Mossley on Monday: Old Pack Horse

The Old Pack Horse pub was at Mossley Cross, at the northern end of Luzley Road. It was sometimes claimed to have been the oldest pub in Mossley but, although the building dates from around 1750, it was not always a pub.

The first licence for a pub at Mossley Cross was for the Hope and Anchor in 1831, at which time there were already seven other pubs in Mossley. Then there was a gap of a few years during which there was no pub at Mossley Cross and then the Pack Horse was licensed in 1841. It is not known whether this was the same building as had been the Hope and Anchor. In 1864 the name was changed by the addition of the word "Old".

At the side of the Pack Horse was a barn which could offer stabling for three horses.

After a number of unfavourable reports by pub inspectors, including water running into the cellar, floorboards that were rotting and difficulty in supervising the rooms, the pub was closed in 1915. The stable at the side gradually became a ruin.

In the last year or so, the building has undergone substantial repairs and improvement. What appears to be a new extension on the right hand side is a careful re-building of what had been the stable, keeping to the original size and shape, and the same layout of doors and windows (except that the barn doors are now a picture window).

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