Pub with own spirit up for sale
LANDMARK 19TH CENTURY ROCHDALE PUB THAT IS SAID TO BE HAUNTED BY FORMER LANDLADY GOES ON THE MARKET
A LANDMARK 19th century pub reputedly haunted by its former landlady has gone up for sale.
Owd Betts, on the outskirts of Norden in Rochdale, has been put on the market for £194,995.
But if you fancy yourself behind the bar you may have to contend with the ghost of ‘Owd Bett’ herself.
Local folklore has it that Betty Ashworth, who the 220-year-old pub is named after, can still be heard walking the corridors and keeping an eye on the staff. Built as the Hare and Hounds in 1796 by Richard and Mary Ashworth, the much-loved boozer was passed to their son John and his wife Betty in the mid 1800s.
When John died in 1869, Betty continued to run the inn alone. During this time it became known locally as ‘Owd Betts.’
It was officially renamed in the 1950s after its most well-known owner. And speaking last year landlady Lynne Hartley told how Betty, who died just five days before her 75th birthday, on March 5, 1893, still likes to make her presence felt.
She said: “I’ve had one or two funny experiences - and one or two of the waitresses didn’t like being left on their own here.
“A nephew who cheffed for us was convinced he could hear footsteps on the landing and my daughter-inlaw was pushed over in the cellar.
“It’s little things like that. But whether you believe it or not is up to you.”
Current owner, Rhys Knowles, who has run the pub for 12 years, has put it up for sale as would like to return to Wales to spend more time with his young family.
He said: “Owd Betts means a lot to me personally, as it has been part of my life for a long time. When I knew I had to sell it, to spend more time with my wife and two young children, it was important for me to find a business broker that would understand its significance in the local area and treat it with respect.
“I hope we will find a new owner that will give it as much love as I have. Owd Betts is an institution. People come back because of what it is. I don’t want it to go to someone who will turn it into a wine bar.
The pub is on the market with estate agents Hilton Smythe.
Group managing director Gareth Smyth said: “Owd Betts is a fantastic business, as it has so much local history. The new owners will not only be getting a pub, they will be getting a piece of Rochdale’s heritage.”