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Castle, Macclesfield

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25-27 Church Street, Macclesfield, SK11 6LB (View on Google Map)
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Re-opened September 2021 after a spectacular refurbishment that went on to jointly win the CAMRA Historic England Conservation Award.

An untouched, timeless and now rare example of an old-fashioned town pub and has been identified by CAMRA as having a nationally important historic pub interior. With whitened brick this 18th century pub tucked away on a cobbled street. It probably started life as late 18th century cottages which were subsequently remodelled. The quaint exterior belies its inner proportions, which are equally charming. There are leaded lights, moulded plaster ceilings, copper-topped tables, bell pushes dotted throughout its warren of little rooms. The star feature, however, is the wonderful hatch bar reminiscent of a traditional, bowed, shop window. On the right as you enter is a tiny vault, with a narrow lounge on the left. Past the bar is another lounge or snug on the right, this room has something of a conservatory feel, due to the presence of a glass roof. At the far end is a larger, raised area. There are three attractive fire places.

Four continuously changing cask beers always available. Some of the "Keg" beers are membrane keg.

Imaginative food menu available daily, but no hot food Monday - Wednesday.

No parking but the main Waters Green public car park is just 100m away. Macclesfield railway and bus stations are both within a few minutes walk away.

Branch & Cheshire Pub of the Year 2023.

Mild Magic Pub of the Year 2024.

See www.heritagepubs.org.uk for other national inventory pubs.

Historic Interest

Grade II listed building

Information for this venue is provided by the Macclesfield & East Cheshire Branch of CAMRA
Previous Names
Local Authority
Cheshire East (B)
Last updated
11/02/2025
Last surveyed
08/02/2025
Leasehold owner
unknown
Freehold owner
unknown
Pub ID
MAC/144
Asset of Community Value

Three star - A pub interior of outstanding national historic importance

Listed status: II

A charming small town pub with two particularly special rooms, one sporting a notable decorated ceiling.

Although the building it occupies is 18th-century, the pub use probably began in Victorian times, Right of the entrance, the splendid little tap room has fixed seating and tongue-and-grooved wall benches. The holes in the bar counter were for bringing crates of Guinness up to room temperature. Also to the right of the corridor, glazed screenwork incorporates an impressive curved off-sales/serving hatch with rising sashes, display case and entrance to the servery. First left from the corridor is the delightful smoke room with early 20th-century fittings (but Victorian fireplace), bell pushes and a notable ceiling which is formed from moulded putty and features a pair of lozenge patterns with foliage ornament. The ceiling was superbly restored to its original condition prior to the pub reopening in 2021. The fireplace has attractive pictorial tiled panels. The room behind the servery has a glazed partition to the corridor and a 1971 bar counter but older seating. The fourth room at the back is a 1986 conversion to pub use and was extended in 2021.

General information about historic pub interiors

Whitened brick, 18th century pub tucked away on a cobbled street. It probably started life originally as late 18th century dwellings which were remodelled later as a pub in the 19th century and was owned by Macclesfield's Lonsdale & Adshead Brewery. Large 19th century extension at rear. The interior of four small rooms off a central corridor is little altered no doubt partly due to a long serving licensee Charles Lomas (1930 to 1962). From the central entrance a door in the inner lobby on the front right leads to the tiny tap room with a late 19th century bar counter with decorative brackets, old half-height tongue-and-groove panelling with wall benches attached, and a small Victorian cast-iron fireplace was originally in the kitchen, that has a mirror in the old mantelpiece above; the bar back shelving are mostly modern.. Note the holes in the bar counter in the public bar near the fireplace – in the 1930s crates of Guinness were brought from the cellar and placed behind the counter and the holes were to help to bring it up to room temperature.

The inner latch door with glazing protectors leads to the lobby and passageway to the rear. On the right of the corridor is a splendid curved shop front-like glazed screenwork with rising sash windows, formerly the off-sales, now permanently closed, where cigarettes and spirits were stored and sold from. Alongside is a stable door entrance to the servery for staff with a ledge and upper window that can be closed. Also in this area is a display case holding a collection of miniatures and old bottles. Take a look within the servery and you will see an indicator box for the bell-pushes with four windows 'Front Door' (unusual), 'Parlour', 'Smoke Room', and 'Kitchen' which last worked in the 1960s.

On the left are narrow double doors leading to the splendid small smoke room which has an ornamented, probably 1920s, ceiling of moulded putty featuring a pair of lozenge patterns with foliage ornament. Deteriorating in recent years, the ceiling was superbly restored back to its original condition prior to the pub reopening in 2021 after a six year closure. All around the room is high-backed fixed seating with delicate legs and arms and bell pushes in the top and is said to have been installed in 1910. This room also has a good painted slate Victorian fireplace incorporating two pictorial tiled panels of monks eating and drinking.

On the right is the parlour situated behind the servery with a glazed partition to corridor side and has a doorway and plain baffle. It retains the original bench seating on the left hand side with bell pushes above. The bar counter was added in 1971 and some fixed seating in this area was removed. The passageway has a dado of varnished Lincrusta and at the end of past an open staircase is the rear room brought into pub use in 1986. It has no old fittings and part of the wall between it and the parlour has been removed 'for supervision'. Then in 2021 the rear room was doubled by amalgamation with the kitchen on the rear left. A passage on the left leads to the original gents' brought inside in modern times.

General information about historic pub interiors
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Tuesday
Noon - Midnight
Wednesday
Noon - Midnight
Thursday
Noon - Midnight
Friday
Noon - 1:00am
Saturday
Noon - 1:00am
Sunday
Noon - 10:00pm
Monday
Noon - Midnight
Tuesday
No Service
Wednesday
No Service
Thursday
Noon - 9:00pm
Friday
Noon - 9:00pm
Saturday
Noon - 9:00pm
Sunday
Noon - 7:00pm
Monday
Noon - 9:00pm

Current beers

This Pub serves 4 changing beers and 0 regular beers.

Regular and recently seen
Verdant - Penpol
Verdant - Penpol Session Golden Ale • 3.8% Spotted once
Verdant - Penpol
Verdant - Penpol

Session Golden Ale

ABV: 3.8%
Vegan: No
Gluten Free: No
Spotted once recently. Last spotted 1 week ago
Buxton - Featherbed
Buxton - Featherbed Premium Pale Ale • 4.7% Spotted twice
Buxton - Featherbed
Buxton - Featherbed

Premium Pale Ale

ABV: 4.7%
Vegan: Yes
Gluten Free: No
Spotted twice recently. Last spotted 6 days ago
Changing

Changing beers typically include: RedWillow (varies) , Storm (varies) , Wincle (varies)

The venue's range of changing beers regularly includes the following rare beer styles: Porter , Stout


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Facilities
Lunchtime Meals Lunchtime Meals
Evening Meals Evening Meals
Live Music Live Music
Infrequent check Facebook
Garden Garden
Roof terrace
Family Friendly Family Friendly
Dog Friendly Dog Friendly
Events Events
About once a quarter
Games Games
Chess, Jenga, dominos
Newspapers Newspapers
Real Fire Real Fire
Separate Bar Separate Bar
Wi Fi Wi Fi
Features
Real Ale Real Ale
Real Cider Real Cider
SIDA in bottles
Real Heritage Pub Real Heritage Pub
LocAle LocAle
Cask Marque Cask Marque
Cask Marque Beer and Cellar Hygiene rating
Cask Marque: Beer and Cellar Hygiene rating 5 out of 5
Transport
Close to bus routes (150m)
Close to Macclesfield bus station
Nearby Station (250m)
Macclesfield
Directions
walk up cobbled st from Waters Green car park, pub is to the left as rd bends right.

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