The Cemetery Hotel, Greave, Rochdale

A splendid end of terrace Edwardian multi room pub, the main bar is towards the rear with a simple arts and crafts counter. Above is a magnificent example of nouveau glass work, the oddly sloping floor is geometrically tiled. Seven pulls with Taylor’s Landlord, a couple from Pictish and one from Vocation, there’s a quad T-Bar each side. The walls are brown painted Lincrusta above more nouveau tiling, one wall shows signs of a serious subsidence. The two front sitting rooms are a bit different, in style if not use. The right hand one a public seemingly repurposed to dining, the left hand with booth like seating also apparently given over to food service, both rooms have numbered tables with menus and candle powered bottles. No tiling but lots of integral tongue and groove. A rear room off the main bar is more of a larger snug, a serving hatch remains higher up on one wall, all banquette seating with copper topped tables. Back in the main bar, there’s a screen, piped music and a machine to break the spell and remind you that you’re still in the 21st century. Listed on CAMRA’s National Inventory of outstanding historic interiors.

An interesting pub for me as it's listed by Camra as one with an outstanding interior of national importance. Unfortunately my visits to Rochdale have always been for the purpose of watching my team humiliate themselves at Spotland, so this pub is too busy to fully appreciate. I did note on this occasion that there is some new wallpaper which imitates bare brickwork, which I thought was a little out of character. On the bar: mostly mainstream beers (see photos) with the two relatively local breweries represented by blonde beers. I went for the Doom Bar, which was nothing to write home about. This is a beer that benefits from a bit of extra time in the cellar before serving, which I don't think this one had. I'll probably be back though, the next time the Hatters take on the Dale.