The Sawyers Arms on the corner of Bridge Street serving since 1771

The Sawyer’s Arms © 2014 Peter Topping

I first went in the Sawyers Arms on the corner of Bridge Street and Deansgate in the early 1970s.

I suppose I was attracted by its distinctive red, yellow and cream glazed tiled frontage.

Now over forty years later I have no memory of what it looked like inside, but I guess back then it was still divided up into small rooms allowing people to create their own private little retreat with a few intimate friends.

Not that there is anything of that left today which is a shame for a pub which can claim to have been serving its customers since 1771.

My own real interest in the place stems from its connection with Chorlton and the Cope Family.
Frederick Cope described himself as a spirit and wine merchant and was in partnership with his brother.

They had a number of premises’ across the city including the Sawyers Arms.

Oak Bank in Chorlton in 1841

The family lived at Oak Bank which consisted of
"three entertaining rooms, six bedrooms, excellent kitchen, scullery, cellars, &c.  The outbuildings consist of two coach houses, stabling for four horses, gardener's room, wash house, laundry, &c.  There are good gardens well stocked with fruit trees and about three acre. "

It stood in a parcel of land bounded by Wilbraham Road, Barlow Road, Sandy Lane and Corkland Road

As well as the house and gardens there was a stretch of land running along Barlow Moor lane to Lane End which was a mix of woodland and meadowland which was rented. Later still Frederick bought the farm tenanted by Thomas Cookson at Dark Lane, Martledge.

Their connection with the Sawyer’s Arms seems a short one although they did continue their wine business well into the 19th century.

So I am now in search of the pub’s history before and after Mr Cope.

There will be plenty of people like me who have fond memories of the place, but none who will remember its makeover in the early 20th century when it was given its current glazed brick and tile appearance, by the Manchester Brewery Company.

And that in turn has led me to want to explore all of those city centre pubs which have their own impressive tiled frontage.

Some like the Castle and the Turks Head are special to me but there will be plenty I have forgotten and some I missed.

Map; Oak Bank, home of the Cope family in Chorlton, from the OS map of Lancashire 1841, courtesy of Digital Archives Association, http://www.digitalarchives.co.uk/

Painting; The Sawyer’s Arms © 2014 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures,
Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk