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Historic pubs · North West England

Ye Olde Man & Scythe

In or near Holcombe.

Free admission🐾 Dog-friendly4.6 · 1,094 Google reviews££

Ye Olde Man & Scythe — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.

Ye Olde Man & Scythe, historic pubs in North West England

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1 h–2 h
Nearest railway station
Bolton · 0.7 km
  • Free entry
  • Dog-friendly

Getting there & planning your visit

Ye Olde Man & Scythe is located in Bolton, North West England, with the postcode BL1 1HL. The nearest railway station is Bolton, which is 0.7 km away. Entry to the pub is free.

Directions on Google Maps →

About

Ye Olde Man & Scythe is a historic pub in the United Kingdom, listed in OpenStreetMap with a heritage tag. Address: 6-8, Churchgate, Bolton, BL1 1HL. Wikidata describes it as: "Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.". Coordinates: 53.5796°, -2.4263°.

Photo gallery

See it from the streetimagery from 2025

Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0

From the Wikipedia article

Ye Olde Man & Scythe is a Grade II listed public house on Churchgate in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. The earliest recorded mention of its name appears in a charter from 1251, making it one of the ten oldest public houses in Britain and the oldest in Bolton. The current form of the name, prefixed with "Ye Olde", is a pseudo-archaism derived from the original Man and Scythe Inn. The name itself originates from the crest of the Pilkington family, which features a reaper using a scythe, alluding to a tradition associated with one of the family's early members.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

It is not known exactly when Ye Olde Man & Scythe was originally built, but a charter from 1251 permitting the market mentions it by name. The pub has been rebuilt at least once (1636 according to the datestone inside), and only the vaulted cellar remains from the original structure, although some internal beams date back to 1636. The building's frontage is an early 20th-century remodelling. It is a Grade II listed building. In 1651 the Earl of Derby was executed outside the Man & Scythe—owned at the time by his family—for his role in the Bolton Massacre. A cross now stands on the site, accompanied by a plaque that recounts the story of Bolton through the ages. Inside the pub is a chair…

Architecture

The inn has a timber frame and a slate roof. The building, which houses both a public house and a shop, features a four-window range with gables at each end. The two-storey public house occupies the central range and the right-hand gable, which includes canted bay windows on both floors. A round-arched doorway leads into the public house, with a three-light window to its left. On the first floor are two casement windows. The ground floor window frames and leaded windows date from the early 20th century, while the doorway is older. An entry to the yard separates the pub from the shop. The shop front in the left-hand gable has a doorway beside a canted oriel window, with a two-light mullioned…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
53.5796, -2.4263
District
Bolton
Parish
Bolton, unparished area
Postcode
BL1 1HL
Parliamentary constituency
Bolton South and Walkden
Nearest railway station
Bolton0.7 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Ye Olde Man & Scythe?
Ye Olde Man & Scythe is in North-West England, United Kingdom (postcode BL1 1HL), in the parish of Bolton, unparished area.
What is Ye Olde Man & Scythe?
Ye Olde Man & Scythe — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.
How do I get to Ye Olde Man & Scythe?
The nearest railway station is Bolton, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode BL1 1HL.
Is Ye Olde Man & Scythe free to visit?
Yes, Ye Olde Man & Scythe is free to enter.
How do I get to Ye Olde Man & Scythe?
The nearest railway station is Bolton, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BL1 1HL.