I had been in Rochdale on a fleeting visit only last week en route to watch FC Halifax Town away at Oldham, but having been made aware of a few new establishments in the town selling real ale I decided to take the opportunity of a free Sunday and make a quick return....
I was later catching the train than I'd planned from Halifax, but fortunately it is only half an hour to Rochdale on the fastest trains, and with a regular connecting tram services even on a Sunday it doesn't take long at all to get to the heart of Rochdale town centre. Whilst the approach down Drake Street with its forlorn and rundown look with boarded up premises in and amongst the takeaways, vape shops, and Polski Skleps doesn't look promising at all, as you arrive at the tram terminus things start to brighten up.
In fact, I think it is no exaggeration to say that one of the finest open urban spaces in the country is the area around Rochdale's newly refurbished town hall. After several years shuttered away behind hoardings, the stunning Grade l-listed town hall is once again standing proud over this much-decried former cotton town which, whilst it has had its problems over the years, has much to be proud about.
The town, which has a rich history dating back for centuries, was the birthplace of the co-operative movement, when the Rochdale Pioneers opened the first Co-operative shop in Toad Lane in 1844. The reformer and Member of Parliament, John Bright was born in Rochdale and gained a reputation as a leader of political dissent and supporter of the Anti-Corn Law League at a time when adherence to any kind of trading standards was non-existent, with for example such as brick dust being passed off as pepper. And today on Toad Lane there is a museum dedicated to the Rochdale Pioneers, alongside which is one of Rochdale's premier drinking establishments.
The Baum is a deservedly popular pub beside both the museum and the Grade l-listed Church of St Mary-in-the-Baum, whose spectacular redbrick building was looking particularly impressive on this sunny late March day with bright blue skies the order of the day. Inside the pub, it was reasonably busy but not that much so that the odd couple could wander in without booking and get themselves a meal on Mothers' Day. People had probably gone local, or taken Mum to a restaurant I thought. I walked in and, from a choice of several cask beers on hand pump, ordered a pint of Ash & Elm, a 4.5% premium pale ale from Brid's Cross, one of a number of small independent breweries that have sprung up in the Rochdale area in recent times. And very good it was too, well-balanced and in good condition (NBSS 3.5). I enjoyed a chilled 20 minutes or so in here, with a great soundtrack featuring the likes of Khruangbin and the War on Drugs, watching people come and go as I followed the day's sport on my phone. The pub, a former CAMRA pub of the year, is like several others in the area owned by the Lancashire Hospitality Co-operation, and is decorated with old signs and pub mirrors in keeping with the heritage of Rochdale and Toad Lane. A must-visit if you are in the town.
 |
| The Baum, Rochdale |
I'd earlier visited the Pint Pot, which I assume is now, considering the demise of the much-loved D'ale House, the longest-established micro pub in Rochdale. Ironically, the D'ale House was included in the CAMRA beer guide but the Pint Pot, which has been included before, was left out. It is situated on Baillie Street, on the road behind the back of the town's cavernous and popular Wetherspoons, the Regal Moon, which is based in a former cinema. The Pint Pot, by way of contrast, is anything but cavernous, but provides a quiet haven from the world outside, and is decorated with attractive murals. I walked in and there were a couple of guys chatting away about this and that, whilst behind the bar was a pleasant young guy who after I'd studied the beer line-up poured me a pint of Snooze Button from another newish Rochdale brewery, Wakey Wakey. It was a dry-hopped pale ale which was in good form (NBSS 3). And that was followed by a pleasant half of Big Stan's Bitter from Twisted Mule, another local brewery whose beers I had not tried before. It was well-balanced and malty with a dry bitter finish (NBSS 3). After that, with the two guys who had been in when I got there having already left, I headed off, leaving the young lad behind the bar on his own listening to a decent soundtrack.
 |
| The Pint Pot |
I wandered down to the large open space around the town hall, where situated on what given the size of the area is surprisingly classed as Packer Street is the Flying Horse. This is one of the most striking buildings in Rochdale, dating originally from 1691 but re-built in 1926. It opens for long hours every day and attracts a regular stream of customers drawn by an impressive range of cask ales and traditional pub food, all served at a decent price as is very much the case in everywhere I went in Rochdale on this visit. It is owned by the same people who own the Baum but it provides a more everyday kind of experience. We'd called in the previous week and I'd enjoyed a breakfast butty featuring some fantastic sausages from Joshua Law who are based nearby in Whitworth. I was not seeking food today, and so just went for a beer, which was a pint of Rendezvous with Rakau from old favourites Millstone, who are based not too far away in Mossley. It was clean tasting and refreshing, but like a lot of beers brewed with a single New Zealand hop variety it lacked enough character I felt to carry it off comfortably on its own (NBSS 3). The majority of the beers here are from local breweries, so expect to see the likes of Phoenix, Pictish, Wakey Wakey, and Vocation on the bar. The Flying Horse was busy, a lot of people eating and/or watching the sport on TV, and there was a pleasant friendly atmosphere about the place as always, and if you only have time to visit one pub in Rochdale this is as good as any.
 |
| The Flying Horse |
I finished my pint and headed back out into the bright sunshine. I had it in mind to visit a couple of new-to-me micropubs which have opened in the town recently. Both are close to Wetherspoons and also a couple of sadly-closed establishments, the Medicine Tap opposite the town hall, which to be honest I always found a bit hit and miss, and Bombay Brew, which was run by the same people who have the Baum and the Flying Horse and was spot on on my only visit. And along with the closure of the afore-mentioned D'ale House, there has been something of a re-alignment of the Rochdale pub and bar scene.
And so to my first new bar, situated across from the relatively-recently re-exposed River Roch, from which the town takes its name. Our Gracie's takes its name from Gracie Fields, the locally-born singer and actress who was a star of music hall and film in the 1930's and 1940's when, with the Second World War raging, she joined ENSA and threw herself into entertaining the troops. Back in the 1930's she was one of the top 10 film stars in Britain and then went to Hollywood, and at one point was the highest-paid film star in the world. She always stayed true to her roots, though, and never lost her Lancashire accent, despite her time in Hollywood, and after being treated for cancer moved to the island of Capri to recuperate, where she lived until she died in 1979. Gracie did a lot of work for charity over her career, donating her home to an orphanage when her marriage broke up, setting up a children's home in Sussex, and even helped out Rochdale AFC at one point when they were struggling in the 1930's. And so to the bar, which has a white frontage with its name in the style of a cinema or theatre from those days. Inside the bar is decorated with old 78rpm records and a large photograph showing our Gracie smoking a cigar, as well as old photographs of the town from yesteryear.
That was where the Gracie Fields theme ended. Instead of a soundtrack featuring Sally or The Biggest Aspidistra in the World, there was an open-mike session taking place, which was more country music-orientated and was quite a pleasant soundtrack to my visit courtesy of those involved. Aside from the musicians, there was a cluster of older guys enjoying their afternoon over a pint or two. I hung around the bar and had a pleasant chat with Kieran, the bar manager, who insisted on giving me CAMRA discount even though I couldn't find my card in my wallet, although I did find it in there later! From another pretty local selection of beers on hand pump, I went for another Brid's Cross beer, this time a 4.6% American red ale, Aethelred, which was quite enjoyable (NBSS 3). I followed that up with a half of the 4.3% premium bitter Alchemist from Pictish, now one of the old guard in terms of the local brewing scene, having started out way back in 2000. Kieran said there was very little left in the barrel but assured me it was still fine, and it was, well-balanced with a malty sweetness giving way to a dry bitter finish (NBSS 3.5). I have to say I enjoyed my first visit to Our Gracie's and it feels like it has quickly established itself as an important player in the town's real ale scene.
I bade farewell and walked the short distance to another new bar to me. The Lucky Duck Beer Emporium, to give it its full name, is another micro pub which was part of the former cinema that became the Regal Moon when it was acquired by Wetherspoons. It then became a bottle shop and later installed a couple of hand pumps. The bar faces you as you walk in off the street, with seating around the walls and upstairs, where there is also a pool table. It was quite light and airy, with a few guys stood around the bar. The CAMRA website describes it as "the quirkiest pub in Rochdale with the quirkiest barman in Rochdale. Duck friendly," Now I didn't see any ducks, and I'm not sure that the guy with the long beard behind the bar was that barman, but he was certainly friendly enough when he greeted me as I approached the bar. There were two beers from Rossendale Brewery on hand pump. The brewery is based in the cellar of the Griffin Inn in Haslingden and originally started out in 1994 when it was owned by Porter Brewing, before being acquired by Rossendale in 2007. It supplies the Sportsman in Hyde and several other local outlets, but I hadn't seen any of their beers for years, and certainly not in Yorkshire, as the brewery only wants to keep deliveries to the local area. I ordered a pint of Glen Top Bitter, which their website describes as a "citrusy, full bodied, pale beer. Intentionally not over hopped with quite a dry after taste." Another pleasant beer (NBSS 3). A guy came in with two dogs, one a St Bernard-type whose thick coat was clearly making him feel hot in the warm sunshine outside. He was friendly enough, came to see everyone in the bar to say hello, and then flopped in a shaded area to cool down. Certainly not the weather for ducks! A pleasant little bar that is well worth calling in.
Time was moving on but I had decided to visit one more bar, which whilst not particularly new, was one I had never been in before. As I was leaving Our Gracie's, Kieran the manager had mentioned their other bar nearby which had a hand pump on, although it was more of a music venue. And so, situated just across the way is Hoochi Koochi. I walked in and I was immediately met by a flight of stairs which took me up to a first-floor bar where the Northern Soul was in full flow with groups of people of a certain age enjoying the music, whilst a couple of guys were playing pool as I walked past on my my way to the bar. There I came upon a solitary hand pump dispensing Phoenix Arizona, and so I ordered a half of this dry pale beer which was quite good (NBSS 3). The place had a bit of a retro feel with some classic arcade game machines in place, with the lighting and general decor harking back to earlier times. The bar's opening hours reflect that it is more of a night time place, being closed early in the week before opening at 7pm on a Thursday right through to 3am, same again on Friday, and Saturday, with Sunday opening early at 3 and then closing at 9. If you are in the mood for a bit of Sunday afternoon Northern Soul, it is worth calling in.
 |
| The way in to Hoochi Koochi |
I wandered round to the tram stop, where one was just coming in. After a few minutes waiting time, it set off up Drake Street back up to the railway station where I had no time to wait at all for the train back to Halifax. I'd had an enjoyable afternoon here visiting some familiar and some new places, and drinking some good beer from local breweries. A worthwhile quick return....
Comments
Post a Comment