Miners' Refuge

This photograph showing the boarded-up Miners' Refuge public house on Kings Road at Hurst Cross in Ashton, was taken in 2007. The pub was demolished a couple of weeks ago. I'm not sure exactly when but just noticed one day that it wasn't there any more.

There were plenty of other pubs in the area competing for trade, including the Church Inn almost opposite and the Hare and Hounds a few yards further along Kings Road (seen in the photo).

Hurst Cross can also just be seen in the photo, along with the Co-op store on the left.

The Miners' Refuge was a plain-looking building that was opened as a beerhouse in 1860. It only became fully-licensed in 1961. It was originally a Shaw's pub and was later run by Rothwell's and eventually Marston's breweries.

The name refers to the nearby Broadoak Colliery which was in operation at the time the pub was built so, no doubt, many of its original customers were indeed miners.

See Google Aerial View of this location.
See LiveSearch Birds Eye View of this location.