public houses - 'the bridge'

the bridge
No, I haven't decended into further illiteracy, 'the bridge' lost its capital letters in 2003 but gained a completely new interior after being closed for nearly two years. It was reborn in a modern and fairly spartan style aimed at a younger clientele. That being so, it isn't a 'Real Ale' pub but it has the usual range of beers and lagers with a cheap happy hour on some beverages. Some of the drinks are a bit unusual such as their fancy lagers. It is effectively a new pub and the interior looks nothing like it was pre-refurb.

Seating is a little limited but there is plenty of floor space for standing about. One area of the pub has two three-seater settees facing each with a table between. A couple of stools by the window offer a good perch for people-watching. The pictures below explain all. Top-left and bottom-left are old views from before the refurbishment - the rest are from afterwards in June 2003.

Backgound music can sometimes reach painful levels and way above that needed for ambience but it might suit a younger clientele who substitute grunts for conversation anyway. It can have a great economy of words too. Overheard at the bar: "Bo'l Bud?" translates as "May I have a refreshing bottle of Budweiser, please?" So succinct. Each corner of the room has a large screen tv. The landlord also owns The Old Crown in Penistone town centre and 'Tiamo' Italian eatery a little further along Thurlstone Road, with some car parking provided off Talbot Road for both Bridge End businesses.

The Black Swan
Listed in an 1822 directory, the Black Swan continued until 1865, when Mr Amos Green had a new Inn built next door. He moved from the old Black Swan to what he called the 'New Black Swan when he applied for its licence. The next time it had a mention, it was called the Bridge Inn or Hotel, named after the nearby Penistone Bridge which crosses the River Don. Mr Green described the new house as 'in every way superior to the old one'. It would not change vastly over the next century or more, although it later followed the trend where public houses removed dividing walls and the smaller rooms disappeared.

The pre-refurb, traditional version of The Bridge was a popular destination for escapees from Netherfield old people's home just up Huddersfield Road, which was a former work house. The home closed in the 1980s. See also the Old Inns page and, for a some historical aerial views and more about Bridge End, see the White Hart page.