Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral Pubs Past & Present 655 Bridge Inn Bolton Road Port Sunlight

655 Bridge Inn Bolton Road Port Sunlight

When Lever built this, it was a temperance hotel. Two years after it opened, the villagers voted for it to sell alcoholic drinks & Lever reluctantly agreed.

Had my first pint in here! Aged 14 a pint of Mild and a game of darts!

An old photo of the Bridge Inn at Port Sunlight. It looks like the mid sixties to me

Had my wedding reception there in '66. I had worked in the District Bank (now Natwest)

I always wander where pubs get there name from
The Bridge Inn was built on Victoria Bridge, when the tide came all the way into port sunlight
You cannot see the bridge now because it was buried under the road when the tidal creeks were filled in and some of the parapets used on the New Chester rd bridge
The name and date stone of the bridge is now opposite the Bridge Inn. Some fascinating info about that date stone and where it has been on this link
http://www.pmsa.org.uk/pmsa-database/5251/
The Bridge Inn on the left and Christ Church on the right

The church looks the same as today's church but on the other side of the bridge. Was it removed and rebuilt behind the Bridge Inn?
That picture is 1900 but in the article it says "Christ Church itself (interestingly, not until 1902-04)"
Here is the source of the article and picture http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/portsunlight/1.html

I doubt the church was moved. I think it's just the angle of view which makes it look as if the church is on the right side of the bridge.

It just looks so far from the pub when it is actually only about 50 metres away
Camera angles can throw you off
The date of the picture must be wrong

I agree; the picture date is wrong. The church wasn't finished until 1904. There's certainly no record of it having been moved; if it had been, it would surely have been documented.

This O.S. map is from 1912

I suggest the picture was taken from about where the x is. Damn program wouldn't allow me to edit the previous post.

Agreed. Under closer inspection of the picture, you can actually see the riverbank on the right side of the church

Another picture of Bridge Inn with Victoria Bridge, the bridge was built in 1897 but became defunct in 1907 when the creek was filled in, apparently the bridge structure is still in-situ.