YESTERDAY The Swan in Corporation Street called last orders for the final time, with the town centre boozer closing ahead of its demolition to make way for an expanded bus station.
It becomes the latest of a long list of traditional St Helens hostelries to be consigned to the ‘Closed Pubs’ section of the town’s local history books.
And that is now quite a significant list, with explanations down to people’s drinking habits changing to coincide with the way we now work, socialise, find home entertainment, the cost of living and the pull of more lucrative options for the buildings’ owners.
All parts of the borough have lost pubs this past 40 or so years - and there are more than 60 who have shut.
Here is an attempt to compile a list of the pubs we have loved and lost since the early 80s – leaving off the ones that there is still hope for re-opening.
It also leaves off the new bars that opened and shut after a few years, but there are bound to be some that we have missed so let us know on that score.
St Helens pubs that have closed since the early 1980s.
Alexandra, Crossley Road.
The Bank, Town centre.
Beehive, Sutton.
Bell & Barrel, North John St.
Black Horse, Park Road.
Black Horse, Moss Bank.
Boundary Vaults/Sutton Oak, Sutton.
Bowling Green, Watery Lane.
Bridge Inn, town centre.
Brown Cow, Billinge.
Bull’s Head, Parr.
Cherry Tree, Parr.
Clarendon, College Street.
Clock Face Hotel, Clock Face.
Coppersmiths, Sutton.
Cotham Arms, Town centre.
Engine, Parr.
Exchange Vaults, town.
Finger Post Hotel, Finger Post.
Fleece Hotel, Town centre.
Float, Liverpool Rd.
Furnacemans, Pocket Nook.
Glassblower, Boundary Road.
Glassmakers, Sutton.
Globe, town centre.
Grange Park, Prescot Road.
Green Dragon, Sutton Manor.
Griffin, Peasley Cross.
Hen & Chickens, Parr.
Hope & Anchor, City Road.
Houghton Arms, Earlestown.
Huntsman, Haydock.
Lingholme, Dentons Green.
Liverpool Arms, Liverpool Road.
Nags Head, Eccleston Street.
New Inn, Peasley Cross.
Newgate/White House, Sutton.
Northern Union/Glass Barrel, Parr.
Oddfellows Arms, Parr.
Park Hotel, North Road/City Road.
Primrose Vaults, Park Road.
Prince of Wales, Sutton.
Princess Royal, Blackbrook.
Prop & Pony/Yanks.
Railway Hotel, Grange Park.
Railway, Parr.
Ramford, Parr.
Ram's Head, Haydock.
Royal Raven, Town Centre.
Rifle Corps, Duke Street.
Saracens Head, Carr Mill.
Scarisbrick, Town Centre.
Ship, Blackbrook.
Smithy Manor, Sutton Manor.
Star, Merton Bank.
Stork, Billinge.
Sutton Arms, Thatto Heath.
Swan, town centre.
Travellers Rest, Crab Street.
Victoria, Pocket Nook.
Volunteer, Duke Street.
Vulcan, Newton.
Wagon & Horses, Haydock.
Washington, town centre.
Feel free to add any lost, traditional pubs to the list – especially any missing from the Newton area.
Email mike.critchley@nqnw.co.uk with any pubs that have shut since the early 1980s. We are looking for traditional pubs that have shut in the last 40 years.
And let us know which of the above closed pubs do you miss the most.
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