Lowes Arms

Hyde Road, Haughton

The Lowes Arms stands on the north side of Hyde Rd, Haughton, just above Broomstair Bridge across the river Tame. When it was built it faced Old Broom Ln, which was the then the main road connecting Haughton with Hyde via a ford across the river. In 1818 the turnpike road between Manchester and Hyde was completed and this passed behind the house. Subsequently, the front and back of the house were reversed so that it stood on the turnpike (Hyde Rd).

On the 2 May 1823 an indenture was drawn up between John Lowe, George Gosling and Jonathan Gibbons for Gosling and Gibbons to lease the house but in the following year Charles Knott took over the lease. At this time the building was little more than a terraced house but with the coat of arms of the Lowe and Sidebotham families over the doorway. The Sidebotham family of Bowdon, Cheshire, were landowners in Haughton.

Nearby there were two coal mines; Broomstair Colliery was on the opposite side of Hyde Rd to the public house and Jet Amber Pit was on the same side in Jet Amber Fields, Farmers Fold, lying between the house and the river. As a result, miners frequented the Lowes Arms. It was recorded that beer was then 2d a pint and each miner would put half-a-crown (2s 6d) on the table. This meant that each miner could consume up to 15 pints of beer!


Lowes Arms, 1960s.

Lowes Arms, Jul 2009.

The Lowes Arms is well known for its in-house brewery and when George Henry Ashton was the publican in the early years of the 20th century beer and stout were brewed on the premises. The 1911 census records that George Henry was assisted in the family business by his wife, Sarah, and their two daughters, Ada and Ethel.

Stoneware beer flagon with lifting handle, internal screw top, and ebonite stopper.

By this time Haughton was part of Denton.

The makers's stamp on the flagon is: JAMES PEARSON, BRAMPTON, CHESTERFIELD.