Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Reviewing milestone with rpadam
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Queens Head, Stockport
Stockport
SK1 1JT
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Queens Head
Almost under the St Petersgate bridge in the old part of Stockport is The Queens Head, a pub with a narrow frontage and which is still, apparently, referred to locally as Turners Vaults, as the premises was previously the tasting room for Turners Wine Merchants.
A small front bar has wooden floors, boarded wood panelling and some high backed bench seating opposite the bar counter and also by the window. Notably, and most unusually, on the bar counter are two arcs of old spirit taps, evidently no longer in use. It’s very narrow in front of the bar, but, squeezing past other customers, one reaches two further rooms behind. An attractive small lounge at the back is quieter and has banquette seating, old bell pushes and elegant cornicing. Between the bar servery and this lounge is the “News Room”, which is effectively a partitioned alcove set back from the corridor leading to the back room. The News Room is a basic room with brass rods on which newspapers are hung, together with bench seating. Locals evidently favour the front bar and these two back rooms were noticeably quieter on my recent visit.
It’s very much a locals pub, with a few characters, and was already quite busy when I called in at about 11.30 in the morning.
It’s a Sam Smiths pub with OBB on handpump. The landlady apologised profusely at charging me £ 1.80p, and, seeing my quizzical expression, explained that it had gone up from £ 1.60p the previous day, a price rise that was being applied to all Sam’s pubs in the North West.
For its characteful unspoilt interior, it’s worth a look in, but I gather it’s better to do so in the evenings when it’s quieter.
On 13th April 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Rydings left this review about The Queens Head
All ways call in bit small you get knocked about a bit but worth a quick pint
On 18th August 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 948 recommendations about 917 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
peter ashworth left this review about The Queens Head
Super Sam Smiths pub with tremendous character,that was sympathetically restored in the late 80's.Cant add anything more that Roger Button has not mentioned in his excellent review.
On 10th February 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2318 recommendations about 2274 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Clive Thompson left this review about The Queens Head
Tiny Sam Smiths pub tucked away almost under a viaduct near a shopping centre. Wonderful interior that I suspect hasn’t changed much in the last 50 years. Some of the old photos on the walls are testament to this, as was one of the old regulars we got chatting to. There were a few colourful characters in but it had a nice friendly, if a bit raucous, atmosphere. Would be a good pub to go to during a quiet time to have a proper look around.
On 28th March 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 777 recommendations about 697 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Queens Head
A wonderful, if somewhat cramped, pub with a fantastic unaltered interior that has been recognised by its inclusion in the CAMRA inventory. A Sam Smiths pub so that means ridiculously cheap prices - £1.26 for a pint of Old Brewery Bitter is beyond the comprehension of someone who rarely gets change from £3. Friendly if rather overworked barmaid although the customer base can be a little worse for wear but at these prices I would easily go down the same path. The main bar is quaintly small with room for a table in the window and a couple opposite the bar. Beyond the bar area is a wonderful little snug and beyond this a slightly larger room at the rear of the pub. There are plenty of paneled walls and several wooden division screens but the most interesting features are probably the old wine / spirit / cordial dispensaries behind the bar, although they do not appear to be functional. Only the lack of smoke reminds you that this is the 21st century and is probably the only thing to have changed in generations although the old photo behind the bar suggests that some of the tiling behind the bar may have either been added recently or restored back to its original state. There are a few interesting old local maps in the doorway and a few old pictures, portraits and clippings in the main bar. This is a real museum piece and well worth going out of the way for if you like traditional unspoilt pubs.
On 17th August 2007
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]