One of Manchester’s oldest and most famous pubs has been completely refurbished
Built in 1736, the Crown & Kettle has welcomed hundreds of thousands through its doors in the past 284 years. Now, it's enjoyed a well-deserved refurb.
We’re losing too many of our favourite boozers before their time. Multi-generational pubs are becoming relics of the past.
But whilst landlords all over the UK are being forced to board-up the windows, lock the doors and shut down these famous longstanding establishments, the Crown & Kettle – a part of Manchester since time immemorial – is revelling a dashing refurb.
The Great Ancoats Street venue stood strong during the early chapters of the pandemic and has come out the other side looking better than ever.
Yet again, the Crown & Kettle has proven its made of particularly strong stuff.
The Crown & Kettle has had a bit of refurb. If I'm honest though, I couldn't take my eyes off that incredible roof ? pic.twitter.com/hnf9QxLY1Z
Built in 1736, the pub has welcomed hundreds of thousands through its doors in the past 284 years.
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It’s survived just about everything in that time, from global catastrophes to drunk journalists (who’d pop down after – or during – their shifts at the neighbouring Daily Express offices).
In nearly three centuries, the closest Crown & Kettle has come to complete closure was it fell victim to an arson attack in 1990.
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A blaze tore through the building and inflicted severe damage, but after more than 15 years lying dormant, the pub went on to make a full recovery.
Crown & Kettle
Crown & Kettle continues to thrive today as one of Manchester most beloved and longstanding boozers – and this month it’s enjoying a well-earned facelift.
The seats and surroundings have been given a luxurious upgrade – with fresh floors and new fittings bringing the classic Ancoats corner drinking den into the 21st century.
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But – crucially – that significant, famous, unparalleled Gothic interior feel has not been lost during the makeover.
In fact, it’s been amplified.
The pub’s famous ceiling (which has earned the building Grade-II listed status) has had its netting carefully peeled away so punters can now gaze up from their pints and gawp at its glory, entirely unobstructed, for the first time in years.
Owners have also confirmed they will be working closely with local breweries moving ahead – such as Pomona Island and Manchester Union Lager, with intriguing new beers being regularly added to the menu.
Crown & Kettle
Following weeks of refurb work, Crown & Kettle is officially open again. And it’s sight to behold.
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Posting on social media, the pub stated: “As holes begin to appear in the ground and the buildings around us are demolished or developed we’re proud to be able to retain some local history.
“Having survived wars, recessions, firebombing, decades of pub politics & now a pandemic; the old lady isn’t done just yet!
“Despite curfews, constantly changing legislation and challenging times in our industry we will do our best to remain open everyday from noon until 10pm.”
Follow Crown & Kettle on Facebook to see the facelift in full.
News
FA Cup final confirmed for 3pm kick-off time as Metropolitan Police stress safety for fans
Danny Jones
The start time for the 2023/24 FA Cup final has officially been confirmed with holders Manchester City and challengers Manchester United set to kick off at 3pm on Saturday, 25 May.
It’s a Manc final for the second year running and yet another Manchester Derby this year as City beat Chelsea on penalties to try and defend one of their trophies from last season and Man United did just about enough to scrape through against Coventry City this past weekend.
Logistics and travel arrangements for the conclusion of last year’s FA Cup proved problematic, with the Metropolitan Police stressing that they needed the schedule brought forward to try and help curb crowd trouble – the first time the final had been reverted back to a traditional 3pm start since 2011.
Kick-off times for the knockout tournament have varied for the last three finals, having taken place at 4:45 and 5:15pm in the two years prior to 2023’s first-ever all-Manchester final, but it looks as though the same rationale has been put in place once again.
The kick-off time for the FA Cup final has been confirmed for 3pm.
As per an official statement by the FA, the final has now been officially confirmed as 3pm BST which has been agreed with local authorities, members of the Safety Advisory Group and broadcasters, as well as with the clubs who must take the time needed for fans to travel to and from Wembley into consideration.
While pockets of fighting broke out before and after the game last year, it was deemed that this time would still be the best kick-off time for all parties involved and there will, of course, be an increased police presence in London for the game next month.
Although prioritising safety comes as welcome news, it’ll no doubt prove to be a blow to broadcasters who prefer later kick-offs when eyeing up peak audience numbers; the game is also set to clash with ITV’s coverage of the rugby as the Investec Champions Cup final is also due to start at 2:45pm.
With last season’s historic FA Cup final being the first time the two sides had met in the final in the entire history of the oldest competition in all of football, it rounded off a massive year of viewing figures for the tournament which has continued to hit record numbers in 2024.
The game will once again be shown live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and ITV1; ITVX, UTV, as well as STV, and there will no doubt be huge screenings of the game all over Greater Manchester, where an increased police presence is also expected.
Manchester City start work on next phase of stadium expansion, hotel, museum and more
Danny Jones
Manchester City have officially started work on the next phase of their ambitious stadium expansion plans which will see their capacity increase and the wider Etihad Campus transformed into a ‘best-in-class entertainment venue’.
Planning permission for the Etihad Stadium update was secured back in July 2023 and the club has confirmed that the first steel beams have now been installed after arriving in recent weeks.
The £300 million project will not only see the Etihad’s capacity climb from 53,400 to over 60,000 but, as previously detailed, the City Football Group‘s plans also entail the creation of a brand new club shop and museum, an integrated 400-bed hotel as well as an updated fan zone set to house around 3000.
With the initial steel framework now in place, not only has ground now been broken 12 months on from full arrival and just in time for the club’s 130th birthday, but they’re already making fast progress.
Today marks a year since we applied for planning permission and twelve months on, the Etihad Stadium expansion is starting to take shape. 🏟️
Man City and CFG issue update on £300m stadium and Etihad Campus expansion.
Man City fans can expect to see the number of seats jump up in time for the 2025/26 season, with the bulk of the stadium expansion and other renovations taking place around the North Stand – the tier facing opposite the brand-new Co-op Live Arena, which faced setbacks this week.
In addition to the other main leisure attractions, once completed, the newly expanded stand will also boast a sky bar and stadium roof walk above the upper tier, giving fans and tourists the chance to enjoy unique views of the pitch and the Manchester skyline.
Drawing parallels to Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium, which was finally completed back in 2019, this will see City once again trying to assert themselves at the forefront of modern football experiences.
Moreover, with neighbouring Co-op Live arriving as a joint venture between the CFG and Oak View Groups, the Etihad Campus is perfectly poised to achieve the owners’ goal of becoming a “world-class, all-year-round entertainment venue”.
Those working on the Manchester City stadium expansion (Credit: Tom Barton via Man City)
Importantly for the East Manchester district, the stadium infrastructure project will also bring job opportunities and economic growth to the area, with the club insisting they want to build on their “long-standing investment and commitment to its local community”.
As per an official press release, it is estimated that approximately 890 full-time roles will be created during the construction phase alone and even more are expected to be delivered once Manchester City’s new hotel, museum, sky bar and dedicated fan zones are finished.
Speaking at the site, Managing Director of Manchester City Operations, Danny Wilson, said: “It’s been an exciting few months with the arrival and installation of the first steels and fantastic to see the development and progress of the build in recent weeks.
“This project has been designed with our fans at its heart and demonstrates our commitment to creating one of the most memorable fan experiences in world sport. Fans will have the opportunity to extend their matchday by joining us at the new covered fan zone, visiting the museum, or staying at the hotel… The next evolution of the campus is well underway and it’s great to mark the progress being made.”
The Manc -
7th October 2020 
