A Gentle Perambulation Around Central Manchester

A Victorian Manchester Pub Crawl

Start: Hare & Hounds • End: The Deansgate • ~65 minutes walking
Starting point
Address: 46 Shudehill, Manchester, M4 4AA
Late eighteenth to early nineteenth century pub with later 1920s interior detailing. A good place to assemble the party before heading north to Marble Arch.
~8 minutes from Hare & Hounds
Address: 73 Rochdale Road, Manchester, M4 4HY
Built in 1888 as a show house for McKenna’s Brewery and now Grade II listed. Look for the sloping mosaic floor and extensive glazed tiling.
~9 minutes from Marble Arch
Address: 66 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LE
Trading since 1776, originally as the Crown & Sceptre, this pub has seen the Northern Quarter change around it. Nowadays it doubles as a characterful small music venue.
~5 minutes from Castle Hotel
Address: 33 Back Piccadilly, Manchester, M1 1HP
Housed in a Victorian back street building that once traded as the Wellington Inn. Now a lively three storey bar that bridges old fabric and newer Manchester nightlife.
~7 minutes from Rat & Pigeon
Address: 52 Cross Street, Manchester, M2 7AR
Opened in 1867, this narrow green tiled Victorian chop house catered to Manchester’s professional classes. Inside, the snug spaces still feel distinctly nineteenth century.
~4 minutes from Mr Thomas'
Address: 2 Cathedral Gates, Manchester, M3 1SW
With roots around 1720, Sinclairs is the oldest stop on the crawl. The building was painstakingly moved and rebuilt during the redevelopment of the area.
~5 minutes from Sinclairs
Address: 138 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2RP
A Deansgate stalwart with a licence dating back to the early eighteenth century. The ornate Victorian frontage makes it stand out on the street.
~6 minutes from Sawyer's Arms
Address: 86 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 4GX
Frequently cited as one of Manchester’s smallest pubs, the Circus Tavern channels an era when drinking houses lined Portland Street. Expect cramped rooms and plenty of atmosphere.
~6 minutes from Circus Tavern
Address: 36 Charles Street, Manchester, M1 7DB
Named after a Scottish poem, the Lass O'Gowrie appears on mid nineteenth century maps beside the canal. Its interior mixes tiled passageways with cosy rooms and TV history trivia.
~7 minutes from Lass O'Gowrie
Address: 50 Great Bridgewater Street, Manchester, M1 5LE
Trading since at least 1806, this Grade II listed pub is associated with military recruitment and political meetings. Multiple small rooms and etched glass give it a classic feel.
~2 minutes from Briton's Protection
Address: 127 Great Bridgewater Street, Manchester, M1 5JQ
A free standing, green tiled gem from the early nineteenth century, possibly named after a Walter Scott novel or a stagecoach route. Inside it is a warren of snug rooms.
~7 minutes from Peveril of the Peak
Address: 321 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 4LQ
A handsome Victorian corner pub that forms a natural terminus for the crawl. Large windows, dark wood and a good view of Deansgate round off the evening.