Address: 130 (originally 85) Preston Road, Coppull, Chorley
The Oak Tree Inn first appeared on the 1851 Census and listed landlords were John Roocroft (1851), Alfred Sharples (1861), William Heyes (1871-91), John Ryder (1901-1911), Bobby & Lynnette Watkinson (2005) and Gareth Mcdonald and Joanne Halford (2008).
A HISTORY OF COPPULL by Hubert Walsh
The name ‘Gibbet Hey’ was known to old inhabitants as that part of Preston Road coming
from Barkers Bridge on the Coppull/Charnock Richard boundary towards The Oak Tree.
‘Ye Olde Oak Tree’ is supposed to get its name from the fact that the hanging tree used to be at Gibbet Hey. A story is told that Thomas Stanley, Lord of the Manor at Coppull, was riding past one day in company with friends, and seven dead men were hanging from the tree. One of the company remarked on this to Sir Thomas and he is said to have replied, “Oh aye it’s been a good harvest this year”.
On moonlit heath and lonesome bank,
The sheep beside me graze.
An’ yon the gallows used to clank
Fast by the four crossways.
A careless shepherd once would keep
The flocks by moonlight there,
And high amongst the glimmering sheep,
The dead man stood on air.
These two verses are from a poem by A. E. Houseman, and hanging in chains was called
“Keeping sheep by moonlight”. Life was not always so grim in the village; life had its light moments. Other stories could be told.
Some day...some other time.
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| Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser 20 July 1850 |
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| 1851 Census |
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| Preston Chronicle 17 June 1854 |
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| 1861 Census |
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| Preston Chronicle 11 November 1865 |
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| Oak Tree Coppull c.1950s |
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| Preston Chronicle 16 June 1866 |
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| 1871 Census |
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| 1881 Census |
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| Oak Tree and E K Lund's Garage 1965 |
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| 1891 Census |
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| Lancashire Evening Post 22 December 1899 |
The above photo was clearly taken from the top of Spendmore Lane from the original Oak Tree, which was subsequently replaced by a row of Victorian terraced properties. It was around this time that William Carr of Chorley rebuilt the hotel and it's likely that both buildings existed simultaneously for a short period.
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| 1901 Census |
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| New Oak Tree Inn c.1904 |
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| 1911 Census |
A Chorley pub will reopen its doors in time for Christmas.
Gareth McDonald and Joanne Halford, the new owners of The Oak Tree Inn, Coppull, are planning to open the pub in the first week of December, following six months of closure.
Staff at the pub in Preston Road are also seeking teams for sports, pool and dominoes.
Anyone interested in playing or running the teams should contact oaktreecoppull@live.co.uk for details.
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| 2019 |
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