Manchester
A local carpet company has ranked the top 10 Wetherspoons pub carpets in Manchester
Thomas Melia
One carpet company has compiled a list which ranks all of the Greater Manchester Wetherspoons’ locations based solely on their carpets.
Might they have too much time on their hands? Maybe? Do we care? Not one bit.
If you didn’t know already, this pub chain is famed for its reasonably priced drinks, both cheap small and big plates (usually decorated with some kind of garish pattern), and the ability to convert old cinemas, halls, churches and pretty much anything into a boozer.
But there’s also one key ingredient that makes each ‘Spoons’ special that goes over most people’s heads, or rather right under their fight: it’s the funky, unique and individually-designed carpets.
This attention to detail caught the eye of writer and publisher, Kit Caless, who launched a blog and social media account dedicated entirely to archiving these fascinating floor coverings, quite simply titled ‘Wetherspoons Carpets’.
Local carpet shop, Urmston Carpets, understands the importance of these fluffy floor patterns too and recently released a list ranking all Manchester’s Wetherspoons locations based on how many likes they received – again, the classification being driven by the carpeting.
There’s 35 pub chain sites throughout the Greater Manchester region, and nine of these can be found in Manchester city centre, although none of these pubs nabbed the top spot or even the top 10.
In fact, the borough which finds itself having some of the most liked Wetherspoons’ carpets according to the Instagram pages likes is Trafford, with three venues, closely followed by Rochdale with two.
Eccles Cross landed the number 10 spot, a pub which has a carpet full of alternating blue-and-gold-toned intertwining squares, receiving a total of 65 likes.
Next is The Unicorn, with its deep-red floral printed flooring, amassing 70 likes and a post with quietly one of the best hashtags ever invented: “#altrinchtothat”, paying homage to the area where this pub resides, Altrincham. Top notch.
Castle in the Air, attached to indoor slope attraction Chill Factore over in Trafford, has 75 likes, and although the carpet design is very fitting with its mountain-inspired landscape, the comment section isn’t too impressed…
Yes, people take this random passion project just as seriously as its creator.
Right in the heart of Oldham town centre is The Up Steps Inn, which finishes as the seventh most-liked Wetherspoons carpet in all of Greater Manchester, with 82 people giving this beige vine-covered floor a double tap or two.
Just missing out on the top five is Ashton’s local Wetherspoons, aptly named The Ash Tree, with a bonfire-esque design with a variation of bright orange, grey and black tones, which amassed 86 likes.
Off to Chorlton-cum-Hardy next, where the top five kicks off with a combined 87 likes for The Sedge Lynn – famously beloved for its striking tiled exterior – thanks to its peach and red floral artwork adorning a blank black canvas, one fan describes it as “Very strong. Royal even”.
In fourth place is one of Stretford’s go-to Man United pubs: The Bishop Blaize. It collected 88 likes across two posts, and we can definitely see why with its funky and very swirly carpet, which probably would’ve been a dress pattern in the 60s.
Grabbing the bronze podium position is The Mardi Gras, Trafford’s third contribution to the top 10, with its New Orleans-cum-Trafford Centre Wetherspoons, boasting 92 likes.
Scoring the silver medal is the Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale and its trusty ‘Spoons location, The Regal Moon, which has been liked 99 times; the carpet may be dashing, but it’s the piano man above the bar who steals the show.
Now, are you ready to see who took home the gold?
Reigning victorious with a whopping 104 likes is the mighty Middleton Wetherspoons, The Harbord Harbord, with its wave-inspired warm-toned carpet; a massive pat on the back for this boozer from everyone on the internet – well, at least those in this particular corner, anyway.
In case you lost track, here’s a quick summary:
The top 10 most liked Wetherspoons carpets in Manchester
- The Harbord Harbord – Middleton, 104 likes
- The Regal Moon – Rochdale, 99 likes
- The Mardi Gras – Trafford Centre, 92 likes
- The Bishop Blaize – Stretford, 88 likes
- The Sedge Lynn – Chorlton-cum-Hardy, 87 likes
- The Ash Tree – Ashton-under-Lyne, 86 likes
- The Up Steps Inn – Oldham, 82 likes
- Castle in the Air – Trafford, Chill Factore, 75 likes
- The Unicorn – Altrincham, 70 likes
- Eccles Cross – Eccles, 65 likes
If you’re questioning the accuracy of this ranking, don’t worry, you’re in safe hands as this flooring store is only a one-minute radius away from The Tim Bobbin on Flixton Road, so they definitely know their way around a good ‘Spoons.
Adrian Brown of Urmston Carpets provided the following advice for homeowners looking to recreate: “While Wetherspoons carpets have become something of a design icon, it’s important to remember that pub carpets are made very differently than what you’d typically find in a home.
“Commercial carpets are designed to handle thousands of footsteps a day, resist spills, and stand up to regular deep cleaning. They’re built for durability first.
“If you’re trying to recreate the look at home, choosing a patterned carpet, you’ll need to find a balance between visual impact and practicality.”
Read more:
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images – @wetherspoons_carpet (via Instagram)
Daisy Jackson -
10th February 2022 
