Malt 'n' Hops

Name: The Malt 'n' Hops

Address: 50-52, Friday Street, Chorley

The Malt 'n' Hops is one of the more recent additions to the Chorley pub scene.  The building was built in the 1870's and first appeared on maps and local census and directory records from 1872 onwards. It was run as a grocer's shop from 1872 into the mid 1900's, as the following records show, with Joshua Haworth (1872-1905), his assistant, Thomas Howlett (1911-1952) and John Edward Howlett (1952-1978).

Annotated 1908 Map

1881 Census Joshua Haworth

1891 Census Joshua Haworth

2016

1901 Census -Temporarily Unoccupied

At the time of the 1901 census Joshua Haworth had moved his family to 43 Ashfield Road, Chorley but as the record below shows, he was still running the grocer's shop. Sometime between 1905 and 1909 he must have sold the business to Thomas Howlett, as by 1911 Joshua had changed jobs and was working as a Cotton Mill Director. 

1905 Kelly's Directory

Thomas Howlett previously lived next door at 2, Brown Street with his parents and siblings and in 1891 and 1901 was recorded as working as a grocer's assistant, which almost certainly would have been with Joshua Haworth. 

1901 Kelly's Directory Thomas Howlett

Whilst working at Friday Street Joshua must have had a premonition of things to come when he christened his youngest son Clement "Brewin" Haworth.

1929 Probate Record for Joshua Haworth

1901 Joshua Haworth

The newly created beer garden (August 2016) 

1911 Census Thomas Howlett

Probate Record for Thomas Howlett

When Thomas died in 1952 he was still running the grocer's shop with the assistance of his eldest son, John Edward Howlett.  John continued to run the family business until his death in 1978 as his probate confirms.

1978 Probate for John Edward Howlett

Malt 'n' Hops and Chortex Mill from the Town Hall c.1960s (pre-bypass)

After John's death there are clues about the building's use on the Chorley Council website in the planning section:

Reference 82/00536/FUL

Application Validated Sat 07 Aug 1982

Address 50 - 52 Friday Street Chorley Lancashire PR6 0AA

Proposal Alterations to shop premises for marine boat sales etc

Status Granted

Decision Permit Full Planning Permission

Decision Issued Date Tue 14 Sep 1982

and

Reference 84/00777/FUL

Alternative Reference -

Application Validated Tue 13 Nov 1984

Address The Malt And Hops 50 - 52 Friday Street Chorley Lancashire PR6 0AA

Proposal Change of use of ground floor to offices and first floor to storage

Status Granted

Decision Permit Full Planning Permission

Decision Issued Date Wed 02 Jan 1985

1980's Pre-conversion

It was then converted into a public house and opened in 1989 following a successful planning application to Chorley Borough Council on 4th August 1987. The first landlord was Paul Keith Wilkins, DJ from the Howard Arms in Whittle Springs and his wife Andrea who owned the Malt 'n' Hops between July 1988 and July 1991. The next landlords were Lawrence and Christa Frith.

Under conversion

It was well-known for its commitment to serving good real ale and was a popular quiz night venue. Whilst originally a Free House serving beers from across the British Isles it was bought by a micro-brewery called the Beartown Brewery in the 2000's but closed for a while in 2015 as trade reduced.  In late 2010 the pub was reopened by Beartown with Alan Key behind the bar.

Ale Cry West Lancs Branch Issue 91 Winter 2010

Pre-Malt 'n' Hops as a corner shop and adjoining house c.1970's

The Beartown Brewery website provided the following: -

The Malt 'n' Hops is a traditional real ale pub, located in the heart of Chorley serving the local community and visitors alike. We are a Beartown Brewery public house and stock both Beartown Brewery and nine guest ales. Beartown Brewery, founded in 1994, is a South Cheshire craft brewery, producing a range of quality and distinctive cask conditioned ales. The brewery uses only traditional brewing methods and selects the highest quality malted grains and whole hops to ensure a wholesome and completely natural product Malt 'N' Hops rotate the Beartown Brewery ales, ensuring that customers have a regularly changing choice of beers to experience. As well as our Beartown Brewery beer, we stock a wide range of guest ales from an ever changing selection of breweries. Our reputation is built on the excellent choice and the quality of the beers we serve.

The Malt 'n' Hops Interior

Located on Friday Street the pub is only a stone's throw from the railway station and from its elevated position above the tracks it provides an ideal stop for train spotters!

In November 2015 the Malt 'n' Hops reopened with John Frankie Grainger behind the bar and is once more a free house committed to serving real ale predominantly from micro-brewers across the North West of England. 

John was previously the landlord at the Prince of Wales on Cowling Brow, a Marston's pub well-known locally for the quality of its beers and some 12 months later the Malt 'n' Hops has now re-established itself as one of Chorley's premier real ale haunts recently winning the Central Lancashire CAMRA Pub of the Year 2017. 

The Malt 'n' Hops