Photo-a-Day  (Tuesday, 17th May, 2022)

Security fence and boards round the area now

It’s sad to see so many well known watering holes disappearing like they are.

went in it a few times and the Bridgewater.

We went past one day and it was there and a couple of days later it was gone! I'm glad there's at least photo of it.

What a shame to pull down a building like that when there’s so many homeless. Strange name by the way. Would be interesting to know how that name came by. Cyril will know …

May be called that because of Strangeways colliery which used to be nearby.

Veronica - the name stems from the Earls of Derby. The eldest heir in the 17th Century were Lord Strange. Hence the name is al over their bits of land in what was Lancashire and Cheshire. There were a few pubs named "Strangeways" and I can think of one in the Ashton/Bryn area, and of course Strangeways prison in Manchester, still called that although now HMP Manchester.
Lord Strange played a key part in supporting Charles 1 during the English Civil War in Lancashire-he tried to capture the arsenal in Manchester in 1642 and fortified Warrington (the only bridge over the Mersey) and, to a more limited extent Wigan and Preston. His home, Lathom House, was besieged by a Parliamentary army and it held out for almost a year - under the command of Strange's wife, Charlotte de la Tremoille.
The Civil War was very confused across the country - Prince Rupert of the Rhine relieved Lathom House in 1644 and then proceeded to attack Parliamentary towns of Stockport and Bolton.
The attack on Bolton led to James Stanley, Lord Strange, the then Earl of Derby being executed there in 1651.
See mine and Poet's comments on 6th May re Hic Bibi Well referencing the second Civil War from 1648.

Thanks very much for that pocket history Gary I would not have connected the name ‘Strange’ with Lord Derby although I have heard his name often enough and seen the pub in Bolton and the spot he was executed on. So much history on our doorstep. I will look again at ‘Hic Bibi’ Well…. I did connect with Strangeways Prison though.

Gary could you tell us where the Strangeways pub was in the Ashton/Bryn area

I didn't know how the name came to be Veronica, though there has been a discussion on here before about it. https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/communicate/mb_message.php?opt=f2&msd=26128&offset=&subject=Public%2520House%2520%2520

So now we have submissions from Winder, Elizabeth and Gary - and all great stuff too.

I remember it being re-named The Paddock and also when it was refurbed into a large house, we'll have to wait and see what becomes to replace it.

Some more information I'm told is that in the early 1970s Mike Harding with knowing the landlord would stay overnight here after his folk nights at the rugby club, he held folk nights here too and apparently by staying for B&B it inspired him to pen his Strangeways Hotel song.

Peter P - my mum and dad visited mum's former work friend and her husband in Bryn. They lived in railway type cottages, down by the tracks off the B5207 road, left side going towards the A58. The pub was on that road. This was in 1964, and whether the pub or cottages still exist, I do not know. I can recall the pub had green signage.
Hope this is useful.

Ferdinando Stanley who became the 5th Earl of Derby had the title Lord Strange in the 1580s . It was he who was patron to a troop of actors called Lord Strange's Men , one of them being none other than William Shakespeare.
There is evidence the Bard performed at Rufford Old Hall for the Heskeths.
In those times the title Lord Strange was pronounced Strang .

It was the Heskeths that tried to persuade Strange that he had a claim to the throne , (The Hesketh Plot 1593 ) . There are many pubs around Lancs and Cheshire called The Hesketh Arms .
I'm convincing myself that Strangeways and Hesketh inns were meeting places for rebellious Catholics.

Went and got e few house bricks from here for a garden wall I am building.Bit of a momento.