The Harbord Harbord, the New Inn and the Ring O Bells

 

I made entries in 2022 for three of the six pubs in Middleton that host the Pace Egg players and said then I would review the remaining three at some time. I only got round to it this year. Here they are, with some photos of the Pace Egg players in between. 

    (For those who don't know, a Pace Egg play was a custom that first developed 700 years ago and was performed around local pubs at Easter, with the performers asking the landlord for beer and food. It has been revived in a few places in Lancashire, probably the most well known one now is performed in Heptonstall in West Yorkshire on Good Friday. The Middleton version is performed on Easter Monday and features St George and his supporters fighting the King of Turkey, with a doctor who revives St George when he is wounded in the battle. This year there were two doctors. And a horse, who belongs to the senior doctor and doesn't say anything. I'm relating this history because some of the people watching the players had no idea about it. The players don't demand free ale for their performance these days but collect money for charity. Look up Middleton Pace Egg Players on facebook and you might still be able to donate to this year's.)

The Harbord Harbord

17-21 Long Street, MIddleton, Manchester M24 6TE

TEL: 0161 654 6226

This is a Wetherspoons pub and delivers what you would expect form a Wetherspoons pub. It's a free house, has a good value pub menu and the company respects and emphasises the building's history. This was never built as a pub but was a shop, then became a branch of Burtons in the 1950s, then became a Woolworths, then was a series of independent supermarkets until it was turned into a pub in the 1980s. It is named after Harbord Harbord, who later became Lord Suffield. He became the local lord of the manor by marriage in the late 18th century, after marrying the daughter of the previous Lord, and was the first to consistently develop Middleton so that it changed from a village to a town. 

    Middleton has a lot of history. If you want to know more about it read

www.jdwetherspoon.com/pub-histories/the-harbord-harbord-middleton 

decor -2

Mostly drab browns

ambience - 4

lively

service - 2

Bit lackadaisical

Features - 1

Serves food

real ale - 5

Serves a wide range, like all Wetherspoons pubs

toilets - 4

Score 19 out of 30

Extra point for having good disabled access. the entrance is level with the street and the bar is all on one level and there is a disabled toilet.