The Noggin Inn - End of an Era

The Time is Here to Say Goodbye
to the Noggin Inn Forever

The Old Noggin Inn left - around 1910 and right 2024

Today my friend and fellow historian Brian Tuohey were lucky enough to have a guided tour around the partly demolished Noggin Inn site. The team at Carrick Construction were very welcoming and made sure we were fully kitted out in safety gear before we began.
It really was the last chance ever to see this piece of history disappear, as it will be fully demolished in the next week or so.
I have put together a rough timeline of the Noggin to share. The building may be gone but the history will remain with us.
Thank you very much to Brian for the photographs and for letting me join you!

The New Noggin Inn, left and The Noggin Inn, right. Around 1910

If you have read the story of The Noggin Inn and The New Noggin Inn, you will know that as well as the Noggin Inn, there was a pub across the road called The New Noggin Inn. This closed in 1911 and has long since been demolished.

THOMAS MATHER
Manchester Mercury
Tuesday 19 November 1799

This is the earliest mention of the Noggin, with the owner/landlord named as Thomas Mather. The article is advertising a land auction locally. Another newspaper in 1805 still shows him as the landlord.

JOSIAH BARROW and ELLEN BARROW
1828 and 1841

Another newspaper advertisement names Josiah as the landlord in 1928 and the 1841 census return has Ellen listed as an Innkeeper.

JOHN SANKEY and MARY SANKEY
1851, 1861, 1871 and 1877

The 1851, 1861 and 1871 census returns show John Sankey as the Innkeeper.
​A newspaper announcement transfers the licence to Mary in 1877 on John's death.

THOMAS UNSWORTH and ROBERT JACKSON
1877, 1878 and 1881

Thomas Unsworth had the licence for a brief period from1877 before it was transferred to Robert Jackson in 1878. He is listed as a Publican in the 1881 census.

THOMAS BLACKBURN
1882 and 1887

Thomas Blackburn gained the licence in 1882. In 1887, the licence was renewed with a strict caution after it was found that betting had been allowed to take place on the premises.

CHARLES MONK and ISAAC WARBURTON
1888, 1891 and 1901

Charles Monk took over in 1888 and is listed as the Publican on the 1891 census. Isaac Warburton is listed as the same on the 1901 census.

GREENALL & CO., WILDERSPOOL
Listed as owners from 1903
J WARBURTON and J TAYLOR
1903 and 1904

Both Warburton and Taylor had Full licences for one year.

THOMAS HOUGHTON and HERBERT COLLIER
1907, 1911, 1915 and 1921

Thomas Houghton had the full licence from 1907 and is still there in the 1911 Census.
Rifleman Harold Houghton was the son of Thomas and was tragically killed in March 1915.
The licence was then transferred to Herbert Collier. Herbert is still there for the 1921 census.

ANN THOMASON
1939

The 1939 register taken at the start of World War Two shows Ann Thomason as the Innkeeper at the Noggin.

WILLIAM HIGHAM
1950

Manchester Evening Chronicle - Friday 6th October 1950
​
ATOM VILLAGE READY FOR THE BEER RUSH
For William Higham, trade is going to boom again for the tiny village that has rocketed into the headlines.
Thirty thousand munitions workers made shells here during the war. Now the factory that sprawls over 12 square miles of flat, hedge-divided countryside is going to be the nerve centre of Britain’s atomic development.
And William Higham looks like being Risley’s busiest villager.

WALTER FARRINGTON
1958

Walter Farrington, also a local councillor, took the licence in 1958 and would hold it for over 20 years.
He seems to have had lots of music acts playing and was extremely popular.

The ‘Stack Waddy’ rock group were booked to play at the Noggin on 1st October 1970. They had a car crash during the day but escaped with just cuts and bruises. The lead guitarist, 25-year-old Mick Stott told the Manchester Evening News ‘We will be able to keep the booking if we can find transport in time.”
Resident Tony Benson was there that night and confirms that the band did play, using a stand-in for the injured band member.

In 1972 the Liverpool Daily Post reported that the village of Risley was in uproar after the loud music coming from a concert at the pub during the weekend.

The Noggin Inn around 1964. Photograph courtesy of Brian Tuohey

TONY and MAUREEN
1983

The below advertisement is from the Runcorn Guardian on
​23rd December 1983.

The Noggin Inn - Year unknown

CAMRA JUNE 1988

The Greater Manchester Beer Drinker’s Monthly Magazine – The Noggin, Warrington road, Risley has re-opened as a “Hudson’s Eating House”.
​Greenalls cask mild and bitter remain.

The Noggin Inn - Year Unknown. Does anybody know?

STEVE LEONARD
1993

​In June 1993, the Manchester Evening News reported that 1500 jobs were to go at British Nuclear Fuels in Risley, leaving manager Steve Leonard concerned about trade.

FEBRUARY 2024 - DEMOLITION

The part demolished Noggin Inn

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Of course, this is a fraction of the activity at the Noggin over the years. Many of you no doubt have lots of wonderful memories from your own experiences.

​It was also headquarters of The Grand United Order of Oddfellows through the 19th and early 20th Century. (119 members counted in the year 1888).

And who could forget the iconic letter box outside?
​It was already in use before 1896 and from then was serviced by the ‘Rural Cyclist Postman’ who would drop the post at Croft Post Office in the morning before delivering via The Noggin and Glaziers Lane. He would then empty The Noggin box at 6:30pm followed by the wall box at St. Lewis church at 6:45pm. He would then collect the post bag from Croft Post Office again at 6:50pm.

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