and has developed a bit of a cult following) and their own branded snacks, which have been a huge hit. The bar area can get a bit packed but has an extra space on the right-hand side up a step, and there are three other rooms, named for colours, all complete with comfy leather seating. I’m a fan of the largest room directly behind the bar (pictured here) but the two smaller snugs are also popular and are especially good for groups.
There is a large outside area at the rear of the pub, which is a real sun trap despite being under the viaduct. This features a marquee that will be up for the rest of the summer, with live music managed by Amy every Friday and Saturday, and there are plans to get the outside bar in use by midsummer. The team are looking at food in the near future.
During our conversation, it was obvious how grateful the team are for the support they’ve had in Stockport and further afield, especially from former regulars who have returned. This level of support should ensure that the Crown doesn’t face the same problems that plagued it before.
We will be presenting our Pub of the Month award from 8pm on Thursday 23 July. The Crown is just a short walk from the Mersey Square bus stops and Stockport Interchange, so getting there is easy.
The Pub of the Month award is sponsored by Stephensons, a local family firm that has been supplying the local pub and catering trade for over 150 years.
