Nursery, Stockport

The Nursery was built in 1939, replacing a pub dating from the mid-nineteenth century. This is a suburban hostelry and quite genteel, situated in a delightful, quiet neighbourhood. The approach is along a narrow, cobbled cul-de-sac, reinforcing the impression of exclusivity. The pub is virtually as it was built, incorporating twentieth-century standards of comfort and convenience but with old-fashioned solid and durable standards of construction and a clean, spacious and unembellished design. There is generous use of light oak panelling. In addition to the large lounge (front left) there is a bar lobby area, a smoke room (rear centre), a vault with a separate entrance side on the left and a plain function room/dining room upstairs.

The pub has a few sporting connections. There is an immaculate bowling green at the rear accessed via double doors at the end of a passage and lining the walls are the thriving bowling club's case full of trophies and a commemorative plaque of presidents since 1917. The bowling green can be hired for bowling parties. The pub football team also has a collection of trophies and the Nursery has the distinction of having been the first headquarters of Stockport County A.F.C., when the club's ground was nearby.

On the left, car park side of the pub, the entrance has a lobby with a door in front of you which formerly led to the off-sales but this area has recently been converted to a ladies toilet serving the vault. The left door leads to the vault with a draught screen at the entrance; one wall has panelling, it retains its original counter, fixed seating and splendid 1930s tiled fireplace. Intact gents'.

The windows in all three main rooms are decorated with charming horticultural motifs such as a spade, a watering can, a pot plant, a rose, a bunch of grapes, flowers etc. The painted panels in the vault continue along the wall between the servery and the door. Look for the rows of silk glass panels along the top part of the servery in the lounge and vault with paintings of drink-related items such as a bottle and glass of wine, glasses of beer, tankard, and hand-pumps - absolutely redolent of the 1930s and are a considerable rarity.

The entrance on the right-hand side leads to a lobby bar/hall with a dado of light oak panelling, a plain original counter front and the only addition is a food bar. A doorway on the left leads to the lounge with a draught screen either side that have leaded glazed panels in the top. It has light oak full-height panelling all the way around the room. It retains the original fixed seating and bell-pushes, a plain counter front, original bar-back fitting with leaded mirror panels, a 1930s brick fireplace and the three-window bell-box is still behind the bar. Note the 1939 'Ladies Toilet' and 'Gents Toilet' hanging signs in the rear panelled passage beyond the lobby bar: the gent's toilet is unaltered (as are both loos upstairs

At the rear off to the left is the smoke room with another plain bar counter, a draught screen with a leaded glazed panel in the top section, original fixed seating and bell-pushes all around the room. It retains its original wood surround fireplace but the tiled insert and fire are undoubtedly much later work and has a bay window overlooking the bowling green.