Grapes Inn, Heywood

No Real Ale A 1920s estate pub still with a substantial majority of its floor plan and fittings. Door from the car park leads into a lobby with turquoise tiles from floor to ceiling and mosaic floor. Through the inner door to a lobby bar which retains its original bar counter with a new top and two heating pipes around the base; and bar back with some modern additions. There are two remarkably surviving 1920s part leaded screens around both the doors to the gents and ladies – very rare. There is another short L-shaped screen around a phone ‘booth’ but originally the screen work would have been bigger and turned the other way around as this area was originally the off-sales hatch and access to it was from the east side door (not in use) and the screen work was required to ensure children etc. using the off-sales were unable to see men drinking in the bar. The porch on this side also has tiled walls and mosaic floor. The major change to the layout has been to the room right of the bar - originally it was a bit larger and was shortened when Sam Smiths added a wall to create a passage to/from the west side door. Some of the fixed seating in this room is original, some new in a similar style, bell pushes in a panel above, but new tiles in the fireplace. The Vault in the south east corner has basic fixed bench seating, an original counter, a baffle by the door, but has lost the fireplace. The pool room in the north east corner has baffles either side of the door, good set of plain etched 1920s windows, fixed bench seating which looks original and bell pushes in a panel above but has also lost a fireplace. The gents’ has a black and white tiled floor, original tiling to 2/3rds height - art deco style in cream, red and black; there is a high-level WC cistern by GRATRIX JNR & BRO LTD, ALPORT WORKS, QUAY STREET, MANCHESTER; and a fine bank of four original urinals; but it has lost its etched panel in the door, the ladies one still remains.

Reopened May 2021 after COVID