Continuing now along Witton Street having left the White Lion, the next long-lost pub is The Rockminers Arms, 44 Witton St at the junction with Tanners Lane, quite close to The Talbot as mentioned last time.

No photo here but it was the only pub in Northwich that boasted two taprooms and a snug.

There were also five bedrooms for travellers. It opened in 1841 and closed in 1915.

Onwards now to the oldest pub in Northwich/Witton cum Twambrooks, (The Bowling Green in London Road is older but that was in Leftwich), that is The Roebuck that has currently been closed since 2017.

Northwich Guardian:

The Roebuck in 1892

It was built in 1700 as a row of three cottages, and saw its first landlord John Tomkinson there in 1772.

There was a bowling green at the rear that became the car park, and water was drawn using a handpump until a magistrate forbade this in 1898. I believe that the licence was suspended in 2017 due to anti-social behaviour.

Northwich Guardian:

The Bowling Green in 1891

Crossing the road in what was once a very built up and busy part of Northwich, unlike today, and we would have arrived at the Foresters Arms.

Northwich Guardian:

The Forester's Arms

Another example of a Northwich building rebuilt due to its predecessor subsiding. In this case in 1891.

The original pub had opened in 1861 as a small pub with William Cowley in charge.

After the 1891 rebuild, William Jackson took over until the arrival of the best-known landlord Eddie Kettle in 1909. Eddie’s name can be seen on the pub as it starts to subside, sinking quietly into the ground.

READ>Northwich Victoria, 1874 Northwich kits among world's best

The pub had during the management of Eddie Kettle, also been known as the Bricksetters Arms as that was his trade.

It finally closed in 1932 when Eddie crossed the road and became the landlord of the Bowling Green. At 1 Station Road, this pub opened in 1851 as The Rifleman.

Eddie Kettle was there from 1932 to 1935 at which time his wife Mary took over and remained there through the war years leaving in 1951, The Bowling Green itself closed in 1957. The photo of the pub was taken in 1891 when Richard Cawley was the landlord from 1891 to 1892.

Continuing up Witton Street, the next pub is the Lord Nelson, and it was next door to the old Congregational Sunday School. Eventually, both the pub and the school suffered from subsidence.

Northwich Guardian:

The Lord Nelson in 1892

It was quite a prestigious pub with a Georgian-columned doorway and a board above bearing a picture of Lord Nelson. The building was built in around 1770 becoming part of the Witton Brewery portfolio in 1855 and then Greenall Whitley in 1887.

By January 1922 it was too far gone, and the licensing justices ordered it closed. The last tenant Annie Moore received £260 and Greenall, Whitley £2,340.

Staying in Witton Street, we find The Cock, at number 4 Witton Street The building is still there at the moment and owned by the pharmacy, Well Northwich, it goes by the name it has had on and off during its life, Cock o’ Witton. This beautiful building is not the original Cock that was built in 1742.

Northwich Guardian:

The old Cock Inn

The first tenant was Richard Birkenhead in 1767 Greenall, Whitley in 1865 purchased the pub. In 1931 subsidence had beaten it and it was demolished, the present building took its place and was opened in 1932 on the same footprint as the original.

Fortunately, this attractive building is still there to be admired with its mosaics and superb exterior decorations. In the next look at our lost Northwich pubs, we will carry on along Station Road.

Northwich Guardian:

The new Cock