Dungeon Inn, Tottington

Re-built 1904 in brick and stone by the Bury Brewery with an imposing exterior featuring the wording “Old Dungeon Inn” and “Bury Brewery Co. Ales And Stout” in stone at the top. The name comes from Tottington's 'Dungeon' - actually a lock up built 1835 and situated just around the corner. The entrance porch, architraves around doorways, the walls going upstairs and around the upper landing, the end of the corridor and the entrance room to the Gents' are tiled in the most magnificent colourful Victorian glazed tiles by Pilkingtons which are in excellent order. The tiles are of the same design as at the Hark to Towler, a stylised sunflower, and the way that they have been placed on the diagonal joins is just brilliant. The upper frieze of fruit and swags was probably designed by A J Kwiatkowski at Pilkingtons. The pub also has faience door surrounds.

The inner door is situated in a screen with etched side panels and stained & leaded panels at the top. The bar is situated on the left in what was originally two small room that have been combined with the corridor and the bar fittings are modern, as is the tiled and wood surround fireplace in the rear part but there is some old fixed seating in the front part.

Of particular interest is the front right snug where all fittings appear to be intact - benches all round, two draught screens, panelling above with bell-pushes, and an unusual old fireplace. The spectacular feature is the area above the picture rail, which has wall paintings highlighted by floodlighting, and is a remarkable feature. An artist, who was living in Tottington as an evacuee, was commissioned to paint the mural/frieze in about 1945. It depicts life in Holcombe and Tottington in the 1940's showing local villages, landscapes and horse racing events. Over the decades, this has become rather brown and it desperately needs some TLC to bring back up to its former glory. The snug is not 100% intact, as there is a rectangular hole in the wall to the corridor.

At the rear right is the games room with original bare fixed seating all around the room but plain windows replaced original etched ones in 2013 as the frames were rotten. The gents at the rear right has plain original wall tiling throughout and old urinals, but there has been some damage to tiling and present landlord hopes to be able to replace them with good replica tiling. The ladies was originally a store room and also has tiling around the doorway.

Some information from Angela of the Pilkington's Society.