CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE

CHESHIRE - Scholar Green, Bleeding Wolf

National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors Part One

121 Congleton Road North, Scholar Green, Stoke-on-Trent, ST7 3BQ

Tel: 01782 782272

Listed Status: Not listed

View this pub on a local map

The Bleeding Wolf, built in 1934, is one of the real classic interwar survivals. It is one of three similarly constructed ‘roadhouse’ pubs built in the mid 1930s to designs by J H Walters for Robinsons Brewery of Stockport and is the only one to retain its thatched roof. The other two are the Legs of Man, Arclid, on the A50; and the Church House Inn, Buglawton near Congleton on the A54. It retains its original as-built plan-form - a hugely ambitious series of five rustic rooms - and most of its original fittings and finishes. Through the inner door is the former off-sales hatch still with a sliding two-part stained and leaded window, and openings to rooms right and left. The left-hand Public Bar has exposed timbering and a stone fireplace framed by cruck-like timbers. It retains an original bar counter and fixed seating. The main Lounge Bar on the right features the servery and an attractive semi-circular bay on the frontage. The counter front is segmental-shaped and has textured lapped boarding. The bar back shelving appears to be the original. The impressive inglenook-style brick fireplace has a brick hood over the fire and high backed seating either side with a leaded panel at the top. Some of the leaded glass feature illustrations of the tale of the ‘bleeding wolf’ (whose legend is told on the walls of the central bar).

Further to the right (at front) is the dining room with large 1930s brick fireplace and half-timbering. A modest opening-up of this room was carried out in 2009 to make it more visible to diners! A spacious corridor runs across the back of the pub and opens out into a wide hall with doors facing the extensive grounds and there is a hatch to the rear of the bar with a leaded panel. To the rear left is the fine fully-panelled Oak Room with double doors, 1930s Tudor-shaped stone fireplace with linen fold features in the oak panelling above and bell-pushes all around the room. To the right a former games room, which now houses a carvery, retains its original brick fireplace but has modern panelling. Beyond that a no-longer–in-use entrance passage has been converted into a disabled toilet. Don't miss the detailing, such as the stained glass Robinson's beer bottles either side of the entrance, depictions of the eponymous bleeding wolf (whose legend is told on the walls of the central bar), and the original tiling (some of the tiles have animals on them) in the ladies' and gents', which retains its original urinals.