Friendship PH
Location/Address
536 Manchester Road, Stocksbridge, S36 2DW
Type
Description
The Friendship was renovated by Thomas (Tom) Edward Batty, in 1903, on the site of an earlier pub, built about 1859, run by Harriet Battye in 1868-71 and by Elijah Askew in 1881. In 1903, it was advertised as, “Re-built, Re-furbished and up-to-date.“ The building was built to serve the growing town of Stocksbridge with miles of steelworks and thousands of workers. Peak employment was 6500. By 1991 this had dropped to 1400. In 2015 there were fewer than 800.
There is imposing stonework above the central doorway, 1903 and the initials TEB can be clearly seen. This also includes a handshake. This symbol is that of the Stocksbridge Band of Hope Industrial Co-operative Society Ltd founded in 1860. Tom Batty were bottlers of beers (including Bass and Worthingtons’ fine ales). The pub has an example of one.
The Friendship retains a significant part of its original fittings and fixtures in three of its original four rooms and a lobby bar as well as plenty of tiling. The entrance lobby has floor to ceiling tiling in shades of green. Walk into a lobby bar area still with the original counter and superstructure above (top section painted grey) that would have originally contained shutters/ screens. The bar back fitting is distinctive and is likely to be the original structure. It has seen much change with new top shelving and lower shelves replaced by fridges.
The room on the front left (originally, the Tap Room, currently, the Pool Room) has a door and original bench seating around most of the room (the right-hand wall piece is missing and the front window section stops short). There is a row of bell pushes all around the room in a wood panel above the seating; the cast iron fireplace is modern. There is a tiled frieze around three sides of the room (not the front wall) and on the rear wall are five tiled panels of plain cream tiles with a green glazed edging. In the 1960s, the Tap Room was known locally as the gambling casino.
In 2007, the door was moved from the wall perpendicular to the entrance to the current position. At the same time the matching wall and door on the right of the entrance were removed. This created the room at the front right which is completely opened-up with modern fixed seating and, in 2014, the addition of a wood burner.
The middle left room (originally, the Games Room, currently, the Quiet Room) has a double door width doorway, a good sectioned ceiling and a fireplace where the lower part looks modern but the top section is old as it includes a tiled painting of Venice signed by W. Yale. The fixed seating is modern. The internal window is a later addition, at the same time as the movement of the door in the Tap Room. On display is some ‘Friendship branded’ crockery from the early part of the last century.
William (Billy) Yale was born in Newport, Shropshire in 1843. He was employed by Copeland from c.1869-83, where he was known for painting marine views and winter scenes. After he left Copeland, he set up his own studio on Liverpool Road in Stoke-on-Trent advertising himself as a Tile and Slab Decorator. During this time, he began decorating saggar ware plaques which he acquired from other potteries and fired in a kiln attached to his premises.
At the rear left up three steps is a function room, originally the billiard room, which still retains its original bench seating on a platform for easy viewing of games. There are original bell pushes around the room but it has lost its fireplace and the full sized snooker table. This is currently used as a function room.
Rear right of ground floor includes a room (originally a concert room) which was last used in 1975. It is currently derelict. However, a restoration is planned. The building was built with a concert room on the first floor.
By the 1980s, the Friendship was one of many Bass Charrington (Stones) large keg-only pubs. It was sold by Enterprise Inns, taken on, redecorated and reopened, in December 2014. The new owners have carried out a sensitive refurbishment, preserving and enhancing the historic interior.
Notes from: Pickersgill,D (2021) Sheffield's Real Heritage Pubs (4th.edition) - used with permission)
Reference: Sheffield Archives, Licensing file MC/20/633
Statement of Significance
Asset type
Rare example of a relatively unchanged pub which is over 100 years old.Age
1903 rebuild which retains a significant part of its original fittings and fixtures in three of its original four rooms and a lobby bar as well as plenty of tiling.Rarity
see description - a rare example of a pub of over 100 years old which retains the floor plan and has many original fittings.Architectural and Artistic Interest
1903 re-build.Historic Interest
see descriptionArchaeological Interest
see descriptionImages and Documents
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Date Listed
n/a
Last Updated
23 Aug 2022
Find Out More
Find out more about this Asset in South Yorkshire Local Heritage List:
https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/south-yorkshire/asset/5583
https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/south-yorkshire/asset/5583