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Old White Lion, Bury

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Operator: Craft Union Pub Co (Stonegate)
6 Bolton Street, Bury, BL9 0LQ (View on Google Map)

Town centre pub that has escaped modern brashness, it has regular entertainment sessions on Sundays . The splendid "Oak Room" is now fully accessible within opening hours. The building is Grade II listed..

Historic Interest

Woodwork in the rear "Oak Room". The building is Grade II listed

Information for this venue is provided by the Rochdale Oldham & Bury Branch of CAMRA
Previous Names
Local Authority
Bury District (B)
Last updated
04/02/2024
Last surveyed
08/04/2019
Leasehold owner
Stonegate
Freehold owner
Stonegate (formerly Ei Group)
Pub ID
ROB/253
Asset of Community Value

Three star - A pub interior of outstanding national historic importance

Listed status: II

A splendid Victorian pub retaining features such as woodwork, wood panelling and seating and with a magnificent rear room that has extravagant decorative plasterwork.

Enter this late 19th/early 20th-century pub through a recently restored revolving door and you find yourself in a drinking lobby with the servery (partly original) on the left and a large seating space on the right (the original opening to it seems to have been much widened): the latter has two broad arches spanning the seating areas. But the great attraction is the Oak Room at the rear right. It has wall panelling and a fireplace with 16th/17th-century-style decoration, a decorative plaster ceiling with Tudor roses, animal faces, lions, and birds in relief, plus a cornice of luscious grapes. The party wall to the bar side comprises a screen of painted glass with lion masks and swags. There is fixed seating with bell-pushes above. A rather remarkable feature is the hinged baffle beside the door: why it was so constructed is hard to imagine. The former commercial (now pool) room (rear left) has a stained glass window but nothing else of note.

General information about historic pub interiors

3 storey Victorian or Edwardian building possibly for Bury Crown Brewery with a revolving door that is still in use (but may be folded back in summer). The star here is the superb Oak Room at the rear right with an etched 'Oak Room' with lion symbol in the door. This small room has quality panelling from the period 1910-20? including decoratively carved panels at the top and a splendid Tudor arch shaped carved wood surround fireplace with a brown tiled interior, a copper hood and above is a row of wooden segments including some shields. The mantelpiece is based on 17th century carved decoration with three arched sections, the central one with a shield in relief and there are three oblong carved panels above. Towards the top of the fielded panelling are more oblong carved sections. The decorative plaster sectional ceiling includes Tudor rose symbols picked out in deep red with green painted leaves, unicorns, stags, cockerels, animal faces and birds in relief and some coats of arms; also a cornice / frieze of grapes and acanthus leaves with the grapes picked out in both yellow and deep purple and other decoration in green. The fixed seating which also dates from 1910-1920 period runs around most of the room and there are bell pushes above. On the north east corner of the room there is no seating and here the panelling looks more like c1970s work. Note the rare hinged baffle by the door. The wall to the bar side consists of a large stained and leaded screen featuring lions and there is a more modest stained and leaded window at the rear.

The rear left room with 'Commercial Room' deep etched and leaded panel has a large rear stained and leaded window but no other old fittings. Note the door in the rear passage has deep etched panels 'Toilets' and, unusually, 'Back Entrance'! Doors have massive carved mahogany door surrounds. The front two rooms have been knocked into one. The bar counter is a replacement and the bar back is a mixture of old and new woodwork - note the etched and frosted panels on the right hand side near the staircase which has a fine newel post. There is plenty of original fixed seating but the Victorian style fireplace is a replacement. There is a carved newall post at the foot of the staircase including a capital and leave symbols at the foot. Also, a part glazed partition alongside the staircase with some etched panels.
 

General information about historic pub interiors
Friday
11:00am - Midnight
Saturday
11:00am - Midnight
Sunday
Noon - 11:00pm
Monday
11:00am - 11:00pm
Tuesday
11:00am - 11:00pm
Wednesday
11:00am - 11:00pm
Thursday
11:00am - 11:00pm

Current beers

This Pub serves no changing beers and 2 regular beers.

Regular and recently seen
Boltmaker pumpclip
Timothy Taylor - Boltmaker Session Bitter • 4% Spotted once
Boltmaker pumpclip
Timothy Taylor - Boltmaker

Session Bitter

Dispense: Handpump
ABV: 4%
Vegan: No
Gluten Free: No
This beer is served regularly.
Spotted once
Taylor's  Landlord Pump clip
Timothy Taylor - Landlord Session Bitter • 4.3%
Taylor's  Landlord Pump clip
Timothy Taylor - Landlord

Session Bitter

Dispense: Handpump
ABV: 4.3%
Vegan: No
Gluten Free: No
This beer is served regularly.

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Facilities
Live Music Live Music
Regular entertainment sessions on Sundays
Family Friendly Family Friendly
Function Room Function Room
Games Games
Smoking Smoking
The smoking area is to the rear of the building, but is not under any form of cover.
Features
Cask Ale Cask Ale
Real Heritage Pub Real Heritage Pub
Quiet Quiet
Transport
Close to bus routes
Close to metro (350m)
Bury
Nearby Station (100m)
Bury Bolton Street

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